'Harold and the Purple Crayon,' the famed 1955 children's picture book, is getting the three-dimensional treatment nearly 70 years after its release. The picture book, written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson, follows Harold, a child who can create whatever he can imagine, so long as he draws it with his magic purple crayon. The film adaptation opens with a short animated sequence that gives life to the book's famous illustrations. But how far can a children's picture book stretch across an hour and a half-long movie? Not very. After the film gets through the book's story in about a minute, the narrator says that the book's ending was not the close of Harold's story. Cut to an animated adult Harold, all grown up but still in a onesie, with his purple sketched friends, Moose and Porcupine, as they venture around their two-dimensional existence and wonder what goes on in 'the real world.' Afterwards, adult Harold, Moose, and Porcupine embark on a mission to find the book's narrator and author — the 'old man' — to ask him why he created them and their story. Much like characters in 'Enchanted' and 'Elf,' the movie follows Harold as he navigates the real world with naivety and creates hijinks with his magic crayon. Zooey Deschanel plays a 'real world' woman unimpressed by Harold's antics, but eventually lets him stay at her house. The film, directed by Carlos Saldanha, features imaginative animation and a mix of light humor and visuals. Despite a familiar plot and a somewhat underwhelming conflict with villain librarian Gary, the movie delivers a sweet lesson of empathy. 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' may feel well-worn, but its message of imagination remains timeless. The Columbia Pictures release is rated PG for mild action and thematic elements, with a running time of 92 minutes. Two stars out of four.