Harold and the Purple Crayon Review: A Colorfully Mixed Bag

Crockett Johnson’s classic children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon has enchanted generations with its lyrical simplicity. Readers of all ages gravitate to the playful wonder of a young boy creating entire worlds with just a colorful writing utensil and his fertile mind. Filled with hand-drawn illustrations that beautifully capture the joy and innocence of early childhood, it’s easy to understand why filmmakers have long dreamed of bringing Harold’s story to the screen.

However, transferring such a minimalist children’s tale to a big-budget live-action/animation hybrid proved creatively challenging. Multiple directors took a stab at an adaptation over the decades, including celebrated talents like Maurice Sendak and Spike Jonze. Their visionary approaches likely would have remained true to the original’s spirit of unfettered imagination. But compromises had to be made for this to reach audiences at the box office.

Enter veteran animator Carlos Saldanha, no stranger to crafting family-friendly films. His resume includes the Rio movies as well as work on Ice Age and Ferdinand. Hopes were that his visual flair could do justice, rendering Harold’s magical drawings come to life. Instead, what results feel more focused on formulaic escapism than capturing the artistic intimacy readers cherish. While young viewers may find fun in the antics, this translation loses something integral in the transition from page to screen.

Imagination Unleashed

The movie begins as any translation of Harold should—with charming hand-drawn animation depicting the world as seen through a child’s eyes. We see our hero Harold living happily within the pages, creating everything his heart desires using only his magical purple crayon. But a sense of wanderlust takes hold, leading Harold to draw a door marked “Real World.”

Stepping through, he’s transformed from cartoon to live-action, emerging as a much older yet still playful Zachary Levi. It’s here we first spot the incongruity, watching this grown man explore in his pajamas. Soon joined by his pals Moose and Porcupine, voiced delightfully by Lil Rel Howery and Tanya Reynolds. Their entry sparks some amusing culture clash as the trio adjusts to three-dimensional surroundings.

From here, Harold and Moose embark on a quest to find the mysterious “old man” who created them. But chaos ensues as their antics are misinterpreted. They quite literally run into the lovely Zooey Deschanel and her son Mel, the latter finding fast friendship with Harold. Their invitation offers respite, with Mel eager to assist the search.

This brings our heroes into contact with Jemaine Clement’s villainous librarian Gary. Rejected by publishers, he nurses jealous obsession over Mel’s mother, Terry. Learning of Harold’s power, Gary hatches a plan to harness the crayon’s magic for his own romantic and literary gains.

The climactic showdown plays out like a Sergio Leone tribute, as the talents of Harold and Gary are put to the ultimate test. A duel is drawn, and abilities are challenged. But in the spirit of found family and imagination that fuels this tale, strong bonds prevail against even the direst of threats. Order restored, our heroes can rest, their real-world adventure at an end. For now, the magic lives on.

Living Within the Lines

The film kicks off by nailing the look and feel of Crockett Johnson’s classic book. The opening animation captures Harold’s simple yet magical world, with its spare style and sense of childlike wonder. This feels like a real treat for fans of the original story.

However, it’s here where fidelity to the source ends. The book was all about Harold’s limitless imagination and the joy of discovering what he could create using just a crayon. It was a story that encouraged young minds to think freely without boundaries.

In contrast, the movie shapes Harold and his pals into more standardized molds. Gone is their spirit of playful invention. Instead, we see a paint-by-numbers remake focused on replacing uniqueness with universal appeal. Concepts are made straightforward rather than imaginative. Characters act based on tested formulas, not individual quirks.

It’s a real shame they couldn’t honor what made the book endure—its ability to spark imagination. Kids related to Harold because he thought without limits, forging his own path through a blank page. The film substitutes this with predictable plot points and scenarios you feel like you’ve seen a hundred times before.

In the end, sticking so rigidly to Hollywood handbooks comes at the cost of the very message the original conveyed so beautifully. By coloring inside industry lines, this adaptation risks obscuring what it should celebrate most—creative expression that stays true to oneself.

Capitalizing on Chemistry

This film undoubtedly belongs to its cast. Zachary Levi understands like no other how to play an overgrown boy with gusto. He fully embraces Harold’s wide-eyed wonder at the world. Levi has proven his talent in this realm before, but here you can see him completely at home. His comedic timing and expressive features bring so much fun to the role.

Partnering with him is Lil Rel Howery as Moose. The two share a true Laurel and Hardy chemistry. Howery follows Levi’s lead with reckless abandon, whether copying his antics or reacting in amusing disbelief. Their back and forth had me grinning throughout. It’s clear these two enjoyed playing off one another.

Another standout is Tanya Reynolds as Porcupine. If her character was meant to be the spikiest, well then Reynolds took that mission personally with her punk styling. But more than looks, her delivery absolutely singed. Every quip and confrontation burned bright, showcasing Reynolds’ razor-sharp comedic skills. I hope to see her take on meatier parts after shining so brightly here.

Amidst the chaos stands Zooey Deschanel as the lone voice of reason. She plays beleaguered mother Terry perfectly, exuding equal shares of patience, weariness, and care. Deschanel lends just the right balance of empathy and common sense that’s needed to corral this colorful crew.

And finally, there’s the grand slam of Jemaine Clement as villain Gary. He sucks every ounce of humor from the role by underscoring it with such pathetic desperation. Even his outbursts felt tinged with self-pity. Clement is a maestro of strange characters, and here proves again why he’s simply one of the craft’s best.

When it comes down to it, the performances are why this film remains so entertaining. This cast took crooked material and wrung whatever laughs they could through sheer comedic muscle. Their spirited work ensures a fun time for viewers, despite other flaws. It’s their lively spirits that are remembered most.

Bringing Drawings to Life

With a storied career in animation under his belt, director Carlos Saldanha certainly has the chops to bring Harold’s magical drawings to the big screen. After all, who better than the man behind Rio and Ice Age to make Harold’s creations feel vibrant? Unfortunately though, many of the effects lean too heavily on what’s come before.

Kids may get a kick out of seeing purple planes and talking pies come to life. But adults can’t help feeling they’ve seen it all already. Meanwhile, the CGI appliances have an unwieldy, uncanny valley effect. Saldanha’s talents are wasted on reproducing vehicles or critters that lack imagination.

The climactic duel parodying Sergio Leone is where aimlessness really shows. While it may tickle the littlest viewers, feeling like a Western spoof is a strange tonal shift. And the stylized action seems no more exciting than a video game cutscene. Adults find themselves checked out, waiting for the end.

It’s a shame because the earliest animation captures the book’s whimsy perfectly. But that bright start only highlights how much the film loses its way. If only Saldanha’s effects prioritized wonder over familiarity. Then this film might have conjured magic instead of just going through motions. As is, the visuals leave much to be desired for both kids and grownups alike.

Exploring Imagination But Missing Magic

From the start, Harold transitions this story into a familiar fish-out-of-water comedy. Our young hero leaves his hand-drawn world for live-action hijinks. It’s a swap we could see coming, following formulas that work elsewhere.

But the magic of Johnson’s book came from less predictable places. Harold explored freely, finding wonder in even small drawings. This film replaces such imagination with audience-tested beats. When Harold conjures vehicles or creatures, they feel quite algorithmic.

Johnson celebrated a spirit of play that can’t be confined or commercialized. This Harold instead relies on rerunning other films’ successes. The story takes a backseat to recreating bits audiences love elsewhere.

Even the central gimmick of Harold’s power loses impact. His crayon can supposedly conjure anything, yet we see the same basic problems get basic solutions. Where’s the think outside the box fun?

In insisting on pleasing all, this adaptation ends up pleasing no one. Both children and adults watch plot points checked off a list, not discoveries.

The movie remembers to pay lip service to imagination’s value. But such a message falls flat when the film shows so little of that magic itself. It’s asking us to believe where it fails to demonstrate.

Crockett Johnson brimmed with a vision this screen version can’t match. By insisting on formulas over wonder, it draws up a Harold that never feels fully brought to life. The book’s imaginative spirit is sadly not fully recaptured here.

Nostalgia Not Fully Realized

This film succeeds most for its target young crowd. The silly antics and wild animals Harold and Mel dream up are sure to keep kids entertained. Yet adults may find the humor a bit juvenile.

Zachary Levi does a fine job capturing a childlike spirit once more. But his talents seem wasted on such an immature role. Hopefully he moves to more mature parts to avoid typecasting.

While it aims to honor the classic source, this adaptation doesn’t quite capture the same magic. The animated opening teases what could have been. Fully bringing that charming spirit to life on the big screen remained just out of reach.

Don’t expect the nostalgia of fond childhood memories to fully transport you. But little viewers may walk away with smiles of their own. For the rest, we can fondly recall simpler times spent in Harold’s hand-drawn world and hope future films find ways to recapture that joy for new generations.

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