Movie Review- Imagine That

I have to rant for a second.

Anyone that really knows me, knows i love Eddie Murphy. I got like 20 of his movies and he is actually an inspiration to me, when i perform. But over the last decade I have had to defend him, frustratingly. He is heavily criticized for his movie roles of late. Though i get the point, no one wants to see one of the biggest comedic stars in the world divert from what made him famous. But i think he had to. Eddie Murphy just turned 48 years old. He could not continue to do the same roles that made him famous when he was 20. What Murphy has done is a double- edged sword. On one hand he is changing what he's always done. On the other hand, he's cornering a market no one else his caliber is. There isn't another big time, African-American comedic actor doing family friendly comedy. Most of those movies can easily make 100 million dollars and he earns 15-20 million dollars without much effort. I can't fault him for making movies his younger kids can go see and basically turning into a modern day Bill Cosby in turn.

Ok, i can say more but i'm not. I am also gonna remain unbiased. I'd never urge you to buy or go rent a movie because of my feelings towards an actor. Ok, let's do this.

NOTE: Eddie Murphy and Ronny Cox reunite again after 22 years. Cox played Bogomil in 1987's hit "Beverly Hills Cop 2". Also Vanessa Williams and Nicole Ari Parker appear as friends. The two played sisters on Showtime's adaptation of "Soul Food".

Murphy is Evan Danielson. Evan is a hard working finance executive who is trying to move up the ladder at a company he has worked at for 7 years. At the same time, he and his wife Tricia (Nicole Ari Parker) are getting divorced and he is estranged from his daughter Olivia (Yari Shahidi). Evan soon learns that his boss Tom (Ronny Cox) is leaving and will be appointed someone to take his spot. Evan must compete against new co-worker Johnny Whitefeather (Thomas Hayden Church)a native american who uses tribalistic rituals and nature to inspire clients. Olivia's school is concerned that she is attached to her purple blanket she calls goo-ga that sends her into an imaginary world but in turn has isolated her socially. After he learns that Olivia's imaginary friends can predict mergers,ect. Evan drifts into his daughters imaginary world, finding success with his business and his relationship with his daughter.

PROS:
The movie is simple. It's for kids and family. You don't think too hard, you don't expect too much. The movie is so sweet i got diabetes. As for a kid film, this works. It doesn't have many adult themed jokes, but is entertaining enough to stomach. Murphy's performance is really Cosby-esque. Silly faces and animated voices add to the appeal for kids. He also works well with kids. Also, i gotta admit i was surprised with a very impressive cast. Along with Murphy, acting veterans Thomas Hayden Church, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen, DeRay Davis, ect. all give the movie a boost of credibility.

CONS:
The movie lacks the amount of laughs as previous Murphy family films. Some scenes looked phoned in but the writing didn't completely complement his skills. The plot took a little bit longer than desired to develop, but some can say the end justified the means. Also, a few plot holes makes some of the secondary stories incomplete.

Recommendation:
Got Kids: Rent it.
Don't: Wait til it comes on HBO.

Written by:
Ed Solomon
Chris Matheson

Directed by
Karey Kirkpatrick

MAIN CAST:
Eddie Murphy ("Daddy Day Care", "Dr. Dolittle")
Thomas Hayden Church ("Sideways", "Smart People")
Yari Shahidi
Martin Sheen (TVs "West Wing", "The Departed")
Nicole Ari Parker ("Remember the Titans", "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins")
Ronny Cox ("Our Town", "Beverly Hills Cop")
DeRay Davis ("Barbershop", "Scary Movie 4")
Vanessa Williams ("New Jack City","Like Mike")
Stephen Rannazzisi ("For Your Consideration", "Paul Blart: Mall Cop")
Stephen Root ("Office Space", "Just Friends")
Richard Schiff ("I am Sam", "Ray")
Bobb'e J. Thompson ("Role Models", "Fred Clause")

Similar titles:
Bedtime Stories, Daddy Day Care

Next Review:
The Proposal- Trailer