"Imagine" Eddie Murphy in a fun, family movie

When they called this film "Imagine That," they weren't kidding. With family movies largely doing our imagining for us these days, using intricate computer effects, it's refreshing to run across a feature — with a big star, no less — that re-

defines imagination as an internal, human quality.

In fact, "Imagine That" has old-fashioned appeal, keeping one guessing whether there's truth to a child's claims. The filmmakers understood (as with the classic "Harvey") that a little ambiguity can be highly entertaining.

Eddie Murphy — in his best, live-action performance in many years — plays Evan, a financial executive who ignores his young daughter, Olivia (Yara Shahidi). Things improve when he realizes Olivia is passing along accurate, visionary market analysis from her imaginary friends (albeit in childlike language).

When Olivia's counsel helps Evan make headway at the office, she makes him pay a premium: by joining her on her visits to an invisible kingdom. In other words, by playing with her.

If there were any doubts that Murphy (despite such dreary recent fair as "Norbit" and "Meet Dave") can still be as boldly funny and charismatic in the flesh as he has been when providing the voice of Donkey in the "Shrek" franchise, "Imagine That" helps allay them. His Evan dances, sings, goes bonkers during a meeting — none of it is as brilliant as his early promise decades ago, but it's pretty good.

Veteran writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson (co-authors of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure") help Murphy with the heavy lifting by creating a clever adversary. Thomas Haden Church's Whitefeather is a joy, a rival whose Native American shtick during business meetings is always along the lines of referring to the Internet as "The White Flame."

Director Karey Kirkpatrick ("Over the Hedge") keeps everything simple and a little silly (it's a kid's movie, after all). But, gee, it's nice that the only "magical" effect in the whole film comes from an off-screen wind machine.

Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com