Bonus Review: Harold And The Purple Crayon

Everything He Draws Is About To Get Real

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INTRODUCTION

This is a quick review of the newly released film Harold And The Purple Crayon. Keep in mind this is but one of the many movies I watch every year, and that whatever initial grade I come up for this film could change for better or worse with time. To better keep up to date with both my thoughts on other movies and if my feelings on this film changed, follow me on Letterboxd.

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THE PLOT

Via Letterboxd: Inside of his book, adventurous Harold 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.

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QUICK REVIEW

Critiquing “kids movies” can be an uphill climb for a 35 year old childless man (Senator J.D Vance just had a heart attack reading that, or maybe us guys get a pass from him?). These films are geared towards a certain demographic that anyone of my age group will have to literally talk down to, and thus these movies tend to come off insulting to us adults when we have to watch them. And if you don’t have kids to watch this with, watching them in the context of how the demographic they’re geared towards responds can also make things difficult if you’re seeking to give them a fair review.

But there is the argument that these movies can still appeal to all ages. And the Paddington films have been a great case study of that. Not only are they easily consumable by adults, but they have a timeless quality to them. And the Pixar films have shown us they can deliver a message that plays at the heartstrings of the adults watching them as well. Unfortunately Harold And The Purple Crayon is not one of those “kids films”.