IF

My family enjoyed this movie; however, it would have been great if the script didn’t call for the cast and characters to flippantly use God’s name. There was absolutely no need. I know in today’s world people don’t even realize they are saying His name. It didn’t add anything to the movie. I would appreciate His name only being used to honor Him.

This is a movie for tweens and older. It’s not a comedy and it’s not a kids movie. It’s a sentimental semi-artsy atmosphere piece with a slow pace. It’s ultimately about a 12 year old girl’s tragic loss, and the semi-fun/magical world that helps her cope through it. My 7 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son were both bored at several points. 90 minutes in, I was checking my watch and wondering when it was going to be over too. The funny moments in the preview are the sum of all funny moments in the film. The marketing did this film a disservice by setting the wrong expectation. Given a more correct expectation, and for a more appropriate audience, it’s a good movie on its own merits. Also, I found it oddly insensitive for a movie (supposedly) aimed at young people to have probably 25 instances of “Oh my G*d!” and often from the cartoon characters themselves. They could have used silly/funny statements of exasperation instead and got a few more laughs, but they went all in on something that a lot of kids in the target audience aren’t even allowed to say (whether for spiritual reasons or because it’s impolite and “not something the queen would say”). For some, it can feel deeply unpleasant and insensitive. Not understanding the spiritual beliefs of a certain culture does not invalidate them. We all get deep meaning from different things, and what’s helpful for one person may or may not be for another. But we’re all on the same human team, and respecting what others hold as valuable is how we get to peace, love and mutual respect.

"Only very young or sensitive kids are likely to be distressed" I'm 47 and went with my 14 year old and we both cried. It's terribly sad and the trailers do not portray the movie properly. We both wish we hadn't gone. It wasn't fun. It was sad. I'm not sure what 6 year old would want to watch this and the age rating for this is so far off.

I wish that I looked more into this movie before my family went and that the trailers pointed out what the actual story was. My husband has had serious heart and other medical issues for years and my 12 year old has had to live through the hospitalizations and the fear, I also almost died when he was 8. Saying that, bringing my child to this was a mistake. It hit way too close to home for him and he bawled after the movie for an hour, and is still upset now, hours later. I would not recommend bringing kids to this who have dealt with their parents dying or even having serious health issues. From now on I'll be screening better before we go see a movie. On a second note, there were quite a few younger kids in the audience and this movie was not holding their attention.

My six year old is pretty sensitive — even big cuddly Blue made her hold my hand tight a couple of times — but she and the five other kids we took to see this movie (bday outing for our 8yo) all loved it. As an adult, I teared up, but for them it was all magic. They loved the different IFs and spent the ride home talking about which ones were their favorites. Is it heavy? A bit, but I suspect most adults will feel the weight of the movie way more than most kids will. I thought it was delightful and sweet and actually found it refreshing to not have any social issues or statements woven into the story unnecessarily. Only gave it 4/5 because there’s a bit of language that felt older for the kids, but also I should have anticipated that with the PG rating.

A 12 year old girl grapples with worries about her father's health and develops the ability to see imaginary friends (IFs). She gets wrapped up in helping grown ups reconnect with their IFs. There is sadness and difficult scenes of desperation, and the plot is confusing with some scenes with the wrong tone, but the overall message that grown ups can flourish by reconnecting with their children, is positive and interesting.

I agree with a lot of other parent reviews that the movie is darker and sadder than portrayed in the previews. I went with my (sensitive) 9 year old daughter and (very sensitive) 7 year old son. They both liked it, but I think they were both a little young for the very adult themes. My little guy was noticeably sad during most of the second half of the movie. My kids (like all kids) have worries about their parents dying. This movie exacerbated those fears. If your kids have lost a parent or dealt with real life health scares, this movie is likely to “hit too close to home” as another reviewer mentioned. You know your kids best. Use your judgement.

Unfortunately, this movie has 10+ “Oh my God”, “I swear to God”, “For Christ’s sake”… type statements. It also has 5+ “damn” and “hell” statements, made by an adult with or to a kid. I don’t understand why adults think family movies need this kind of language. It does nothing to enhance the plot.

A 35ish old man is a 12 year old girl's imaginary friend. What could possibly go wrong? The message this sends to kids is it's safe to trust a stranger, go across town with him, go in his apartment, etc. Absolutely inappropriate, can't believe anyone thought this movie would be a good idea!!

I wish I had known more about this movie before I took my 5 year old. While the advertisements heavily focus on the fun-looking imaginary friends, there are some heavy themes in this movie, especially around loss. Viewers should know that the story deals with loss of a parent and hospitalization. I set an age rating of 8+, but kids of any age could be sensitive to this content, depending on their experiences. There are also several instances in which characters use the words “hell” or “damn.” I also found it inappropriate that the young girl in the movie spent so much time alone with Ryan Reynolds’s character in his apartment. Why normalize that? It seemed unnecessary and inappropriate. While there were moments when this movie was entertaining, and my kiddo said he liked it, ultimately I wish we had spent our money on something else.

Really enjoyed this movie. Brought all of our kids (aged 2,4,6) and I would say my husband and I liked it the most! My 6 year old really enjoyed it too and made him think deeper than a lot of children’s movies we’ve seen lately. The characters are cute and funny but also heartfelt and have deeper backstories/meanings.