Cert - U, Run-time - 1 hour 44 minutes, Director - John Krasinski

Grieving her mother, and with her father (John Krasinski) awaiting surgery, 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) discovers a world of imaginary friends looking for new children after theirs have grown up and forgotten them.

I've been critical of Ryan Reynolds in recent years, claiming that he's leaned too much into his Deadpool persona in most of his performances. However, IF sees him follow-up a change in tone in 2022's Spirited where he gives another much more restrained performance. One where he, surprisingly, isn't as present as you might expect. Yes, Reynolds is certainly a key player and features in a number of scenes, but often he's not place front and center.

The true star of the film isn't even the range of CG imaginary friends (IFs) featured throughout. Cailey Fleming as 12-year-old Bea leads with an excellent young performance, bringing through the heart and core of the film. Bea's grieving the loss of her mother, and her father (writer-director John Krasinski) is in hospital for what she's assured is a simple surgery. Living with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) she discovers Reynold's Cal living upstairs, and with that an operation to find IFs who have been forgotten by their now-grown-up children new kids.

During a scene where the corridors of the home for retired IFs change with a burst of colour a group of characters of all shapes, sizes and colours rush on stage for a dance number. It's a moment of pure joy as a huge smile spreads across Bea's face, and those of the audience, as for a brief moment she forgets her worries.

IF's greatest success come in these moments where it dives into a world of imagination. The majority of laughs arising where the various imaginary friends are allowed to be themselves - an audition sequence conjuring up a good few. Yet, there's a lot to get in to 104 minutes and in order to do this any form of bridge from one idea to another seems to have been removed. Instead we frantically jump from point to point in an excited manner which might match key IF Blue (a giant, furry purple blob voiced by Steve Carrell), but creates a slight whiplash effect for the viewer the more the narrative goes on.

However, while this might the case the film is kept afloat by its charm, a good deal of which is created by Fleming's central performance, and second half humour. Yes, the emotional beats might not all click - especially after being built up with a slathering of predictable schmaltz in the opening stages - but as a whole there's a relaxed and enjoyable nature to IF that makes its flaws somewhat forgivable. 

It's certainly not perfect, and it doesn't seem aware of its imperfections so as to wear them on its sleeve. But, overall, there's a good deal to like about the film, not just the fact that it's a rare (mostly) live-action family film, but also its charm, occasional humour and fantastic young performance at its core all bringing about a generally likable nature.

Four stars, Jamie Skinner