The reviews split almost evenly, and the spread is wide: four-star notices from The Telegraph and The Times sit alongside a D+ from The AV Club. Where critics agree is on Cailey Fleming, whose lead performance is picked out again and again for giving the story about grief and anxiety more feeling than the script supplies. The voice cast draws warm words, and The Telegraph admires the tactile creature designs. The reservations cluster around the writing: most critics find the plot loose, overstuffed or meandering, and several call the film a live-action Pixar imitation that never matches its models. A recurring complaint is that the film cannot decide who it is for, too sombre for small children and too thin for adults; The AV Club goes further and argues Ryan Reynolds is miscast in a part better suited to Krasinski’s own earnestness. The warmest notices forgive the mess for the sincerity underneath; the coldest find the sincerity itself patronising.
T
The Telegraph
15 May 2024 · ★★★★ · Robbie Collin
80
This charming family fantasy is sweet and imaginative despite its corny premise, evoking older studio live-action films. It excels in its tactile creature designs and touching exploration of reconnecting with childhood comforts.
The film is a heartfelt but unremarkable kid-pleaser that borrows heavily from Pixar without matching its quality. It stands out for the engaging performance of young lead Cailey Fleming, who brings emotional depth to a story dealing with grief and anxiety.
Krasinski's film has charm and heartfelt whimsy thanks to Reynolds and Fleming's performances, but the overstuffed plot leaves too many questions and jokes fall flat.
The film is a loosely plotted and derivative but occasionally playful family fantasy about loss and imaginary friends. Krasinski aims for a live-action Pixar feel but the story meanders, though it has flashes of charm and invention in places.
The film is an unwieldy Pixar-aping mess that is unsuitable for kids or adults, unsure of its target audience. The critic highlights the miscasting of Ryan Reynolds in a role better suited to Krasinski's earnest style and the story's failure to create a coherent imaginative world.
The film is a well-intentioned misfire, a kid’s movie without laughs and a parent’s movie without purpose. It features thin worldbuilding and sentimental plotting around imaginary friends who need new believers.
The film offers a charming, wistful story of imaginary friends with strong visuals and a starry cast. It stands out for its melancholy tone and loving human details amid the fantasy elements.
Krasinski delivers a convoluted and often joyless tale about imaginary friends that fails to capture genuine wonder or emotional resonance. The review singles out the film's uncertain tone and lack of coherent visual language as major flaws in its attempt to blend comedy and drama.
The cute premise and star voices are the only strengths in this somber film with serious storytelling and world-building problems that leave the conceit undercooked.
Krasinski's family fantasy is easier to admire than enjoy, with strong performances and craftsmanship undermined by tonal shifts and pacing problems. The critic praises the emotional depth brought by young lead Cailey Fleming and the all-star voice cast but notes generic slapstick and strained attempts at magic.
Krasinski’s treacly kids dramedy offers a slim story about a girl helping match lonely imaginary friends with new kids, but the celebrity cameos take up as much space as the plot itself.
IF is a wonky but big-hearted children's fantasy with an impressive A-list voice cast that evokes wistful wonder. It succeeds through its delayed emotional payoffs and a sweet twist likely to delight young viewers.
This sweetly old-fashioned yet messily conjured children’s tale sadly falls short of its thematic ambitions despite its classical look and star-studded voice cast.
The critic finds the film heartfelt and genuine despite some disjointed plotting, praising its emotional power about grief and family, and Krasinski's emotional intelligence. The lead performance by Cailey Fleming is highlighted positively.
A heartfelt family film with strong emotional moments and good cast, but suffers from a meandering script and lack of focus; still recommended as a fun hit.
The critic calls IF a touching family movie that fills a needed gap with laughs, tears and strong performances, especially from Cailey Fleming. It notes the film sometimes undermines itself by chasing franchise potential instead of trusting its emotional core.
Krasinski excels at sincere, emotional storytelling in this big-hearted film that balances melancholy with life's simple joys. The third act delivers powerful, cathartic moments, though the film is uneven and lacks enough comedy to balance its darker themes.
The film struggles with balancing whimsy and emotional depth, resulting in a messy tone that feels more like therapy than fun family fare, though it has strong performances from the young lead, excellent score, and solid visuals.
The film feels patronising and lacks spark in its CGI creatures and story, relying on heavy emotional shortcuts and didactic scoring without much insight or originality.
The critic praises the visual creativity and strong performances, especially Fleming's, but criticizes the melodramatic and tedious narrative, overwrought tone, and implausible plot elements that make it less engaging.
The critic finds the film tonally discombobulated, derivative, and lacking effective storytelling or a convincing kid's perspective, with the drama ringing hollow despite some potential in adult characters' regrets.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
