Writer: Lai Swee Wei

Writer Ratings:
Overall:
Cast:
Plot:
Effects: NA
Cinematography:

Watch this if you liked: "Daddy Day Care"

Eddie Murphy has been in family comedies for a long time now. We've seen him become a sort of animal whisperer in "Doctor Dolittle" and an ever polite African prince in "Coming To America," not to mention the multiple fat suits in "The Nutty Professor". Even if we don't see him, we can hear him as the voiceover of a loudmouth donkey in "Shrek." If you're all too familiar with his distinct style of acting and gap-toothed grins, you'll definitely spot his charms all here. After a being an alien in his previous film "Meet Dave" (which bombed at the box office, unfortunately), Eddie Murphy has gone for something a little bit more grounded this time.

In "Imagine That" he plays a divorced workaholic dad named Evan who's a high-level investment banker. His seven-year-old daughter Olivia carries around her favourite blanket 'Goo-Gaa' and talks to four interestingly named imaginary friends: Moppida, Koopida, Soppida and Qwali. Evan, who's in the middle of several major deals, can't be bothered with her and her imaginary world until her opinionated invisible friends start giving him useful investment advice. Soon, he's head over heels with the 'Goo-Gaa' and is constantly asking these fake friends for real recommendations about which companies to invest in, to kick off company rival Johnny Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church).

Eddie Murphy does comedy effortlessly and when he begins to play along in Olivia's imaginary world, that's when the film begins to lighten up. He connects well with his inner child and watching him sing "Soppida's dragon! Please let me pass!" countless times in various sound pitches was hilarious. The film adds a rather quirky character by the name of Johnny Whitefeather, an American Indian wannabe who's obsessed with incorporating nature into his presentation and daily conversations. Who else can you find that has tree stumps as pie charts, nature sounds playing in the backdrop and makes everyone in a meeting chant whilst banging their fists against the table?

Regardless of the hoo-hah, "Imagine That" is inevitably about the relationship between a father and his daughter. All the craziness seems to mix in well with the story and that's a combo worth praising. The 'Goo-Gaa' fantasy ultimately brings the both of them together, serving up a touching message with good humour.

Cinema Online, 24 August 2009