Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

26% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 92% Audience Score 250+ 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

Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets

Harold and the Purple Crayon

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (57) Critics Reviews
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) 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 Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's an uninspired film. Rated: C- Aug 10, 2024 Full Review Harold and the Purple Crayon | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Candice McMillan Seattle's Child Suffering from a bad case of poor-adaptation-itis, Harold and the Purple Crayon is perhaps cohesive enough for young elementary school viewers, but their grown-up chaperones are unlikely to find anything redeeming about this shallow reimagining. Aug 9, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (262) audience reviews

Marlene F The movie was great. Laughed a lot. The movie theater was not what I expected .They said luxury theater. Where you get food delivered to your seat What it didnt say was select movies only. If you pick an older movie thats been out for a while. They send you to the left. Which is not luxury at all. Had to go to the concession stand to get food. Which I didnt mind. It happens. But they didnt have what I wanted. So I ended up getting their footlong hot dog which was very salty. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Maya Excellent content, loved the storyline, it kept my son and 2 nephews quite engaged and entertained. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Jamie J Very cute and sweet movie adaptation. My 7 year-old granddaughter loved as did I. Im glad Library Gary got his in the end. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Claudia We took a 4 year old and a 6 year old. There are a couple of scenes that are kind of scary but they handled them pretty well. At the end they announced the scary ones ended up being nice. It is such a sweet and clever movie. Adults will love it as well!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Jan O Cute movie, made better by a 4 year olds commentary Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review Mike Really liked when he came into the real world , also loved when the librarian swallowed the crown and started fighting with Harold , also loved when he drew things you could fly or ride in , and glad it was a happy ending Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Harold and the Purple Crayon

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Carlos Saldanha Director Zachary Levi Harold Zooey Deschanel Terry Alfred Molina Narrator Lil Rel Howery Moose Benjamin Bottani Mel
Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Movies in Theaters

Slumberland 40% 86% Slumberland TRAILER for Slumberland Arthur and the Invisibles 22% 56% Arthur and the Invisibles Return to Oz 58% 71% Return to Oz Little Monsters 44% 62% Little Monsters Warriors of Virtue 18% 47% Warriors of Virtue Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related Movie News

View All Related Movie News

Videos

View All videos

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Trailer 2 Harold and the Purple Crayon: Trailer 2 2:32 Harold and the Purple Crayon: Trailer 1 Harold and the Purple Crayon: Trailer 1 2:02 View more videos

Photos

View All Harold and the Purple Crayon photos

Harold and the Purple Crayon

View more photos

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)
$6.0M

Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital

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

FAQs

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

Regardless of whatever preface critics choose to set before the story, Harold and the Purple Crayon serves as a metafictional text in which a self-aware young boy realizes the power of his autonomy while simultaneously learning the limits of his abilities, disassociating the idea of returning home with traditional ...

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

At the core of Johnson's book is a lesson about how vital it is to take an innovative approach to challenges when building a dignified life. Harold's beautiful purple renderings are not art for art's sake; he draws them to sustain who he is.

What is the brief description of Harold and the Purple Crayon? ›

Harold, a young boy who lives inside of a book, can make anything come to life simply by drawing it with the help of a magic purple crayon, such as his two friends Moose and Porcupine. When Harold grows up, the narrator who he refers to as "old man" mysteriously disappears one day.

Why are rotten tomatoes called rotten tomatoes? ›

Rotten Tomatoes is a website dedicated to reviews, information, and news of movies and television series. The name derives from the vaudeville-era cliché of throwing tomatoes and other products at stage performers if a performance was particularly bad. The company has been owned by Flixster, a Warner Bros.

How old is Harold in the purple crayon? ›

The protagonist, Harold, is a curious four-year-old boy who, with his magic purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it.

What is the theme of the Harold? ›

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.

Why do you think Harold and the Purple Crayon is an important piece of children's literature? ›

Harold and the Purple Crayon was, in fact, very much a part of the activism, literature, art, theology and thinking of this time, a proponent of our right to be original, but also a warning about the giant wave of outer-directedness that was cresting over humanity and emptying individuals of their ability to speak from ...

What 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 movie Harold and the Purple Crayon about? ›

Is Harold and the Purple Crayon for kids? ›

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.

Which children's book character constantly relies on his trusty purple crayon? ›

This enormously successful book recounts the nighttime adventures of Harold, who creates his dreams as he draws them with his trusty purple crayon.

What is the character sketch of Harold from Keeping It from Harold? ›

Harold was a child prodigy. He was ten years old bright boy and who had won prizes in spelling and dictation competitions at school. Harold was unique and different from other children. He was devoted to his books and was a model of behavior.

What does the popcorn mean on Rotten Tomatoes? ›

What is the Audience Score? The Audience Score, denoted by a popcorn bucket, represents the percentage of users who have rated a movie or TV show positively.

Is 95% Rotten Tomatoes good? ›

As the reviews of a given film accumulate, the Rotten Tomatoes score measures the percentage that are more positive than negative, and assigns an overall fresh or rotten rating to the movie. Scores of over 60 percent are considered fresh, and scores of 59 percent and under are rotten.

What movie has the highest rating on Rotten Tomatoes? ›

To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 252 positive reviews.

What is the main message of the book The Color Purple? ›

In terms of the quality of its storytelling, The Color Purple movingly depicts the growing up and self-realization of Celie, who overcomes oppression and abuse to find fulfillment and independence. The novel also had an impact because of its feminist themes and the frank way it addresses gender equality and sexuality.

What is Harold and the Purple Crayon movie about? ›

What is the theme of the crayon man book? ›

An ingenious narrative non-fiction book about Edwin Binney the inventor of Crayola Crayons. This book examines the history of children's writing implements and the inspiration behind creating something children could write and draw with that did not smudge or rub off and was perfect for producing coloured pictures.

Top Articles
Fine dining restaurants Raleigh Durham Cary Chapel Hill
11 Best Spots for Fine Dining in Raleigh, NC
Mickey Moniak Walk Up Song
NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration hiring NOAA Commissioned Officer: Inter-Service Transfer in Spokane Valley, WA | LinkedIn
Canya 7 Drawer Dresser
The Largest Banks - ​​How to Transfer Money With Only Card Number and CVV (2024)
Jazmen Jafar Linkedin
Unlocking the Enigmatic Tonicamille: A Journey from Small Town to Social Media Stardom
The Pope's Exorcist Showtimes Near Cinemark Hollywood Movies 20
The Powers Below Drop Rate
What is international trade and explain its types?
Joe Gorga Zodiac Sign
Unit 1 Lesson 5 Practice Problems Answer Key
Signs Of a Troubled TIPM
4302024447
今月のSpotify Japanese Hip Hopベスト作品 -2024/08-|K.EG
Fairy Liquid Near Me
Tracking Your Shipments with Maher Terminal
Ostateillustrated Com Message Boards
Char-Em Isd
Epguides Strange New Worlds
Morristown Daily Record Obituary
Best Boston Pizza Places
Arrest Gif
Impact-Messung für bessere Ergebnisse « impact investing magazin
Mdt Bus Tracker 27
Table To Formula Calculator
Pulitzer And Tony Winning Play About A Mathematical Genius Crossword
They Cloned Tyrone Showtimes Near Showbiz Cinemas - Kingwood
Pdx Weather Noaa
Davita Salary
Kaiserhrconnect
Fridley Tsa Precheck
Netherforged Lavaproof Boots
Chattanooga Booking Report
All Things Algebra Unit 3 Homework 2 Answer Key
School Tool / School Tool Parent Portal
Wrigley Rooftops Promo Code
303-615-0055
Questions answered? Ducks say so in rivalry rout
Craigslist Odessa Midland Texas
Clausen's Car Wash
Jaefeetz
Yale College Confidential 2027
Youravon Com Mi Cuenta
3500 Orchard Place
Worland Wy Directions
Underground Weather Tropical
Rovert Wrestling
David Turner Evangelist Net Worth
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Madonna Wisozk

Last Updated:

Views: 5720

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Madonna Wisozk

Birthday: 2001-02-23

Address: 656 Gerhold Summit, Sidneyberg, FL 78179-2512

Phone: +6742282696652

Job: Customer Banking Liaison

Hobby: Flower arranging, Yo-yoing, Tai chi, Rowing, Macrame, Urban exploration, Knife making

Introduction: My name is Madonna Wisozk, I am a attractive, healthy, thoughtful, faithful, open, vivacious, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.