If (2024)

[Bartmanhomer]

Hello everyone. Today I'm going to review the movie I saw yesterday called If (2024)

Spoiler: My Thoughts On If (2024)

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If better known as Imaginary Friends is about an older girl who sees imaginary friends who set on a journey to reconnect imaginary friends with their former children. What I love about this movie is that it is very heartfelt, emotional, and a tearjerker. I cried during the movie. The characters were very original. There wasn't anything that I disliked about the movie. Ryan Reynolds did a wonderful job performing this movie. Also, this movie is award-worthy in my opinion. So I'll recommend this movie.

[Errorname]

So I thought this was a Foster's Home ripoff from the second I saw the trailer, but did they seriously name their main imaginary friend "Blue"?

[Millstone85]

So I thought this was a Foster's Home ripoff from the second I saw the trailer, but did they seriously name their main imaginary friend "Blue"?

I thought the adaptation just got wild with the design.

[Bartmanhomer]

So I thought this was a Foster's Home ripoff from the second I saw the trailer, but did they seriously name their main imaginary friend "Blue"?

Yes.

I thought the adaptation just got wild with the design.

Was it based on a book?

[Errorname]

I thought the adaptation just got wild with the design.

Nope! I do wonder if this started as an adaptation but they either couldn't or didn't want to get the rights.

Was it based on a book?

No, but the premise is strikingly similar to a cartoon called Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

[Bartmanhomer]

No, but the premise is strikingly similar to a cartoon called Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

I've watched Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends a long time ago.

[Khedrac]

I found it an interesting film, and worth watching. I would agree with the comments that it's the adult interactions with the imaginary friends that are the most important, however I think they fluffed the "happily ever after sequence".

Spoiler: Serious Spoiler inside - do NOT read this is you have not seen the movie and think you will

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In the main two adult-IF reconnections the girl achieves, the adult never even sees their IF, it appears to me that the IF is really providing the sense of confidence gained from knowing that someone has one's back.
Indeed the point is stressed that the mood matters, just putting the IF where the adult will see look straight through them won't work.
But what happens in the end sequence? All of the IFs we see re-linked to their adults are just put where their adult will see them with no regard to mood and the re-linking happens, exactly what the rest of the film shows us won't work!

[Bartmanhomer]

I found it an interesting film, and worth watching. I would agree with the comments that it's the adult interactions with the imaginary friends that are the most important, however I think they fluffed the "happily ever after sequence".

Spoiler: Serious Spoiler inside - do NOT read this is you have not seen the movie and think you will

Show

In the main two adult-IF reconnections the girl achieves, the adult never even sees their IF, it appears to me that the IF is really providing the sense of confidence gained from knowing that someone has one's back.
Indeed the point is stressed that the mood matters, just putting the IF where the adult will see look straight through them won't work.
But what happens in the end sequence? All of the IFs we see re-linked to their adults are just put where their adult will see them with no regard to mood and the re-linking happens, exactly what the rest of the film shows us won't work!

Yes. I really enjoy If so much. I hope there will be a sequel.

[Tyndmyr]

This is a movie. It isn't a great movie, and probably isn't even a good movie. It's...meh, I guess. It's not even a particularly good kids film, as kids will likely be quite bored through most of it. It follows the usual pattern of having a twelve year old played by someone about 50% older than that, and doesn't bother to really...show a whole lot of anything.

The basic premise is really straightforward, and is already found in the trailer, but anything beyond that isn't explored. Where do Ifs come from? Don't know. Why do some choose to live here or there? Again, don't know. Characters will repeatedly be told "it doesn't work like that" but you won't be told how it does work, and certainly not shown.

Spoiler

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They don't even show people having a happy reunion with their Ifs, which strikes me as a weird choice. They...kind of do? In an after credits scene for one? So, clearly it happens, but why not actually show that in the movie itself, given that it is the entire plot of the film?

Anyways, her dad had heart surgery, and apparently jumping on his chest to hug him immediately afterward not only cured him entirely, but made her unable to see her IF. Which I guess is a twist, sort of. It's not much of a twist, though, because it brings up a whole lot of fridge logic that only existed to mislead the viewer.

It opened below expectations despite being the first family friendly release in months, which has been a bit of an underserved sector this year. I expect it'll get some money just by sheer lack of competition and families not realizing it's a bit of a snoozefest, but I certainly don't expect it to be a great success. Instead, it'll join the ranks of movies that are merely forgettable.

[Mordar]

I thought it was very solid, if predictable. Surprisingly broad array of names in it, and a funny dance number.

Published critical reviews missed the mark on the "missing story" - the questions of where they come from, why only certain people can see them, what are the rules around the re-engagement - just chose to apply the wrong criteria to the film. It isn't a procedural, or a realist-action, or a universe-building franchise. All of these can be solved with "Because I said so" quite nicely.

Re: "Kids' Movie" - I think this again is off the mark. When my wife and I arrived were were not surprised to see somewhere around 30+ kids around 10 and under, and said that we weren't sure they'd enjoy the movie. There is a world of difference between "Family Friendly" (which it is) and "Kids' Movie" (which it is not).

Note: While some of these comments appear to be responsive to Tyndmyr, that is not the intent, and unless Tyndmyr is a professional critic, should not be assumed to apply. If an individual is unhappy with the lack of world-building in a movie I think that vastly different than a published critic.

- M

[Bohandas]

Was it as similar in concept to Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends as it looked in the ads

[Bartmanhomer]

Was it as similar in concept to Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends as it looked in the ads

Yes. It looks like it.

[Tyndmyr]

Note: While some of these comments appear to be responsive to Tyndmyr, that is not the intent, and unless Tyndmyr is a professional critic, should not be assumed to apply. If an individual is unhappy with the lack of world-building in a movie I think that vastly different than a published critic.

- M

Oh, no worries. Nobody has paid me to be cynical, I do that for free. I don't mind a disagreeing opinion in either case. A lively debate is, after all, far more interesting than this film.

I hadn't read any critic opinions on this film and saw it mostly blind save for having seen the trailer. I'm not surprised, though. Relying on "because I said so" is a weak storytelling premise in general. You can kind of get away with it if the audience is sufficiently distracted by a sense of wonder or the like, but when you're just staring at an annoying blue stuffed animal, there's not a whole lot to distract you.

[Bartmanhomer]

Oh, no worries. Nobody has paid me to be cynical, I do that for free. I don't mind a disagreeing opinion in either case. A lively debate is, after all, far more interesting than this film.

I hadn't read any critic opinions on this film and saw it mostly blind save for having seen the trailer. I'm not surprised, though. Relying on "because I said so" is a weak storytelling premise in general. You can kind of get away with it if the audience is sufficiently distracted by a sense of wonder or the like, but when you're just staring at an annoying blue stuffed animal, there's not a whole lot to distract you.

I respect your honest opinion of your review.

[Malimar]

Published critical reviews missed the mark on the "missing story" - the questions of where they come from, why only certain people can see them, what are the rules around the re-engagement - just chose to apply the wrong criteria to the film. It isn't a procedural, or a realist-action, or a universe-building franchise. All of these can be solved with "Because I said so" quite nicely.

Agreed. These are asking the wrong questions; it is is all powered by the mind of one or more children; it's not science fiction or rule-driven fantasy; it works like that because it works like that, and it's inconsistent because why would it be consistent, not everyone imagines the same way.