Harold and the Purple Crayon

26%

Tomatometer

72 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

500+ Verified Ratings

Inside of his book, adventurous Harold (Zachary Levi) can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life--and that his trusty purple crayon may set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. When the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, it will take all of Harold and his friends' creativity to save both the real world and his own. Harold and the Purple Crayon is the first film adaptation of the beloved children's classic that has captivated young readers for decades.

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Critics Consensus

A high-concept treatment that misses out on the blissful simplicity of its source material, Harold and the Purple Crayon is a tribute to imagination that's content to only color inside the lines.

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Critics Reviews

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Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

Levi capers around with a big, goofy smile and a squeak in his voice -- but there’s more desperation than humour in the performance.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 12, 2024

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Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Jen Chaney

New York Magazine/Vulture

Harold and the Purple Crayon makes the classic Hollywood mistake of taking a story that was lovely because of its concision and simplicity and turns it into a movie that is overly long and complicated for no good reason.

Aug 5, 2024

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Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Katie Walsh

Tribune News Service

There’s something deeply strange about [Levi's] performance here, grinning and mugging with childlike wonder in a way that can only be read as disingenuous.

Rated: 1/4

Aug 3, 2024

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Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Graeme Tuckett

Stuff.co.nz

Nothing on-screen in Harold can overcome the fact this was just a lousy idea. Director Carlos Saldanha (Rio) has a few lovely flourishes, but the simplicity, timelessness and magic of the source material has stayed stubbornly on the page.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 9, 2024

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Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

.... while the film is, ultimately, fine, that its target enjoyed it enough to want to revisit it is what matters. Personally, I’d rather go back to the source.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 9, 2024

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Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Seeing Harold, his friends, and his crayons come to life is a treat that anyone familiar with the books would be interested to see.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 8, 2024

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Audience Reviews

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Linda It was okay but not our favorite movie. Grandkids are 12, 9 and 6 Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/15/24 Full Review Phillip My niece liked it, that's what matters. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/16/24 Full Review chris m My 6 year old loved this movie. We have rented it several times at home already. Good wholesome movie. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/15/24 Full Review donna m The meaning was amazing. Deferent plots throughout the movie but the special effects was what sold me! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/14/24 Full Review Javier fernandez Great movie for the family, also very powerful message. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/03/24 Full Review Cecile It was entertaining for children and offered a message of using your imagination to create your own world to be joyous. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/01/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Harold and the Purple Crayon

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Cast & Crew

Carlos Saldanha Director Zachary Levi Harold Zooey Deschanel Terry Alfred Molina Narrator Lil Rel Howery Moose Benjamin Bottani Mel

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Harold and the Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - You Made A...Spider-Fly?!