Imagine Só!

I just saw this film with a group of children, whom we took as part of our Holiday Care programme here in Brisbane, Australia. As there were no toilet trips, I actually managed to see it all!

Overall, I thought it was a pretty good and entertaining film, but it was hard to know to whom it was aimed at. The business meetings Murphy went to and various discussions about same were certainly not down to children's levels, and a lot of kids in the cinema clearly got quite restless, including some of ours, at least one of whom complained about the movie being "boring". But when Murphy went on his comedy antics, it was a bit too juvenile for adults.

I thought Eddie was great, as was Yara Shahidi as the young girl, in an absolutely lovely, natural performance, while Thomas Haden Church was amusing as the fake Indian. But what was with the imaginary friends?? Were they real? If not, how did the girl get all the right information about the businesses? If they were... well... the film didn't seem to relay that. Wasn't it all generally another morality tale about parent/child bonding?

And what was with all the Beatles songs?

Certainly a pretty entertaining picture, but who is it for?

I love this movie. Somewhere in the fantasy lies a lot of truth and realism. How would we act if we found out our kid have this magical power to predict the future? Exactly like Eddie did! Well, maybe not quite so exaggerated like him but you get my point.

I also felt the kid's acting were great. She did act like a kid would be, with all the faults and insecurities. Dakota Fanning wasn't this good when she was her age.

This is a great family movie. It really is. It teaches us some morals, but not in a conceited, fairy tale, only happen in movie ways. It shows us straight up that Eddie does in fact used his kid for his personal benefit. And we all have to make hard decisions at times.

There are some fairy tale moments and some really good morals that both kids and adults will connect with and enjoy together.

I was pleasantly surprised with this funny flick. I was in the mood for a fun family film, and this delivered. If you don't expect an academy award winner, then you should find this movie very entertaining. Eddie Murphy really puts in a highly energized performance and so does Hayden Church. Watching these two duke it out in their financial meetings is pure comic gold. Best part has to be when Murphy goes through his stock pick notes that have been doodled on my his daughter - "this stock is gonna drop its pants because they have a poopy diaper...........". This movie makes me want to go find an imaginary person and become friends with them.

Awesome.

Sometimes a little film can be a big surprise. Eddie Murphy has been making a lot of little films lately, some with mixed results. His latest small carat movie, Imagine That, twinkles in all the right places.

Eddie Murphy once again plays a workaholic parent, Evan Danielson, who is too busy to notice the world immediately outside of his corporate office. The world, in this instance, is his adorable daughter, Olivia, played by Yara Shahidi. Olivia copes with his absence by enjoying a fantasy world of her own, complete with three wish-granting divas, dragons, and castles.

Evan, a stressed-out stock consultant, is embroiled in a battle for a promotion against the legendary Johnny Whitefeather, played by Thomas Haden Church. Whitefeather is a New Age snake-charmer, complete with half-baked motto's that pass for ancient Native American wisdom. Evan finds it hard to compete with his incense, power chants, and dirty tricks until Yara and her divas lend him a hand.

For those who fondly remember a standard high-amped Eddie Murphy vehicle, this story may seem a bit simple. The script is a bit weak, falling back on the frustrated ex-wife routine, and yes - the ending is tooth-numbing sweet. Yet it's the genuine chemistry between Murphy and Shahidi - and the cutthroat conflict between Evan and Johnny - that is sure to delight the family on movie night.

Maybe the Buddhists do have it right - less is more.

It was a nice feel good movie to watch with family. My kids enjoyed watching it. It didn't get boring anywhere and didn't feel like it was needing dragged. Most of all, I liked the daughter's acting.