If

Intending to pay tribute to the relationships between fathers and daughters, as well as the indelible nature of childhood memories, If winds up more convoluted than captivating.

This coming-of-age fantasy from actor-director John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) is calculated to maximize its cuteness and sentimentality at the expense of narrative logic and deeper emotional impact. It’s gently amusing and buoyantly optimistic but only intermittently poignant or profound.

The film views the world through the eyes of precocious preteen Bea (Cailey Fleming), who’s at that curious and impressionable stage where she’s growing out of things.

While her upbeat widowed father (Krasinski) prepares for a major medical procedure, she stays with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) in an old Brooklyn apartment building.

A chance encounter with cynical upstairs neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds) reveals a secret. He’s a liaison for a group of imaginary friends (or IFs) who are no longer needed by their now-grown creators.

They include puffy purple blob Blue (voiced by Steve Carell) and British butterfly Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), as well as dozens of oddball friends in a retirement home buried beneath Coney Island.

While escaping her own insecurities, Bea starts a mission to help Cal reunite IFs with their humans as a method of providing healing and comfort. But it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Midway through, there’s a lively montage set to Tina Turner’s empowerment anthem “Better Be Good to Me” that provides a showcase for the film’s creature designs and imaginative visuals. It’s a magical sequence, even if it’s merely a non sequitur diversion.

However, such inspired highlights — including a clever final-act twist — are overwhelmed by the uneven stretches, sledgehammer subtlety, and underlying angst-ridden awkwardness.

Krasinski’s quirky screenplay admirably celebrates childhood innocence and the power of imagination while zeroing in on the intricacies of father-daughter dynamics.

An expressive performance by Fleming (“The Walking Dead”) provides our window into this strange world. While youngsters might connect with her ambitions and anxieties, for adults the film tugs too aggressively at the nostalgic heartstrings — prodded by a persistently overbearing score.

Reynolds brings goofy charm to his role, and some A-list stars contribute to the esteemed voice cast, creating a guessing game of sorts.

Examining how we never outgrow the need for comfort and coping mechanisms in times of trauma or insecurity, the schmaltzy mix of wonder and whimsy in If lacks real-world resonance.

Rated PG, 104 minutes.