Harold and the Purple Crayon (4 Stars)

Books are magic. In a way, they're more magical than films. When a child picks up a book he's carried away into another world, empowered by his own imagination. In 1955 the American author Crockett Johnson wrote a book called "Harold and the Purple Crayon". It was about a boy who lived in a world where everything he drew became real. Despite his Godlike powers, Harold was lonely, so he drew animals to be his friends, Porcupine and Moose. However, Harold wasn't completely alone. He heard the voice of Crockett Johnson speaking to him. He considered him to be his father, which was partially true.

Rather than being an adaptation of the book, the film takes place on a meta level. One day Crockett stops speaking to him, so Harold decides to travel to the real world to find his father. As if the outside world is any more real than Harold's world. That's a question for philosophers to discuss. It's a strange new world, much bigger than he expected. Most wonderful of all, he now has a three-dimensional body. At first Harold travels with Moose, but he's later joined by Porcupine, both of whom have acquired human bodies.

The film is hilarious, most of the humour stemming from Harold's childish naivety. Zachary Levi carries the title character with his spotless comic timing. The other characters, though also funny, are overshadowed by his performance.

I'm surprised to hear that the film has received poor reviews. I can't fault it. It was made as a children's film, and I find that it succeeds within the parameters of children's films.

After seeing the film I want to buy the book. For my grandson. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.