What if the cartoon world turned into real life? Well, that’s what happens in Carlos Saldanha’s family-friendly fantasy Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Harold (Zachary Levi) is the manifestation of the vivid imagination of writer Crockett Johnson. He’s a character in a book, who along with his buddies, Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds), live their lives in a delightful, adventurous bubble. They can effortlessly escape scrape after scrape, courtesy of Harold’s magic purple crayon. When they’re in trouble, he literally draws them out of it.
When Harold grows up, he speaks with the narrator (Alfred Molina) – also the book’s author – expressing a desire to experience the real world. But the narrator, who describes himself as an old man, disappears and Harold draws a door into physical reality to try to find him. Soon enough, Moose and Porcupine join him as they undertake a grand adventure. Harold manages to involve a boy named Mel (Benjamin Bottani) and his mother Terry (Zooey Deschanel) … and a devious librarian, Gary Natwick (Jemaine Clement). When Harold draws a purple bicycle in the physical world, he’s hit by Terry’s car. In no time, Terry and Mel are drawn into the chaotic world of Harold and friends, as they try to find the old man.
Harold and the Purple Crayon is the creative work of writers David Guion and Michael Handelman. They found success with Dinner for Schmucks and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. The question is how far do you go with imagination in a family film like this? It’s good humoured and I greatly enjoyed most of it. My slight reservation comes because I felt some sequences landed better than others. I appreciated its naive attitude and its many sight gags. Director Saldanha adds flair and frivolity to the fish-out-of-water story.
The actors do a fine job with the material. As Harold, Zachary Levi is the glue that binds the production together. Tanya Reynolds is a hoot as Porcupine and Lil Rel Howery has fun as Moose. Zooey Deschanel is spirited as mum Terry, while Benjamin Bottani is impressive as Mel. The tone in the voiceover provided by narrator Alfred Molina is pitch perfect.
By and large the combination of animation and live action works most effectively, especially when purple crayon sketches “become real”.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
