Imagine That

Eddie Murphy is Evan, a Denver investment consultant with a workaholic schedule that leaves little space for 7-year-old daughter Olivia (Yara Shahidi). Adding to his pressures is the meteoric rise of a co-worker, the shtick Native American “Whitefeather” (played by Thomas Haden Church), whose financial consultations come couched in pseudomysticism and PowerPoint razzle-dazzle. Evan’s interest in parent-child bonding spikes when Olivia becomes a medium for clairvoyant insights into international business trends via her imaginary friends. As much as it works, it’s through the personal charm of Murphy and Shahidi. Strikes against include god-awful Beatles covers, over-reliance on the hilarity of grown-ups in suits saying “poop,” and obtrusive Red Bull product placement. If memory serves, kiddies like whatever movie you place in front of them. But for the record, Drop Dead Fred remains the vastly superior film.