It's quite easy to imagine a better movie than the one "Imagine That" turns out to be.
For one thing, this theoretical, better movie definitely wouldn't star Eddie Murphy.
He's clearly uninterested in giving anything that even remotely resembles a competent, consistent film performance these days. Instead, he's simply doing the same dopey and now-tiresome shtick he's been doing in films for more than 20 years.
That's bad enough, but this supposedly comic fantasy is also filled with shockingly insensitive racial stereotypes and vulgar humor that's inappropriate — especially for this type of material.
After all, the movie is clearly aimed at kids and families.
Murphy plays Evan, a financial wiz whose personal life has suffered as a result.
Evan is separated from his wife (Nicole Ari Parker) and barely sees his young daughter, Olivia (Yara Shahidi).
He's horrified to discover that the creative youngster still carries around a blanket and has imaginary friends.
However, Evan quickly changes his way when those imaginary friends are about to predict financial "futures" on which he's able to capitalize.
As a result, he gets a leg up on his competition, the New Age advice-spouting Johnny Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church).
There are obvious similarities between this film and last year's sketchy but still infinitely better "Bedtime Stories."
This particular movie is so deprived of genuine humor and jokes that it almost defies categorization as a comedy.
The repeated use of American-Indian stereotyping and cliches only makes it worse.
As for Murphy, he's clearly here to get yet another unearned paycheck. Relative newcomer Shahidi fares a little better.
But what talented people like director Karey Kirkpatrick ("Over the Hedge") and supporting cast members Church, Parker, Ronny Cox, Richard Schiff, Stephen Root and Martin Sheen are doing in this mess is anyone's guess.
"Imagine That" is rated PG and features crude bodily function humor (references, drawings and other sight gags), mostly comic violence (automotive mayhem, pratfalls and the like), scattered mild profanity (mostly religiously based), derogatory language and slurs, and brief drug references (inoculations). Running time: 107 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com