IF

John Krasinski makes what can best be described as a live-action Pixar film

More than half of all children will have an imaginary friend at some point. I looked up that statistic and I choose to believe it because it works for what I’m about to say.

Children make up an imaginary friend for a number of reasons: loneliness, trauma, fear, a lack of control. Something in their life isn’t the way they want it to be so an imaginary friend is something they can control. It can be what they want.

Whether it’s parents constantly yelling at one another or a childhood spent in an out of hospital rooms, the realm of imagination is a way for children to escape and feel safe.

John Krasinski, previous Jim from “The Office” and now the director of “The Quiet Place,” makes what can best be described as a live-action Pixar film with the movie “IF,” which explores the world of imaginary friends (also known as IF’s).

Kids will (mostly) be entertained by the zany cast of imaginary friends, including a unicorn, a ghost, a mouse, a talking glass of water, a marshmallow that’s constantly on fire, a pink alligator and, most prominently featured, a big purple Grimace-looking thing voiced by Steve Carrell. It’s silly and sweet and never really inappropriate. It reminds you of how kids movies used to be made, before we always played to the lowest common denominator. There aren’t fart jokes every two seconds, which is a relief as a dad who sits through plenty of unimaginative kids’ movies.

The basic plot, which is somewhat thin, follows a 12-year-old girl who is dealing with transition in her life. Her mom has already died and now her dad has an extended stay in the hospital. Suddenly, she finds out she can see everyone’s imaginary friends and she is soon tasked the responsibility of finding pairs for the IFs whose kids have grown up and forgotten about them. If they don’t find a kid to see them, they’ll just disappear.

Krasinski mixes live-action with impeccably designed CGI that feels lush and layered. He truly uses the special effects to enhance the screen, not as a lazy crutch. It attempts to be way artsier than your typical kids’ film (think of the “Paddington” films) and it’s moderately successful in that regard.

The score is beautifully crafted by Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino, who scored “Up,” “Ratatouille,” and the TV series “LOST.” He really ups the tear-jerker factor on a number of sentimental scenes.

Ryan Reynolds is given top-billing on the movie posters, but he’s not really a stand out in this one. His character is important, but it’s a more reserved Reynolds, not the zany, improvisational one you see in films like “Deadpool,” “Spirited,” “Free Guy,” or “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.” In fact, there aren’t a ton of punchlines in this film, instead the humor is derived from the silliness and absurdity rather than quips.

Star of the film Cailey Fleming, who previously appeared on “The Walking Dead,” imbues the movie with appropriate pathos without ever being over the top. I was quite impressed with her.

The ending has a twist that — unfortunately — you can see a mile away, but the epilogue to this tale is super sweet and will bring a smile to your face, especially to parents or those who are kids at heart.

A few things prevent this film from being categorized as an all-out classic, such as some thin character development, a lack of plot, slow pacing and no real memorable laughs. It never really delves into the traumatic reasons a child could need an imaginary friend, which would have been poignant but maybe not appropriate for young children. The film walks this line between appealing to parents and appealing to kids and it might have been better served to veer sharply in one of the directions and stay there for a while. There are some tonal shifts that don’t really work.

But the overall vibe was sweet and slick. The film is pretty to look at and bursts with emotions. It’s sunny and colorful and bittersweet. Maybe it doesn’t succeed in world-building where a sequel is warranted, but I enjoyed my brief stay in the world of imagination.

It also features the last role (done posthumously) for the great actor Louis Gossett Jr.

I left the theater with a warm feeling and my 5-year-old daughter said she loved it (although I doubt she’ll be clamoring to rewatch this as much as “Frozen” or “Encanto.”).

It’s a wonderful reminder we all need to remember the kid inside of us and the ways we kept brave in tough situations. Even as adults we get scared, and we could all use an imaginary friend in your corner.