I want to get this out of the way early because the use of CGI in movies is nothing new, and there isn't a lot to promote regarding the technology used in If. We've seen animated characters inserted into movies for a number of years now, so I wouldn't expect any technical Academy Awards for what they did with the animation. The good news is that animations for each character that appears on screen are fluid and flawless, giving the impression that the imaginary characters are just as real as their human co-stars. That's a big plus.
Why did I bring up the CGI right at the start? Well, it's vitally important for the development of the characters seen in If. There are 19 different imaginary friends that we meet through the story, and all of them have distinct origin stories and fun quirks to their characters. Some of these characters are mostly secondary players in the story, but for a handful that are featured throughout the tale they become almost real "actors" with their personalities defined.
Bringing these characters to life is important because it drives the story. If starts out with home movies as the opening credits roll, showing John Krasinski and Catharine Daddario as the parents of Cailey Fleming's character Bea. We find out as the movies end and the story begins that Bea is a very straight-laced, no-nonsense kid after her mother passed away. Compounding her seriousness is her dad being admitted to the hospital for a heart procedure, turning Bea from fun-loving kid into a pre-pubescent adult. With dad in the hospital, Bea stays with her grandmother, played by Fiona Shaw, where the old apartment building holds some secrets.
Bea begins to see other people's IFs (imaginary friends), and follows Blossom, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, to an apartment where she discovers Cal, played by Ryan Reynolds, and Blue, voiced by Steve Carell. These four will ultimately spend the most time on the screen as the adventure begins, but Bea learns that a large number of imaginary friends can no longer be seen by their human friends. Cal has been trying to relink these abandoned imaginary friends with people, but he's been largely unsuccessful in his attempts. That's where Bea gets herself involved as she looks to right this wrong.
Along the way we meet a cast of imaginary friends once thought up by the kids who dreamed them. They include the likes of Unicorn (Emily Blunt), Ally (Maya Rudolph), Cosmo (Christopher Meloni), Ice (Bradley Cooper), and Bubble (Awkwafina) who all have small parts to help push the story along, but the story would go nowhere without Lewis (the late, great Louis Gossett Jr.) who gives Bea the advice she needs to help push the matchmaking in the right direction. I also need to give a nod to Benjamin, a kid stuck in the same hospital as her dad while recovering from his own operation, played by Alan Kim as his performance is mostly included for comedy relief and a bit of reflection, but he shines every time he's on the screen.
Among our key players, Reynolds is fun with his role as an often-serious, overseeing role in contrast to Bea's upbeat, bubbly personality when it comes to matchmaking. His reluctance to be part of the major musical number in the film should generate a few chuckles, but Reynolds does well in selling Cal's character. Carell as Blue is goofy and fun with a sense of wonder as his character tries to fit in as a purple, oversized monster, and Krasinski gets a lot of personality just out of Carell's voice. Waller-Bridge's Blossom is a very proper character who has a lot of information for Bea, and Fiona Shaw's portrayal of Bea's grandmother is fun and whimsical even if she isn't featured on the screen a lot.
Make no mistake that If will boost Cailey Fleming into being a bonafide Hollywood actress if she didn't already have that title. She already boasts roles in The Walking Dead, Loki, and Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, but she stands out in If for her abilities to show emotion, even with just facial expressions, and for her becoming Bea in every scene. It's easy to forget that Cailey isn't Bea when it comes to her performance, and that helped sell the character for me. Cailey Fleming is truly the star here.
I've seen a handful of reviews online that bemoan the fact that the story isn't deep nor does it get into a lot of the potential comedy that could be had, but I think a lot of reviewers forget that this is a kid's movie with a clear message about how getting older often means we trade silliness for responsibility. It's the silly that Krasinski aims for with his script while subtly reminding both kids and parents not to let go of that silliness, so it shouldn't be treated like a Shawshank Redemption or a Good Will Hunting. Movies can be silly and fun in teaching us lessons to remember, and If hit that target squarely.
While it may be true that Krasinski's movie could have been shortened to an hour with no loss of story, the fact that he continually is stressing the underlying message makes his words about why he wrote the movie all the more important, telling People magazine's Analisa Novak, "I saw their light starting to go out. And I saw that the world started to seep in, and that is the definition of growing up."
Based on the performances of Cailey Fleming and needed-more-of-him Alan Kim, it's pretty clear that Krasinski's message was conveyed through the story. The movie moved at a good pace without a lot of dragging, the fun brought to audiences by the characters is very evident, and losing one's self to the story won't be hard if one doesn't take it too seriously. If may not be a technical masterpiece or a master class in story-telling, but it gets something that a lot of summer movies seem to forget: how to be silly. I enjoyed If because it was a fun Friday night movie, and I bet you'll enjoy the film too.
Teebz's Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
If is streaming on a number of streaming services and can still be found in select theatres. The movie was produced by John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, Andrew Form, and Ryan Reynolds for Sunday Night Productions and Maximum Effort while being distributed by Paramount Pictures, and was released on May 17, 2024 in theatres.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
