Harold and the Purple Crayon - Film Review

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Harold and the Purple Crayon will be in cinemas on 12 September 2024. It's a film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike. A heartwarming story of innocence, trust, believing in yourself, and a purple streak of magic, the film was directed by Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age, Ferdinand, Rio) and produced by John Davis. A family adventure/comedy, it stars Zachary Levi as Harold (Shazam, American Underdog), Lil Rel Howery (Moose), Benjamin Bottani (Mel), Zooey Deschanel (Terry, Mel's mum), Jemaine Clement (Gary), Tanya Reynolds (Porcupine), Pete Gardner (Detective Love), Camille Guaty (Junior Detective Silva), Ravi Patel (Prasad), and Zele Avradopoulos (Ms Hemm) with Alfred Molina (narrator). The film’s screenplay is written by David Guion & Michael Handelman, based on the book by writer and illustrator Crockett Johnson (1906-1975).

Inside his book, adventurous Harold (Zachary Levi) can make anything come to life in his 2D world, 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 a lot to learn about real life and that his trusty purple crayon may set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. When the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, it will take all of Harold and his friends’ creativity to save both the real world and his own. Harold and the Purple Crayon is the first film adaptation of the beloved children’s classic that has captivated young readers for decades. It's based on the popular same-named children's book of 1955!


Harold is very happy in his world. He's been drawing and making things happen all his life and has got good at it. 'The Voice' is the narrator of Harold's adventures, and he talks to Harold about his world and why he was created. When the voice stops talking to him, Harold decides he wants to go into the real world to find the voice, or 'old man' as he calls him; and that's how he creates and enters a doorway into the real world, leaving behind his friends Moose and Porcupine. But not for long, as Moose is involuntarily startled and falls through the portal, rolling into the real world. Porcupine finds herself in a tangle and it takes her a tad longer to join them. Harold is filled with the wonder of the real world, but Moose is not convinced. Riding along on their created contraption, Terry runs into them and is convinced by her son Mel to take them home and help them out. Mel has an imaginary friend, and Terry is not sure having Harold around is doing any good.

The film adaptation veers away from the book, however, as a kid's movie, it's nonetheless entertaining, heartwarming, and joyful, with a few lessons to learn along the way. The shenanigans will put a smile on your face, and the quick-thinking creativity that comes off the end of the purple crayon will have the kids in awe. It's all fun and smooth sailing until the villain enters the realm and gives the story an interesting curve. Looking for the 'old man' is a touching arc in the story. Just in time for the school holidays, it's an adventure the whole family can enjoy.





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