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To become an adult is to put away childish things, to abandon make-believe and confront reality. But what if traces of our childhood imagination remain to help us through the trials of adulthood? This "what if" is at the heart of "IF," directorJohn Krasinski's foray into family-friendly fantasy after his breakout horror hits "A Quiet Place" (2018) and "A Quiet Place: Part II" (2020). "IF" centers on Bea (Cailey Fleming) a 12-year-old girl who lost her mother to cancer and now faces the prospect of losing her father (John Krasinski), who must undergo open-heart surgery. "IF" is the rare movie for children that isn't childish. It's also the rare family film that doesn't spoil the fun with political messaging or "edgy" adult humor. After moving to New York City to stay with her grandmother during her father's time in the hospital, Bea discovers that her upstairs neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds) runs a kind of halfway house for imaginary friends (IFs, for short) whose original children have grown up and forgotten them. Each IF must find a child lest it disappear forever. Cal and Bea form an unlikely bond as they try to place the IFs in new homes, with a little help from imaginary friends Blue (Steve Carell) and Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). The broad appeal of "IF" is John Krasinski’s ability to revive the child in all of us. While actual children will delight in the film's whimsical creations, adults will also find a potent reminder of the endless wonder of childhood. Fleming deftly portrays the turmoil of being in between these two states, as she struggles to hold on childhood's imaginative freedom. The actress clearly has a promising career ahead of her; she’s come a long way from her bit part as young Rey in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Ryan Reynolds doesn't stray too far from his typical persona, but he employs it so effortlessly I doubt anyone will complain. As usual, he puts in a comedic performance with a lot of heart and hilarious physical stunts; a poignant twist at the end gives his character surprising depth -- and may inspire a few tears from the audience. Krasinski (simply credited as Dad) comforts his daughter with boundless positivity, even while grappling with his own fears. Waller-Bridge, too, finds tenderness beneath her character's gentle wit; particularly in a scene exemplifying the movie's theme of how imagination brings comfort well into adulthood. Carell plays Blue as a loveable neurotic, perfectly complementing the more together Blossom. A stellar array of talent ensures that each IF is as memorable as its character design; Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and Keegan-Michael Key are especially good. "IF" is the rare movie for children that isn't childish. It's also the rare family film that doesn't spoil the fun with political messaging or "edgy" adult humor. Parents will find themselves just as enraptured by the story as their children. Perhaps even more enraptured, as they remember their own forgotten, wild innocence. At the showing I attended, there were few dry eyes in audience as the credits rolled, even among grown men. Was I one of them? I'll admit it; fortunately I'd grabbed a few extra napkins with my popcorn. I'd advise anyone seeing this wonderful film to do the same.

The latest AMD Ryzen 9000 rumor has pinned a release date for the next-gen AMD Zen 5 gaming CPUs being as soon as July 2024. However, this leak also suggests there will be no upgrades when it comes to the chips' core counts. We're strongly expecting AMD's next generation of Ryzen CPUs to impress in terms of overall performance, based on current rumors, and as such they stand a strong chance of displacing other entries in our best gaming CPU guide. However, if core count is a concern for you, you may be a bit disappointed. Continue reading AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs set to arrive soon but lacking some upgrades MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 7800 XT review

With WoW The War Within and FF14 Dawntrail both coming over the horizon in the next few months, one rival MMORPG is looking to jump the gun and get ahead of the big names. Tarisland is positioning itself to compete with the best in the business, even bringing in a World of Warcraft icon to do so, and following several beta tests now we have a launch date for the new Tencent MMO, along with the reveal of its final boss, the mighty Blight Dragon. Continue reading New MMORPG and WoW challenger Tarisland sets launch date MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMO games, Best RPG games, Best free games

Tense, brutal, relentlessly unkind - the best survival games, like Sons of the Forest, Rust, and Frostpunk imagine dynamic worlds filled with lethal dangers. Occasionally, though, they feel a little rigid. NPCs and enemies, if they’re present at all, follow predictable, reliable scripts, and often become mere tools or gameplay mechanics, rather than believable opponents or co-survivors. Especially in Fallout and Stalker, it feels like you and only you are the one who’s fighting to survive. Other people are there to offer quests, allow trade, and facilitate your adventure. For the true survival experience, the world should feel indifferent to you. Usually, though, you’re the star of the show, and the world, no matter how superficially cruel, is your playground and yours alone. But that’s all about to change. Continue reading Fallout and Stalker inspire breathtakingly realistic new survival game MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best sandbox games, Best life games

Soulslike players have been eating well these last few years. Lords of the Fallen, Wo Long, Lies of P, Nioh, Mortal Shell, and Remnant 2 are just a few off the top of my head. That’s without even accounting for the deluge of games that use soulslike elements and have the Steam tag. My point is that it’s become difficult to be seen in the genre when the sea of soulslikes is constantly raging. So how do you stand above the rest? Well, the upcoming Kristala uses cats. Continue reading New RPG is Dark Souls but with cats, and it’s on Steam real soon MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Upcoming PC games, Best soulslike games

The week of May 20, 2024: An economic boom (?), Section 230, ESG, AI, and much, much more.

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