IF Review | An Overly Sentimental but Endearing Fantasy Adventure
A disenchanted 12-year-old girl rediscovers her sense of joy and youthful exuberance in an overly sentimental but endearing fantasy adventure. IF, short for imaginary friends, tugs mightily on your heartstrings. John Krasinksi, who pulls quadruple duty as writer, director, producer, and co-star, wants to squeeze your eyeballs for buckets of tears. He accomplishes that goal but, thankfully, gets an equal number of big laughs in a wonderful second act. There are a few narrative bumps. A huge reveal is evident from the start. It’s another case of waiting for a film to deliver something the audience is keenly aware of. That’s not a deal-breaker with stunning visual effects and engaging lead performances.