Summary
Harold and the Purple Crayonhas earned Zachary Levi his worst Rotten Tomatoes score in 15 years. The new family comedy movie, which stars Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds, Alfred Molina, and Zooey Deschanel, is adapted from the iconic 1955 Crockett Johnson children’s book of the same name and follows the characters from the book emerging into the real world. TheHarold and the Purple Crayonreleasewas delayed multiple times after originally being slated to premiere in January 2023.
Rotten Tomatoeshas now calculated an official Tomatometer score forHarold and the Purple Crayonafter aggregating reviews from 28 different critics. While this score could fluctuate as more reviews are added, it stands at a thoroughly Rotten 32% at the time of writing. This marksZachary Levi’s worst score on the platform since 2009’sAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, which earned 21% and is still his second-worst score overall, behind the 5% score earned byBig Momma’s House 2in 2006.
Zachary Levi’s Rotten Tomatoes Slump Explained
Levi Has Hit A Critical Snag Since 2023.
While he has earned Fresh scores for franchise movies, includingThor: The Dark WorldandChicken Run 2, this recent slump may be a reaction to the fact thathis post-Shazam!career has seen casting agents slotting him into different franchiseswith varying results rather than the largely standalone movies that dominated his run of Fresh titles throughout the 2010s.
In addition to theHarold and the Purple Crayonmovieearning his worst score in a decade and a half, it marksa continuation of a significant slump in Levi’s recent output. While the star only earned a single Rotten Tomatoes splat between 2010 and 2022, since 2023, he has earned Rotten scores forSpy Kids: Armageddon,Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and now his new family movie. The only Fresh score bolstering his new crop of titles is the Certified Fresh 81% earned byChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
Zachary Levi’s New Movie Is Weirdly Similar To A 22-Year-Old SpongeBob SquarePants Episode
Zachary Levi’s new movie, Harold and the Purple Crayon, is a fantasy adventure that is weirdly similar to a popular SpongeBob SquarePants episode.
While he has earned Fresh scores for franchise movies, includingThor: The Dark WorldandChicken Run 2, this recent slump may be a reaction to the fact thathis post-Shazam!career has seen casting agents slotting him into different franchiseswith varying results rather than the largely standalone movies that dominated his run of Fresh titles throughout the 2010s. It is possible that returning to movies that are not attached to any particular IP could be the right move for the star going forward.
In 2019, Levi starred in the DC superhero movieShazam!, in which he played the superhero form of teenage foster kid Billy Batson.
It remains to be seen if Zachary Levi can pull out of this slump after the releaseHarold and the Purple Crayon. Because of the movie’s delayed premiere, it may represent the final release of a particular period in his career that is already shifting away from similar titles. With the Joe Carnahan survival thrillerNot Without Hopeand the family dramaThe Unbreakable Boyboth set for 2025, Levi may already be poised to return to his typical Fresh scores before long.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Cast
Harold and the Purple Crayon is a fantasy film based on the book of the same name by Crockett Johnson. Zachary Levi stars as Harold, alongside Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, and Jemaine Clement. The film revolves around Levi’s character, who can make his drawings come to life with his purple crayon.
