HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON

(director: Carlos Saldanha; screenwriters: David Guion, Michael Handelman, book by Crockett Johnson; cinematographer: Gabriel Beristain; editors: Tia Nolan, Mark Helfrich; music: Batu Sener; cast: Zachary Levi (Harold), Alfred Molina (Narrator), Lil Rel Howery (Moose), Zooey Deschanel (Terry), Tanya Reynolds (Porcupine), Benjamin Bottani (Mel), Jemaine Clement (Gary); Runtime: 82; MPAA Rating: PG; producers: John Davis; Columbia Pictures; 2024)

“It’s an uninspired film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Brazilian animation director Carlos Saldanha (“Rio”/”Robots”) bases his charmless and dull fantasy kid pic on the charming imaginative classic 1955 children’s book by Crockett Johnson. It’s flatly written by David Guion and Michael Handelman. The misfire won’t appeal to adults or the children it targets.

The story is about a child named Harold (Zachary Levi) creating adventure stories by using his “magical” purple crayon to draw adventure stories that lead him through a portal into an imaginary world so he can locate the mysterious father-figure who created him (who is voiced by Alfred Molina).

Harold’s child friends Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds) follow him into the portal. There he befriends the widow Terry (Zooey Deschanel) and her son Mel (Benjamin Bottani), who is impressed by Harold’s ability to make things real just by using his magic crayon.

The over-the-top villain is a revenge seeking embittered librarian named Gary (Jemaine Clement), who has a crush on Terry.

Zachary Levi delivers a humorless, annoying and one-note performance. Tanya Reynold’s by trying to act like a porcupine comes across performing almost as badly as Levi.

It’s an uninspired film. Perhaps another team of creators should go back to the drawing board to see if they have it in them to capture the book’s successful magical simple formula.

REVIEWED ON 8/10/2024  GRADE: C-
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