Inside of his book, adventurous Harold can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has...
Based on the beloved 1955 children’s book, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” should’ve been a vibrant, whimsical exploration of imagination and creativity. Unfortunately, this adaptation falls flat on nearly every level, offering little more than a soulless attempt to cash in on nostalgia while failing to capture the magic of its source material.
In this version, Harold (Zachary Levi) is no longer the innocent child wielding a crayon to shape his world. Instead, he’s an adult who somehow manages to escape his book and into the real world, bringing along his pals, Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds). From there, things quickly spiral into chaos as Harold’s overpowered crayon creates more problems than solutions, which feels more like a series of haphazard events than a fun adventure.
The movie struggles with tone. While the original book’s simplicity and charm made it accessible for toddlers and preschoolers, this film’s attempt at creating more complex action sequences and outlandish hijinks muddles the story. Mean bullies taunt a child, Harold’s creations cause serious damage and destruction, and there’s even a climactic sequence involving fire-breathing creatures. These moments feel out of place, turning what was supposed to be a light-hearted, imaginative experience into something a bit too intense for the intended audience.
The film’s attempt to add some adult humor with suggestive comments feels out of sync with Harold’s innocent, child-like nature. Why, exactly, is Harold suddenly romantically interested in another character? The character of Harold doesn’t need a romantic angle, and it’s jarring to see it shoehorned into a story that was never about that.
The movie tries to promote positive messages like creativity, courage, teamwork, and friendship, which are great themes—if only they were explored with any depth. The film delivers these ideas with such superficiality that they come off more as a checklist of things the filmmakers think kids should learn rather than genuine moments of growth or insight.
For a film centered around imagination, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” is frustratingly unimaginative. Its chaotic scenes, forced humor, and lackluster exploration of creativity make it a missed opportunity to breathe new life into a classic. Instead of embracing the endless possibilities of imagination, it feels stuck in a rut of contrived, unoriginal gags. It’s hard to imagine anyone, young or old, leaving the theater feeling inspired or entertained. If anything, it’s a reminder that some stories are best left in their original, simpler form.
