Imagine That

Imagine That showcases just how diverse of a comic Eddie Murphy truly is. The man who gave us Raw and Beverly Hills Cop has entrenched himself deep in family films over the past decade or so. However, in Imagine That, he finds the middle ground between Trading Places and Doctor Doolittle. This deep into his career, it's refreshing to see just how funny the comedian still is.

In the film, Eddie is too-busy-for-family businessman Evan Danielson. He's on the cusp of a big promotion, but he couldn't connect with his daughter Olivia—an endearing Yara Shahidi—to save his life. While she's staying with him for a week, he realizes that her blanket, or "Goo-Gaa," is able to give him advice about tough decisions at work, and it's always right. Now, it's all imagination, but somehow the imaginary princesses and the little girl know what's up. You have to suspend some disbelief but it works.

Eddie oscillates from slapstick to sarcastic. Take when he's dancing in public and singing in one hilarious scene to appease one of his daughter's invisible companions. He lets loose flailing about, and it's sidesplitting to see him go for broke in front of all of Denver. At the other end of the comic spectrum, he throws quick quips at his ex-Denver Bronco client. The movie allows Eddie to do it all.

Yara is a bright young talent that shows the character's longing for her dad and her massive imagination. She's subtle, but very charming. Thomas Haden Church steals many scenes as Eddie's arch nemesis at work. His mullet and feather combo couldn't be more outrageous and his lines like "We're all under one sky" guarantee guffaws.

Then there's Bobb'e J. Thompson. He was comic gold Role Models, and in one sequence here, he hits another homerun. Murphy tries bargaining with him in a ball pit by offering a coffee gift card to get scones. Like a tiny Chris Rock, he yells, "Scones!? What do I look like the Queen of England?!" His disgust is apparent as he tells his mini chums, "Get this fool" and the half pints take Murphy down in one fell swoop.

Murphy mixes just the right amount of grown-up humor with all-out silliness to make the film fun for the whole family. You don't have to imagine any laughs here—they're all loud and clear.

—Rick Florino
06.12.09