Harold and the Purple Crayon

Crockett Johnson’s eponymous children’s book comes to life in Harold and the Purple Crayon, the latest fantastical adventure from Ice Age alumnus Carlos Saldanha. Harold (Zachary Levi) lives a blissfully sheltered life as an animated figure in charge of his own destiny. Or so it would seem. Essentially a fish-out-of-water comedy, Harold is willingly plucked from the wholesome cocoon of his illustrated utopia and transported to the real world, as he seeks out the narrator of his life. His animal pals, Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds), soon follow, and it’s here that the film feels oddly reminiscent in tone of last year’s Barbie movie, with the trio of misfits struggling to conform to societal norms.

Along the way, Harold befriends lonely schoolboy Mel (Benjamin Bottani) and his widowed mother, Terri (Zooey Deschanel), who is deeply dissatisfied with her retail job and lack of creative fulfilment. All of this would be ripe matter for introspection and metaphor, of course, but the filmmakers are too preoccupied with action-packed farcical interludes to traverse anything beyond the superficial. Levi, an actor best known for appearing in the sitcom Chuck and the Shazam! franchise, is distinctly lacking comedic timing in a part that necessitates it. One can’t help but feel that the role would fare much better with a madcap Robin Williams-esque performance, imbuing Harold with requisite zaniness and manchild whimsy.

British actress Reynolds is the stand-out star, lending a committed comedic physicality to Porcupine. The way Reynolds effortlessly flits between wide-eyed curiosity and zoomorphic snarls in the face of predators (in this case the police) serves as one of the film’s few laugh-out-loud highlights. Further comic relief is offered via dastardly librarian and would-be fantasy author Gary (Jemaine Clement). Though framing an immigrant character as the villain feels woefully dated, Clement’s wacky onscreen persona works surprisingly well in the family-friendly milieu.

The characters’ quest for personal liberation through creative fulfilment is undoubtedly a positive message. However, in spite of the power of imagination being at its crux, the film ultimately falls short due to a lack of narrative imagination. Though its heart is in the right place, Harold and the Purple Crayon would have benefitted from spending less time on action set pieces and more on relaying the endearing moral of the story.

Antonia Georgiou

Harold and the Purple Crayon is released nationwide on 2^nd August 2024.

Watch the trailer for Harold and the Purple Crayon here: