“Harold and the Purple Crayon” (2024), based on the beloved children’s book by Crockett Johnson, follows the story of Harold (Zachary Levi), a young boy with a vivid imagination, as he grows up and faces reality. After pondering the weight and meaning of his existence, Harold enters the real world in an attempt to find his Old Man. Alongside his close friend Moose, a loyal and adventurous companion, they meet a boy, Melvin, and his mother, Terry (Zooey Deschanel), who take them in. While Terry is skeptical of Harold and Moose, Mel is happy to have found new friends with vivid imaginations. The three boys use the magic purple crayon to bring whatever they please to reality and aid them in their attempts to track down Old Man. Things start to get more challenging when someone gets too envious of the powers of the purple crayon and steals it to use it for their own benefit.
The film is a delightful mix of silly and visually appealing sequences that truly spark your imagination. Whether they are skating through a park, flying through the air, or causing chaos in a grocery store, there is always something happening that will keep you engaged. These scenes aren’t just fun filler scenes, though; they also add to Harold’s overall character, proving him to be spontaneous and sometimes too carefree. After one particularly destructive instance, Harold aptly says, “I don’t do a lot of thinking; I’m more of an improv guy.” The humor, which is perfectly balanced for both kids and adults, is sure to leave you entertained and uplifted, making it a fun, feel-good watch for anyone.
Despite its initial appearance of being childish and goofy, the film adeptly navigates some rather complicated themes. Harold grapples with the fact that he doesn’t know who made him or even why he was made. The more time he spends in the real world, the more he feels childish and trivial, thinking everything he’s made with his crayon is pointless. While this may seem complex for a children’s movie, the film doesn’t dwell on it too much, making it easy to understand. This handling of complex themes could be reassuring for any child who may be starting to struggle with similar thoughts. The film also delves into themes of loss, as Melvin’s father had recently passed. It shows how he still honors him in specific ways and how it is something that you can navigate through with the right tools.
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Actors: Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel, Lil Rel Howery, Tanya Reynolds, Jemaine Clement, Benjamin Bottani
Writers: David Guion, Michael Handelman, Crockett Johnson
Runtime: 1 hr 30 min
Kathryn Rachford© August 4, 2024