When was the last time Eddie Murphy was upstaged on screen? In "Imagine That," there are actually a couple of co-stars who steal nearly every scene from him. One is the adorable Yara Shahidi, who plays his young daughter; the other, Thomas Haden Church, who appears in red face, as his conniving, Native American colleague.
This kiddie-oriented adventure relies on a familiar theme, that of the workaholic dad whose personal life is a mess because he's neglected his family. At the point of departure we learn that Evan Danielsen (Murphy) is already separated from his wife, Trish (Nicole Ari Parker), with whom he now shares custody of their emotionally-stunted daughter.
Trish is very busy between her job and her new boyfriend (Charlie Koznick), so she asks Evan to take care of Olivia (Shahidi) for a week. He grudgingly agrees, and immediately becomes impatient with his little girl's signs of regression. She's seven, yet still having trouble letting go of her security blanket before entering her school. In addition, she ducks under the magical comforter to retreat into a world of make believe where she talks to princesses and queens.
Exasperated Evan, a financial analyst, reluctantly resigns himself to an impromptu "Take Your Daughter to Work Day." Thank God Olivia's imaginary friends have accurate investment advice to share. For their uncanny knack for predicting the stock market soon conveniently dovetails with his need for help on the job where he's currently caught up in a cutthroat competition for a top position with Johnny Whitefeather (Church).
While "Man-whisperer" Whitefeather tries to impress their new boss (Martin Sheen) by speaking in trite Indian truisms, Evan counters with equally-odd phrases culled from Olivia's childlike lexicon, such as "icky" and "crybaby." Along the way, daddy bonds with his daughter by playing along with her parallel universe.
But the pivotal question is does he suddenly care about spending quality time with her only because she's making him money, or will he also remember to attend her Fall Sing recital at school. You don't have to be a clairvoyant fairy to forecast where this heartwarming family affair is headed.
Worthwhile, as long as you're willing to watch Eddie Murphy play the straight man.
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG for mild epithets and rebellious behavior.
Running time: 107 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Extras: Deleted scenes, outtakes, tour of the set, commentary and additional featurettes.
