Shadows on the Wall | Harold and the Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon

dir Carlos Saldanha
prd John Davis
scr David Guion, Michael Handelman
with Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel, Lil Rel Howery, Benjamin Bottani, Tanya Reynolds, Jemaine Clement, Alfred Molina, Pete Gardner, Camille Guaty, Ravi Patel, Zele Avradopoulos, Vartan
release US/UK 2.Aug.24
24/US Columbia 1h32

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Based on the beloved Crocket Johnson book, this good-natured adventure is awash with goofy childishness. Although Hollywood blockbuster rules threaten to undo this, as contrived conflict arises right on schedule, plus a corny villain invoking overwrought digital chaos. Thankfully, the movie remains amusing, with a light-hearted sense of naivete about life's nastier elements. And there's a nice message about trusting your instincts and being someone friends can rely upon.

Curious about what's beyond the 2D world of his book, Harold (Levi) draws a door to the outer world, hoping to meet the "old man" who narrates his existence (Molina). Harold's pals Moose and Porcupine follow him, transforming into humans (Howery and Reynolds), and they become entangled in the lives of young widow Terry (Deschanel) and her imaginative pre-teen son Mel (Bottani). Of course, Mel is particularly thrilled when he discovers Harold's magical crayon can draw anything into being. The problem is that devious librarian Gary (Clement) wants to get his hands on it too.

While much of this is deliberately corny, flashes of genuine wit allow grown-ups to hang in there. The crayon-induced mayhem is imaginative, with a hint of warped absurdity. Frustratingly, the filmmakers never lean further into this creative side of the story. Instead, they feel the need to add action set-pieces and a comedy villain before escalating things into an aggressively Marvel-style battle climax, complete with an ugly digital setting.

Enjoyably, Levi hams up Harold's ignorance about the real world, reacting enormously to everything. He's also charming, which fuels lively camaraderie with his pals. Howery and Reynolds offer plenty of quirky nuttiness. And it's a small mercy that the writers avoid a romance between Harold and Terry, so Deschanel can play her without that baggage. She's the one character who takes a proper journey through the plot, from sceptic to believer, which of course deepens her bond with Mel, who's well-played by the alert, likeable Bottani.

The comedy ramps up once Clement turns up with his expert silliness as a wannabe fantasy writer who can't understand why no one likes his impenetrable epic novel. This opens the door to wacky visual pandemonium, taking witty swipes at the dragons and damsels genre. Director Saldanha keeps this largely in check until the final confrontation, thankfully remaining focussed on the characters while the expertly animated visuals simply add to the fun. In the end, there might not be much to this movie, but it's an enjoyable enough ode to imagination.

themes, violence 21.Jul.24

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