Harold and the Purple Crayon was a book that both fascinated and frightened me as a child. It always seemed to me that Harold needed a bit of adult supervision; his creativity and imagination were great, but where were his mom and dad?

 

As a movie, I’m happy to say that Harold and the Purple Crayon is all grown up and absolutely delightful. It’s billed as a “live-action hybrid family adventure/comedy” and it delivers on all cylinders. 

 

It takes a very special team of actors, director and cinematographers to create a movie that is fun and entertaining for children while also enjoyable and charming for adults - it can be hard to hit that exact right note.

 

Will Ferrell along with the creators of Elf hit this spot perfectly twenty years ago, and the Paddington movies in recent years have done it beautifully twice (and soon possibly a third time). And, I’m happy to report that Harold and the Purple Crayon also absolutely nails this sweet spot.

 

In Zachary Levi’s winning portrayal of the titular Harold, he brings that same innocent sweetness that Ferrell lent to the title role in Elf. The similarities do not end there - both films feature Zooey Deschanel as a female foil to the main character, although she is better in Elf and seemed a bit wooden in Harold and the Purple Crayon.

 

Director Carolos Saldanha has a knack for infusing action with comedic moments, as he did in his Ice Age and Rio animated features. Here, he proves to be just as skillful at directing live action as he is at animation - and there are still magical “hand-drawn” touches, which are well done and blend seamlessly with the actors’ performances.

 

It’s worth noting that the villain in Harold and the Purple Crayon is played by Jermaine Clement, who did an unforgettable job as the voice of the villainous Nigel in the Rio films and the shiny giant crab Tamatoa in Moana. Similarly, he is excellent here as the bad guy and also a source of humor.

 

I loved this film. I’m confident that those drawn to the likes of Elf and the Paddington movies will find a lot of the same charm with Harold and the Purple Crayon.