Harold And The Purple Crayon

It’s a quirky but intriguing concept to play around with and the film revels in its ability to conjure up wild flights of imagination that land softly but firmly. Harold adapts to the real world fairly quickly but he still has an impish sense of humour, making a toy helicopter fly while helping weary mother Terry realise that there’s magic in the everyday. The film was originally intended as CG-animated feature, but that would have given it a more manufactured look out of step with Johnson’s simple but effective line drawings. By bringing the story into the live action world, Sandanha is able to balance out the varying elements in a more considered way and find that elusive sweet spot. There’s genuine heart and emotion at work here, but not in a patronising way. With a nod towards Johnson’s creativity and imagination, Sandanha suggests that the only limit to our imagination is ourselves. That’s a message that will register with children and adults alike.It’s evident that on paper the film relies a good deal on the cast to sell the mixed-up unreality and reality of it all. The casting here is particularly spot-on. Zachary Levi’s goofy but genuine Harold is cut from the same cloth as Shazam. He’s an ideal choice, as he can bring that childish enthusiasm combined with an adult’s sensibility. He’s a delight to watch and delivers the emotional impact in the more character-driven scenes. Opposite him as tentative antagonist Gary is Jemaine Clement, who sees himself as the next Tolkien and Rowling combined. The fact that his publisher can’t pronounce his bargain bin fantasy book is pricelessly lost on him. A lot of the film’s humour comes courtesy of the daffy Clement. He leans into his previous nerdy characters and pulls out one rib-tickling scene after another as the pumped-up Gary prepares for a crayon-off (cray-off?) battle with Harold. With the visual effects taking over, Sandanha makes the predictable unpredictable here while keeping the characters in check.

Judging by the reaction of families at this reviewer’s screening, Harold And The Purple Crayon went down well – and deservedly so. It has a wonderful lightness of touch, balanced out with just the right tinge of demented darkness. The film’s occasionally geeky sensibility and off-kilter humour might appeal to certain sections of the adult audience too. The characters are suitably well-drawn and well-performed by a cast that gets into the spirit of the story. At 90 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome yet leaves one wanting more (there are other Harold books ready for adaptation). Pure imagination is a phrase that Harold refers to at one point. It seems appropriate for this charming summer family film that draws its way into the heart and starts busily scribbling away once there.

Rating: 4 / 5

Review by Gareth O’Connor