Movie Review: “Imagine That”

Seen on: June 12, 2009

The players: Director: Karey Kirkpatrick, Writers: Ed Solomon, Chris Matheson, Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen

Facts of interest: Karey Kirkpatrick also helmed "Over the Hedge."

The plot: A busy financial executive starts caring for his daughter only after he discovers her imaginary friends are the key to his success.

Our thoughts: Karey Kirkpatrick’s family comedy “Imagine That” is as predictable as a standard family flick can get, but at least it’s not as disastrous as Eddie Murphy’s recent disasters “Norbit” and “Meet Dave.” I know that doesn’t mean much, but it’s a start.

The film introduces us to Evan (Murphy), a busy financial executive who spends most of his time on the phone and on the computer but clearly fails to be a good parent. But when he discovers that his daughter’s imaginary friends may be the key to his success, things quickly start to change for the better.

Sure, “Imagine That” is partly cute and totally harmless, but it’s also a tad too formulaic and unsurprising for my taste. The story is that of a father who treats his kid like a burden before slowly starting to realize what he’s been missing, and although this concept sounds all sweet and exemplary, it’s also quite outdated.

Murphy’s performance as the busy dad who suddenly turns all playful is undoubtedly better than his recent escapades, but the simplicity of his character and the silliness of the script still prevents him from showing us what he’s really capable of. In other words, his role here is just too monotonous to blossom.

While I’m sure Murphy and the cute Yara Shahidi had plenty of fun pretending to travel across a magical kingdom and talking to imaginary princesses on set, I found it quite boring to watch them repeat their little games over and over again. Even the presence of Thomas Haden Church as Evan’s fiercest competitor couldn’t keep me from yawning.

Freaky quote: "Did you draw on my worksheets? Pictures of people kissing or something?" – Eddie Murphy

The final word: Eventually, the lack of innovation and punch hurts “Imagine That” the most. Whether or not cinemagoers will give it some love remains to be seen, but all I have to say about it before I wrap this up is that it’s a forgettable family film as dry as an old piece of toast.

Article by Franck Tabouring