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SINGAPORE: I did not have high hopes for the family comedy 'Imagine That' when the trailer depicted a hyperactive Eddie Murphy demanding and whining for a 'goo-ga' in the middle of the night. This immediately brought a flashback to the famous comedian's role in 'Daddy Day Care' where he did not have much cinematic success playing a fatherly role.
In his latest attempt, we're drawn into his desperate attempts to recover a purple blanket belonging to his emotionally-stunned and socially detached daughter Olivia (Yara Shahidi) which is supposed to aid in his career as a highly-strung financial executive devoid of any work-life balance.
Murphy plays Evan Danielson, a divorced, stressed-for-success dad who is pitting himself against another employee, Native American-influenced Johnny Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church).
The competition between these two rivals heats up when new CEO Dante D'Enzo (Martin Sheen) announces that he has to choose between them for the top advisory position.
Rather than being concerned about his charming kid’s obsessions with her 'goo-ga' and trio of imaginary friends consisting of two princesses and a queen, Evan spends more time starting at computer screens and handling stock market shenanigans to outwit Whitefeather.
The show's theme about the plight kids with overworked parents and overworked parents hits too close to home, with Evan spending quality time with his daughter in her parallel universe on discovering that his little cutie provides amazingly accurate stock market predictions and insider tips.
Every time father and daughter take turns rubbing the purple blanket on their faces, the duo embark on a kiddy-orientated adventure in a realm of enchanted forests and a fiery dragon appeased by a boogie-woogie dance coupled with pulling funny faces.
All this, in the setting of their spacious apartment.
I did not have to wonder long on Evans' use of his clairvoyant daughter, and soon Olivia starts to sense her father's attachment to her magic blanket and genuine intention in choosing what is most important in his life.
If not for adorable Yara stealing the show with her expressive eyes and picture-perfect smile, Murphy's goofy outbursts of hysteria borders on becoming too much of a nuisance.
While Murphy makes effort in showing how grown adults act like immature children if they want something badly enough, Yara shows she's more than just being paid to act cute and is a young starlet to keep a look out for.
Fortunately, their enduring on-screen chemistry allows the duo to play off each other beautifully and maintain a worthwhile level of light-hearted humour without being overly preachy or sickly sweet.
Acting as Evan's cut-throat competition, Whitefeather's phony portrayal and heavy stereotype of a pseudo-mystical Native American, together with his unorthodox meditative methods for gaining stock market knowledge provides some form of humour too.
Director Karey Kirkpatrick who had successes with animated films such as 2006's 'Over The Hedge' and 2001's 'Chicken Run' did not extend his visual treatment to 'Imagine That'.
There are few special effects and much is left up to the audiences' imaginations to conjure features of Olivia's fantasy world and presents her invisible playmates as... well, invisible.
With 'poop' uttered as the only offensive word in the whole show, 'Imagine That' is a generic kid-friendly movie that definitely celebrates the often-understated creativity and intelligence of young children.
- CNA/yb
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