Eddie Murphy’s family comedy, “Meet Dave”, was one of the major disappointments of 2008. Well, he’s bounced back nicely with “Imagine That”.
Murphy plays Evan Danielson, a financial advisor and divorced father who isn’t a great dad. He has to take care of his 7 year old daughter for an entire week and is pretty lost as to what to do.
Olivia (young Yara Shahidi is delightful) uses a security blanket to travel to an imaginary world and talk with princesses. Evan soon discovers that the blanket and the fantasy characters have the ability to help him decide which stocks to pick and which ones to drop. But his obsession with being a successful businessman and taking over his company interferes with his attempts to become a good dad.
I didn’t have high hopes for “Imagine That”, but it really surprised me! Murphy doesn’t do as much slapstick as in many of his other comedies and the calmer style works in this role. There are some laughs, and some serious moments. Overall, this is a sweet family film with a nice message.
Thomas Haden Church and Martin Sheen are part of the supporting cast. Church goes a little over-the-top in his role as Evan’s rival, and gets most of the laughs.
“Imagine That” is rated PG, for very mild language and some serious themes, but it’s good for the entire family.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Imagine That” gets a B. It’s one of the pleasant surprises of the 2009 so far. Imagine that!