Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

IF Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 15, 2024

Imagine the floor-drop moment when the creators of IF discovered that Inside Out 2 would hit theaters within weeks of one another. Delving into the inner workings of a child's mind is nothing new in cinema, but the original Inside Out (and, to no one's surprise, its sequel) rendered most others obsolete and inadequate. Perhaps there's a reality out there where IF lands and resonates more deeply, echoes more profoundly, or finds itself received as revelatory family cinema. Unfortunately for the film in hand, though, this is not that reality. More shoulder-shrug than memorable, more cute than funny, entertaining or meaningful, it's primed for kids to consume but hardly filling. Most will forget about it within the month, growing up looking to films like Inside Out 2 to help them through the perils of childhood and entry adolescence.

Twelve-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) goes to live with her grandmother Margaret (Fiona Shaw) as her father (John Krasinski) awaits a heart surgery in the hospital. (The same hospital where, years earlier, her mother died of cancer. Sheesh.) While wandering her grandmother's building, she spots a strange creature following a man named Cal (Ryan Reynolds), who she soon discovers has been recruited to relocate displaced imaginary friends with new children. And so it begins, with Bea reluctantly agreeing to help Cal on his mission to help the IF's in their time of need. Helmed by Krasinski, the film also stars Alan Kim, Liza Colon-Zayas and Bobby Moynihan, along with a voice cast that includes all of Hollywood, from Steve Carell to Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr, Awkwafina, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Blake Lively, Christopher Meloni, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Rhys, Maya Rudolph, Sebastian Maniscalco, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart and, despite having no lines, Brad Pitt.

IF has everything a modern family flick could ask for. An A-list star in Ryan Reynolds (going to the extreme of counterprogramming alongside Deadpool Wolverine, his "other" summer outing), a wonderfully charming newcomer in Cailey Fleming (whose previous credits include Judith on The Walking Dead), a talented filmmaker in John Krasinski (writing and directing), a top-class voice cast, and a sense of magical adventure... you know the tune so sing it: in a world of imagination! So how did it all end up so, to put it bluntly, meh? For a film like IF, live-action is an odd choice, as so much of Krasinski's "real world" could have -- ironically -- been more fully realized in animation. At its core and at each of its extremities, IF plays like a production desperate to reach Pixar heights, only to be dragged back down to earth by Reynolds once again playing Reynolds, so-so live-action supporting actors, and the disjointedness that forever exists when animation runs headlong into flesh and blood reality. There's a killer premise here to mine for all its worth, but Krasinski stops short of indulging in the many, many aspects of imaginary friends and sticks with the Monsters Inc variety. From there it becomes harder and harder to put a finger on exactly what doesn't work, other than to say it never quite congeals as well as it seems it should.

What does work is the film's third act, typically the spot these ships sink like rocks. Instead of tying up loose ends with silliness and tear-jerking asides, IF finds a means by which to deliver some genuine heart with a number of solid twists and turns that, for all intents and purposes, nearly absolve the film's more trite genre sins. And while it's becoming a cliche in and of itself, Reynolds' patented softening plucks the necessary heartstrings, or at least enough to allow plenty of room for Fleming and in-front-of-the-camera Krasinski to do their thing. Oddly, this solidifies the fact that the IFs are relegated to the sidelines, rarely rising past the level of plot devices or one-lining props. It gives way to a more human story -- achievement unlocked -- but the human story isn't exactly what the kids are here for. That leaves IF dangling in a precarious position; never quite delivering enough big punches for the kiddies and getting too lost in its animated musings and base-level humor for the adults in the room. Unlike Pixar's Inside Out 2 and the best of its kind, IF doesn't walk this all-too-tight line, nor does it manage to deliver two films for two different audiences. Bottom line: it's well-intentioned, wholesome family fun, but falls short of greatness.

IF Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount has produced a lovely 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that captures the color and wonder of the film's imaginary creations and realms. And while it doesn't pop quite as proudly without the HDR enhancements exclusive to the 4K edition, it still holds its own extremely well. The film's palette comes alive the moment the story begins. Whether in the real world or the land inhabited by the IFs, rich earthtones, lifelike skin tones and deep black levels grant the picture power and panache. Detail only makes things that much better with crisp edges, refined textures and exacting shadow delineation that's free of crush and other anomalies. A Tina Turner dance sequence exhibits some red crush, but it's hard to spot so hardly worth griping about. There also isn't any significant banding or blocking, making for a top-to-bottom strong transfer.

IF Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

IF also boasts a strong Dolby Atmos experience that doesn't disappoint. Dialogue is clear, intelligible and nicely grounded in the mix, and the voices of the imaginary friends sound weighty and natural, connected neatly to the location of each creature-speaker. That might read as an obvious trait all live-action/animated hybrids would get right, but you'd be surprised. Likewise, directionality is excellent, with playful, cartoony effects bounding about the soundfield with energetic spatial prowess and silky smooth channel pans. Real world sound effects are equally believable, creating a soundscape that not only engages but allows for even deeper immersion into what might otherwise be a two-dimensional reality. LFE output lends presence and heft to key sequences and elements too, even though the experience on the whole isn't quite an aggressive low-end powerhouse. All of it comes together with ease by film's end, allowing for numerous standout moments including a musical number, moving reunions between IF and human, and other heartstring-y bits only made more poignant as the music crescendos all around.

IF Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Imagination Behind IF (HD, 5 minutes) - A much too brief trip behind the scenes, fly-on-the-wall style, interspersed with talking-head interviews and clips from the film.

• Imagining Imaginary Friends (HD, 5 minutes) - Designing the creatures from IF.

• Giving IFs a Voice (HD, 6 minutes) - Another short featurette, this time touching ever so slightly on the process of voice casting, recording and the challenges and fun of voiceover performances.

• Blending the Real and the Imaginary (HD, 6 minutes) - VFX staging and execution.

• Tina Turner Forever! (HD, 4 minutes) - Bringing a sensation back to life.

• The Imaginative World of IF (HD, 6 minutes) - Creating a land of make-believe.

• Gag Reel (HD, 4 minutes)

• Learn to Draw Blue Kids' Tutorial (HD, 7 minutes)

IF Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

IF offers big ol' heart, just of the old-fashioned family film variety. It's a far cry from a bad movie. I'd challenge anyone eager to tear it apart. It just doesn't rise to the level of greatness to which it aspires. Krasinski is a fine filmmaker, though it seems his talents are a tad wasted here, but you also have to respect the desire to create cinematic experiences for all ages and walks of life. I've certainly sat through far, far worse flicks for the sake of my kids, and with a fake smile, mind you, that I didn't feel the need to deploy here. Thankfully, Paramount's Blu-ray release takes away any sting with a strong video transfer and an effective audio track. The disc's touted 40-minutes of extras are a wash, so buyer beware. Otherwise this one delivers.