DVD Corner

IF 4K UHD Review

“IF” has heart but is too reminiscent of other works. 

In 2024’s “IF,” the story revolves around Bea- a 12 year old girl who lost her mother and whose father is now about to have heart surgery. While her father is in the hospital, she stays with her grandmother in an apartment building. While there, she meets a neighbor (Cal) who is interacting with creatures including the butterfly esque Blossom and the big fuzzy purple creature named Blue. Bea discovers that Cal is attempting to match imaginary friends to children, but is struggling to do so. Bea volunteers to help as she worries about her father’s surgery and the possibility that she may lose both of her parents. Is Bea really seeing imaginary friends or is she retreating into fantasy to help her cope with reality?

Written and directed by John Krasinski (who wanted to make a movie for his children), the big budget “IF” (which stands for Imaginary Friend) is certainly an outlier in today’s studio movie marketplace in that it’s not an IP. Krasinski certainly deserves credit for this heartfelt movie about growth, memories, imagination, and reconnecting with your inner child. Unfortunately, it never quite clicks. 

If “IF” sounds familiar that’s because it feels like a mish-mash of stories like “Drop Dead Fred,” “I Kill Giants,” “A Monster Calls,” and “Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends.” There’s been many a story about imaginary friends and children retreating into fantasies. This particular one wears its heart on its sleeve, but never lives up to its potential. The story is bogged down by exposition, the CGI IF creations are funky looking, the set-up takes far too long, the humor falls flat, the end needle drop completely rips off “Rushmore,” and the tone is all over the place. The movie may be aimed at children, but it’s far more dramatic than one might expect (even though it tends to shy away from the tragedy element).

Cast wise, there’s essentially 4 main human actors with Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Shaw, and John Krasinski who all turn in respectable performances. It’s a little odd that Reynolds didn’t get more comedic material though. He spends most of the time shouting and being grumpy. There’s also a gigantic voice cast featuring Steve Carell, Louis Gossett Jr., Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Awkwafina, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Blake Lively, Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, the list goes on. With the exception of the first 3 voice actors listed, most of them have bit parts.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? Expect a pristine 4K transfer.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The music, sound effects, and dialogue sound super clean in this Atmos track

Extras:
* Digital copy
* A 4 minute gag reel.
* “Giving IFs A Voice”- A behind-the-scenes look at the voice cast.
* “The Imagination Behind IF”- A featurette on the project with interviews, set footage, and discussions about how the project came about.
* “Imagining Imaginary Friends” covers the IF characters.
* “Blending The Real And The Imaginary” revolves around the practical and digital elements.
* “Tina Turner Forever!” is all about the musical number.
* “The Imaginative World Of IF” focuses on the production design and New York location shooting.
* “Learn To Draw Blue From IF”- A how to video.

August 3, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | IF 4K UHD Review, IF Movie, Imaginary Friends, John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell