Harold And The Purple Crayon (2024)

I dislike criticizing movies aimed at kids, like Garfield or Kung Fu Panda. I see them as important because they appeal to both new viewers and long-time movie fans. However, I don't tolerate movies that are just cash grabs or have poorly thought-out stories that insult the audience's intelligence. I also avoid bashing the movies my son loves because watching them together creates special bonding moments for us. "Harold and the Purple Crayon" is a strange one. It should have been an enjoyable film but lacks complexity and energy. Although it shows and explains fun things, it fails to convey that fun to the viewer. The film feels as if 30-45 minutes were cut to (over)simplify the storyline or save on special effects. Comparing the poster to the movie, you'll notice that the robot, octopus, and roller coaster shown on the poster do not appear in the film. There are lapses in judgment and odd choices throughout that make little sense or are too clean and practical. Zachary Levi is good as Harold and Tanya Reynolds as Porcupine and Lil Rel Howery as Moose also perform well, but they are given mostly unfunny lines. Zooey Deschanel as Terri and Benjamin Bottani as Mel, the "mortals" in the film, are miscast as mother and son. Deschanel seems to sleepwalk through her role, silently screaming, "I'm too old for this sh*t," and repeats things we've all heard before. Bottani has his acting button pushed "on," but this isn't the right film for actors to shine. Alfred Molina, as the ghost of Crockett Johnson (the writer of the original "Harold" book), wisely only appears in the most interesting part of the film, the animated intro, which I would have preferred to see more of instead of the rest of the movie. The special effects are well done but underused until the end, and the rules of the crayon are perplexing. Jemaine Clement, as the villain Gary, waivers between being the most annoying and the best thing in the film. The future remake of this will be better.