Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

25% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 92% Audience Score 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. Read More Read Less

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Harold and the Purple Crayon

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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) 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 Full Review Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (2) 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 Full Review Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Leigh Monson AV Club 'Harold And The Purple Crayon' doesn’t quite provoke the blues that one might expect from such a crass-sounding adaptation, but neither does it paint the town red with its modest ambitions. We’re left mixed, as purple as the crayon. Rated: C Aug 2, 2024 Full Review Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Jackie K. Cooper jackiekcooper.com Isn't funny or quirky enough to entertain kids (or adults). Rated: 4/10 Aug 16, 2024 Full Review Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (5) tt stern-enzi WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH) Unfortunately, it doesn't really do a great job of balancing that animated style that it starts off with... when it moves into the live action, there's no magic to it. Rated: D Aug 15, 2024 Full Review Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Stacey Yvonne Wealth of Geeks in Carlos Saldanha’s Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024) we learn what happens after “God” goes away. It’s pretty heavy stuff. Too bad it’s told in an insipid, mostly inconsistent tale that’s more full of child endangerment than real substantive plot. Rated: 4.5/10 Aug 10, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (433) audience reviews

Sheena G It was a cute movie. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Great for kids! Great for kids, suggesting to kids to take use their imagination. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Janice The expressions, little humor! Just a fabulous movie! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Cueball Dad here with three kiddos, and our theater had several kids in it. The theater was laughing and enjoying the show. Gary (Jermaine Clement) could have been retooled some, but okay for the bad guy. Adults will find some cute humor added for our benefit, and the ending is great (wont spoil it). Here are some great lines, I wanted to show folks that with a little imagination, you can make your life whatever you want it to be. We only have so much time in this world, but we leave our mark in the lives we change. We really enjoyed it. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review K Eli Perfect movie for kids and even more perfect for adults! My one year old sat the whole movie and that says a lot. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Jean Very good, my grandson and my daughter and I all loved it. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 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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Synopsis 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.

Director
Carlos Saldanha

Producer
John Davis

Screenwriter
David Guion, Michael Handelman

Distributor
Columbia Pictures

Production Co
Columbia Pictures, Davis Entertainment

Rating
PG (Thematic Elements|Mild Action)

Genre
Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 2, 2024, Wide

Box Office (Gross USA)
$15.8M

Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

What grade level is Harold and the Purple Crayon? ›

Harold and the Purple Crayon (Reading Level K) | World's Biggest Leveled Book Database | Readu.

What is the significance of Harold and the Purple Crayon? ›

In its simplest interpretation, Harold and the Purple Crayon is a tale of personal fortitude, grit, and resilience. And yet our pajama-clad hero's message is about something much deeper and more spiritual than simply bouncing back or bootstrapping it; it's about how we get up.

Are there any kids movies coming out in 2024? ›

Some of the most anticipated movies for kids and families coming out in 2024 are 'Despicable Me 4,' 'If,' 'The Garfield Movie,' Moana 2' and more.

When was Harold and the Purple Crayon made? ›

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a 1955 children's picture book written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson.

What age are Harold and the Purple Crayon for? ›

Parents Need to Know

Although the Harold books were appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, this adaptation has a fair bit of action and some potentially frightening moments.

What does Harold draw in Harold and the Purple Crayon? ›

uses his crayon to draw buildings, windows, and even a policeman to aid him on his quest to return home, while all along he deals with the anxiety of "wishing he was in his room and in bed." Johnson designs Harold as an independent and autonomous child realizing his innate capabilities of creativity, but he shows that ...

What is Harold and the Purple Crayon about movie? ›

Who is the kid lit character with a purple crayon? ›

Harold was the reason Prince adopted purple as his signature color. The musical artist Prince cited 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' as his favorite children's book. 'Harold's Fairy Tale. ' Harper & Brothers, 1956.

What is the movie 2025 about? ›

No score yet. Rotten audience score. Young Christians start an underground revolution to reunite Christians and regain freedom in a world transformed by the coronavirus.

Which movie will release in 2030? ›

Upcoming New Movies 2030
  • The Brave and the Bold. It centers on the father and son dynamics of Batman and Robin. ...
  • John Wick: Chapter 5.
  • Untitled Marvel X-Men Film.
  • Halo. Feature film based on the popular video game, Halo.
  • Baby Driver 2.
  • Untitled Tom Cruise/SpaceX Project. ...
  • Eternals 2.
  • RoboCop Returns.

What movies are coming in 2029? ›

Upcoming New Movies 2029
  • Avatar 4. 2029. ...
  • Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. A story that is set 25,000 years before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) as focuses on the discovery of the Force. ...
  • McClane. The original story to the popular film franchise, 'Die Hard'.
  • Wanted 2. ...
  • xXx 4. ...
  • Atomic Blonde 2. ...
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  • Bad Teacher 2.

What is the point of Harold and the Purple Crayon? ›

The overarching theme of Harold and the Purple Crayon is deciphering reality. As a rather ambiguous idea, the discussion of “reality” will throw the children into a fun and active topsy-turvy discussion of what it means to be real, and how one gives objects the power of reality.

What is the lesson of Harold and the Purple Crayon? ›

While Harold and the Purple Crayon may be a well-loved children's story, the message within resonates with all ages: we all have the power to create our story. Much like Harold, we all wield a purple crayon of imagination, innovation, and fortitude.

What is Harold and the Purple Crayon rated? ›

Rated PG for mild action and thematic elements.

What grade are George and Harold in? ›

George Beard and Harold Hutchins – Two fourth grade pranksters, who are best friends, next-door neighbors, and the main protagonists of the series.

What age is purple reading level? ›

Purple book band

Level 8. Recommended reading age 6 - 7 years. Children might read silently or quietly at quite a rapid pace, taking note of punctuation. Usually about 25 pages with 5 to 10 sentences per page.

What grade level is Mr stink? ›

Mr Stink (Reading Level Y) | World's Biggest Leveled Book Database | Readu.

What grade level is Mary Downing Hahn books? ›

Product information
ASIN‎B0099REJ7K
Grade level5 - 9
Item Weight‎5.6 ounces
Dimensions‎5.13 x 0.44 x 7.63 inches
Best Sellers Rank#2,073,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4,653 in Deals in Books #7,179 in Children's Spine-Chilling Horror #8,008 in Children's Books on Girls' & Women's Issues
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