PLOT
What’s the story is about?
This film is based on the 1955 children’s book by Crockett Johnson. The movie follows a boy named Harold who can draw anything he wants with his purple crayon inside his own book, making anything possible. Harold draws friends named Moose and Porcupine, and they become best friends. One day, Harold wonders who drew him, since they all live in a 2D world. A narrator's voice explains that he drew Harold and he lives in a 3D world. When the narrator's voice disappears, Harold decides to explore the real world and find out what happened to his creator.
REVIEW
When Harold enters the real world, he turns into a human, and his friends follow him and they transform too. Zachary Levi plays Harold, and his performance is similar to his previous role as Shazam—he’s a grown man but a child spirit inside. Since they are from a children’s book, they know very little about how the real world works. Their charming performances are enjoyable. They soon realize that the real world isn’t as fun as their 2D world. They don’t quite fit in and cause a lot of trouble, which can be amusing but also feels tiresome. The movie spends a lot of time on this, making the buildup feel a bit boring.
As their adventure begins, they run into a single mother and her son, who are dealing with their own real life problems. The mother works a job she hates and has given up her dreams, while her son, who lost his father and is bullied at school, still believes in magical creatures. He later forms a bond with Harold and his friends, and they team up to find the missing narrator. There is also a librarian who has a crush on the mother. The characters are enjoyable for a family movie with a lot heart.
The comedy efforts are there but only a few of them lands and most of them fell short. Most of the comedy comes from Moose for me. Porcupine followed later into the real world and she had her own sub plot before she reunited with her friends.
The concept of a magical crayon that can draw anything to life is intriguing, but the movie doesn’t fully explore its potential. For example, if you can draw anything, why not just draw something maybe like money to solve all your problems? The CGI isn’t particularly impressive. In the final act, we see a glimpse of what the crayon can really do especially in the wrong hand, but it’s not as much as expected. The film’s antagonist is forgettable.
Checkout my video here
I am saying all of this from adult perspective and I feel like I really shouldn’t be judging the plot for not taking really serious as the movie is aimed at kids under twelve years old and based on a children’s book, it focuses on imagination and its importance. However, the execution falls short, and the film doesn’t offer much beyond the message to have fun and be imaginative. There are no real stakes involved. Children under ten might still enjoy it, and adults who grew up with the book might feel some nostalgia. The film has enough action and energy like what you see in cartoons to keep kids entertained.
My Screen Time Score - 4
Genre - Family, Comedy, Fantasy
Runtime – 1 Hour 29 minutes
Rating - PG
Comments
Post a Comment