Movie Review: ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ brings beloved book to life in a familiar story

“Harold and the Purple Crayon,” the beloved children's book, has come to life in the new family comedy movie of the same name. The film stars Zachary Levi as the titular character after he transitions from his flat world in the book to the “real world,” kicking off a series of hijinks. His friends and sidekicks, Moose and Porcupine, played by Lil Rel Howery and Tanya Reynolds, accompany Harold as they adjust to the physical world and search for the book's narrator and author to see why he created the story. In her review, the Associated Press' Kaitlyn Huamani writes that the film, while full of imaginative animation and visuals, lacks originality in its plot. “Harold and the Purple Crayon″ hits theaters Friday.