A poignant fantasy about loss and the power of imagination.
“IF” is a live-action/animated fantasy starring Ryan Reynolds that explores the idea of what happens to our forgotten imaginary friends (IFs). That might sound a little sad, and it is: After losing their connection to children as they grow, the IFs end up living in a retirement home, listless and abandoned. Also sad — but handled gently through a montage (not unlike “Up”) — is the fact that the loving mother of 12-year-old protagonist Bea (Cailey Fleming) has died, and now her good-natured dad (writer-director John Krasinski) is in the hospital. But Bea is distracted from her worry by busying herself with purposeful work (helping the IFs) and learns that accessing familiar music, smells, sights and tastes can bring her back to a happy memory or feeling and help calm anxious or overwhelming emotions. Only very young or sensitive kids are likely to be distressed by the mild scares, such as a character appearing out of nowhere or a creepyish neighbor who steps into the hallway at night. And while another key character, Blue (voiced by Steve Carell), is a giant purple monster, viewers will quickly understand that he’s as huggable and non-threatening as a big stuffed animal. Mild language includes “butt,” “hell” and “good God!” All the characters, both live and imaginary, demonstrate positive traits, and there are clear themes of curiosity, compassion and teamwork. (104 minutes)
