This review first appeared in The Colorado Springs Gazette. To read this review at its original source, click here.

Imagine That and its young female star have something in common: they are both adorable.

Eddie Murphy stars as Evan Danielson, a Denver-based financial manager who “always wanted to be a father…I just didn’t think I’d be so bad at it.” Technically, it’s not that Evan is a bad father; he simply has other priorities than his 7-year-old daughter Olivia, played by newcomer Yara Shahidi (and, for that matter his estranged wife). Priorities like his Blackberry. And his stock portfolios.

Befuddled by the responsibilities of fatherhood, Evan ignores Olivia, leaving her to be entertained by her security blanket and her imaginary friends. But when Olivia begins to tell Evan that her imaginary friends have some very strong opinions on which stocks he should buy and sell — opinions that turn out to be spectacularly correct and make Evan a superstar at work where he is being considered as the boss’s successor — Daddy suddenly loves playing make-believe. But is Evan’s sudden interest in Olivia one of paternal esteem or base profit motivation?

Imagine That is the most enjoyable film Eddie Murphy has made in years and is certainly the best of his middling, family-friendly films (Daddy Day Care, Meet Dave, Doctor Doolittle, The Haunted Mansion). It’s been fascinating over the past few decades watching one of the country’s most foul-mouthed comedians morph into a kid-friendly standard bearer. Imagine That allows Murphy to play to his comic strengths without crossing the line into obnoxiousness. He sings and prances and makes funny faces throughout the film, as Evan’s apartment is transformed into a magical wood filled with princesses and fire-breathing dragons. Anyone who has ever played with children will relate. (Refreshingly, Imagine That forces its audience to do just that — imagine. There is no CGI trickery here. Olivia’s imaginary friends are, well, invisible.)

The film works the best, produces the most laughs and tugs at our heartstrings the hardest when Murphy is alone with Shahidi engaging in delirious horseplay. The innocent, delectable girl more than holds her own beside Murphy’s crazy antics, giving a performance that is equally funny and enduring. She is an absolute delight without ever being cloying or excessively sweet. Much humor also comes from Thomas Haden Church, who plays Johnny Whitefeather, Evan’s chief rival at work, whose faux-Native American mumbo jumbo is a smokescreen for his ruthless competitive streak.

This is director Karey Kirkpatrick’s first live action film, having previous helmed such animated efforts as Over the Hedge and Chicken Run. True, the film’s feel-good, Beatles-saturated revelations are all-too-familiar — a workaholic dad who doesn’t spend enough time with his kid; the conundrum of choosing between a critical business meeting and a school production — but Imagine That builds such goodwill through its undemandingly pleasant fantasy and the charming, comic abilities of its stars, that much will be forgiven.

© Copyright 2009 Brandon Fibbs. All rights reserved.