Imaginary Friends

IF is the most unlikely movie to come from the director of A Quiet Place and the star of Deadpool. Although I’m getting a little old for kids movies, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see two different imaginary friend movies in the same year. Unlike the horror themed Imaginary, IF is fun for the whole family. It’s the first theatrical Ryan Reynolds movie since Free Guy, and although he tones it down, IF does have too much unnecessary swearing. Cailey Fleming proves herself in a starring role as the mature Bea who predicably loses her mother after a sentimental montage. John Krasinski is the writer, director, producer, and Bea’s father who tries to cheer her up despite being sick himself. Fiona Shaw is her absent minded grandmother, Alan Kim is a sick kid that she befriends, and Bobby Moynihan is a stressed out grown up, but it’s the titular IF’s that steal the show.

The plot immediately reminded me of the Cartoon Network show Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. I never watched the cartoon, but I know there are many similarities. Both are about imaginary friends hoping to find new kids after they’ve been outgrown. They also feature an imaginary friend (or IF) named Bloo (or Blue). When I was a kid, I actually dreamed about a giant purple monster that looked very similar to Blue. IF is like a Pixar movie come to life with computer animation mixed with live-action. Office collaborator Steve Carell voices the lovable sneezy Blue and I’m indifferent to Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the British humanoid butterfly Blossom. They’re both in the care of Cal played by a jaded Ryan Reynolds. Bea befriends Cal and the IF’s and slowly acts like a kid again when she decides to help them find children. The rest stay at Memory Lane Retirement Home where they all have easy to miss celebrity voices. It was sadly one of the last voice roles for Louis Gossett Jr. as the wise elderly teddy bear Lewis.

Bradley Cooper is a glass of ice water named Ice, Awkwafina is Bubble, Matt Damon is a sunflower named Flower, Bill Hader is Banana, Keegan-Michael Key is Slime, George Clooney is once again an astronaut named Spaceman, Sam Rockwell is the superhero dog Guardian Dog, Christopher Meloni is the in your face detective Cosmo, Richard Jenkins is living animation figure Art Teacher, Matthew Rhys is Ghost, Maya Rudolph is Ally the Alligator, Amy Schumer is the farting Gummy Bear, Jon Stewart is Robot, Sebastian Maniscalco is Magician Mouse, the producer is Viola, Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively is Octopuss, Krasinski’s wife Emily Blunt is Unicorn, and Krasinski himself is the flaming Marshmallow. The funniest casting is Brad Pitt as the invisible IF Kieth. IF sometimes lacks energy, but Bea using her imagination in a musical sequence set to “Better Be Good to Me” by Tina Turner is a fun sequence. The story shifts between finding new kids and recapturing lost youth. It’s a little complicated, but I was emotional by the end. IF has plenty of imagination.

Bea and Cal walk with the IF’s