Harold and the Purple Crayon (Blu-ray Review)
One of the biggest head scratchers in cinema this year was the reimagining of Harold and the Purple Crayon. One of the most beloved children’s books ever, the film realizes Harold’s world as an adult. Does this bode well for the book series reaching new generations or does the new adaptation fall flat? Read more about Harold and the Purple Crayon below, and if you should be so inclined, the cover art at the end is clickable, and sends you off to buy your own copy of the film!
Film: 
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 into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about the real world. 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 expands upon Crockett Johnson’s original picture book in an ambitious way, aiming to flesh out Harold’s world for a feature-length runtime. While the original story’s simplicity and charm lay in its straightforward adventure with Harold and his magical crayon, the film opts to add additional plot elements and supporting characters to deepen the story and broaden its appeal. While this approach allows for richer world-building and more dynamic storytelling, it occasionally sacrifices the book’s minimalist, open-ended quality, which has always been part of its appeal. Some viewers may find that the film stretches itself a bit thin in its effort to sustain a more complex plotline, sometimes losing sight of the quiet intimacy of Harold’s introspective journey.
Harold, as portrayed in this adaptation, is given more depth, along with relatable childlike concerns and dreams, which helps modern audiences connect with him. This Harold struggles with loneliness, boredom, and the need to explore his identity, which makes him a sympathetic character. However, the added character arc, while earnest, occasionally feels forced and can distract from the simplicity and purity of the character’s original motivations. Furthermore, the introduction of new characters, who act as friends and foils to Harold, brings additional dimensions to the narrative but sometimes pulls focus from Harold’s journey of self-discovery.
I will say that the casting is hit or miss in the film. Zachary Levi, an already iffy choice for an adult Harold, plays the character to the point of annoyance. We do get the reliable Lil Rel Howery and Zooey Deschanel to carry some of that annoyance on their shoulders to provide a bit of relief. The warm narration of Alfred Molina is appreciated as well, providing a soothing approach that carries from the original book. Jemaine Clement continues to be a quirky character actor too and his work as the librarian here is fun and tempered.
The film does a thoughtful job of expanding upon the themes of imagination, autonomy, and resilience, which have always been at the heart of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Through his crayon, Harold learns that he can create worlds and solve problems, reinforcing the book’s message that creativity is a powerful tool for overcoming challenges. The film also introduces themes of friendship and family, highlighting Harold’s journey as one of self-expression and learning to connect with others. While these additions resonate well with a modern family audience, some viewers might feel that they lessen the impact of the book’s core theme: that of a child’s solitary yet empowering exploration of his own imagination.
Visually, Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024) successfully blends live-action with animation in a way that evokes the original hand-drawn look. Harold’s crayon drawings appear animated in bright, contrasting hues, effectively conveying his imaginative world. However, the live-action segments sometimes feel overly polished, detracting slightly from the organic, whimsical feel of the story. The stark difference between the CGI elements and Harold’s drawn world sometimes creates a sense of dissonance that takes away from the immersive experience the film is trying to create. Nonetheless, the design choices will likely appeal to children and families looking for a visually engaging, high-energy film.
Pacing is one of the more divisive elements of this adaptation. The original book’s pacing is reflective, slow, and leaves room for readers to dwell on each scene. However, this adaptation occasionally struggles with maintaining that sense of quiet reflection and instead leans toward a brisker pace. This may cater well to younger viewers accustomed to fast-paced storytelling, but it can also risk diluting the story’s more reflective elements. The tone is, overall, upbeat and family-friendly, but at times it feels as if the film is unsure of whether it wants to remain whimsical and open-ended or embrace a more conventional, goal-oriented storyline.
In adapting Harold and the Purple Crayon to a modern, feature-length format, the filmmakers faced the challenging task of stretching a short, concept-driven book into a 90-minute film while preserving its original charm. The result is a film that strikes an uneasy balance between honoring the source material and appealing to a contemporary audience. For fans of the original, the adaptation may seem overly ambitious, losing some of the magic of the solitary journey into imagination that made the book iconic. However, for new audiences—especially young children—the film offers an accessible introduction to Harold’s world, along with messages about the power of creativity, resilience, and friendship.
The 2024 adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon succeeds in broadening the story’s appeal to a wider, family-friendly audience, despite sacrificing some of the book’s subtlety and imaginative open-endedness. By adding new layers and characters, the film crafts a more conventional narrative that resonates well with a modern audience but occasionally struggles to maintain the intimate magic of Harold’s solitary journey. While it may not fully capture the spirit of the original story, it serves as an engaging, visually appealing, and thoughtful adaptation that will likely appeal to families and young viewers looking for an imaginative, heartfelt film experience.
Video:
Encoding: MPEG-4/AVC
Resolution: HD (1080p)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Layers: BD-50
HDR: N/A
Clarity/Detail: The Blu-ray’s 1080p transfer offers good high-definition visuals that highlight the film’s colorful animated sequences and detailed live-action scenes. Colors, especially during scenes where Harold uses his crayon to bring his imagination to life, are vibrant and visually engaging. However, slight digital noise and soft details are occasionally noticeable, particularly in darker scenes. While these minor issues don’t overly impact the experience, they might be apparent to viewers hoping for a more pristine HD presentation.
Depth: Depth is handled very well overall. The focus is mostly constant with scenes looking naturally front and center with no issues in any frame of the film.
Black Levels: Black crush is evident in darker scenes, but this looks to be an issue with digital compression and not with how the film was captured.
Color Reproduction: Imagination brings the film to life in the color world. Harold’s crayons give candy coated hues that can sometimes be a feast for the eyes.
Flesh Tones: Flesh tones for the live-action characters look great overall with no makeup anomalies mucking up the experience.
Noise/Artifacts: Clean.
Audio:
Audio Format(s): English, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English, French and Spanish Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Dynamics: Featuring a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, the audio mix is clear and dynamic. Surround sound elements in fantasy sequences immerse the viewer in Harold’s world. However, some scenes struggle with a slight imbalance between dialogue and background music, which might lead to occasional difficulty in hearing the dialogue over the score—especially noticeable on standard television audio setups.
Height: N/A
Low-Frequency Extension: Bass is almost always used for music and some sound effects. This is workmanlike and notihng to scoff at, but also nothing special either.
Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds take you into the imaginary world with good intentions. There are some muddy moments but spacing is handled nicely with surround channels.
Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue comes through cleanly.
Extras:
Harold and the Purple Crayon comes to Blu-ray with some simple special features and a digital code. No slipcover comes with the release.
- How to Draw Harold, Porcupine & Moose
- “Colors” Sing Along
- How Do You Spell Imagination?
- Deleted & Extended Scenes
Summary:
While Harold and the Purple Crayon may not fully capture the original story’s magic, it will succeed for some in presenting a relatable, updated take on Harold’s journey. Younger audiences will find the story’s pacing and plot additions engaging, though some viewers may feel the adaptation strays from the book’s minimalist magic. Ultimately, this film will resonate with families and young viewers, introducing Harold’s story in a more accessible, modern format.
