IF
★★ 1/2
IF is a movie that has its heart in the right place, but there is something that seems tepid despite its attempts to have a lot of fun. This is clearly a project that is close to director/writer John Krasinski's heart. I'm sure that many of the characters you see depicted are straight translations from his mind, and while these are fine, in a universe that is supposed to explode with vivid colors, the world feels very constrained despite being painted with lively characters and personalities.
Krasinski faces the tough task of setting this world against a heavy backdrop, dealing with themes of death. The subject matter may be too vague for young audiences to catch on and not dark enough for parents to get super emotionally invested. However, Cailey Fleming does a good job of carrying much of the weight, despite what I felt was a very flat performance from Ryan Reynolds. Without divulging Reynolds' character's significance to the story, I found his connections to the narrative unconvincing, especially given what we are led to believe about the girl's perspective.
Reynolds seems to be phoning it in, and any laughs that are garnered come from the jokes themselves rather than his delivery. I was neither in love with nor did I absolutely hate this movie. My expectations may have been too high, as the characters are very fun to watch. The special effects are amazing, and the cinematography and overall softness of the movie are enjoyable. However, by the end, I was never emotionally driven to the conclusion the movie wanted me to reach.
My family seemed to like it a bit more than I did, but we couldn't help but feel that much more could have been made with these characters in this world, especially considering the voice talent behind them. A lot was left on the table. That said, I do wish more movies like IF existed and that this story had been a little better, as it could have led to more family films of this nature. Unfortunately, given its box office numbers and response, I fear studios may head in a different direction, which is a shame because I did appreciate the attempt to bring a vivid imagination to life.
