Richard au pays des livres magiques

Why such a low rating? A movie with such good intentions and well made characters deserve more love.

I was so into the idea from the start, and the message about facing your own fear was well woven into a classic fairy-tale trope of going through 3 tests.

Of course you'll get the most out of the movie if you know all the references to classic books like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Moby Dick, etc., but I think that's what makes The Pagemaster a good family movie. Kids can get entertained by the lively animated characters and relate to Macauly Culkin's role while adults can enjoy the clever use of historic literature.

The different segments of literary genres could've been both deeper and wider had the movie been just fifteen or so minutes longer, because honestly, it was a little rushed at times, but that's my only complaint about it. The segments were fine as they were, but could've made more out of its source material.

The animation was pretty good at times. Also a little dated sometimes, but the horror segment and that of fantasy actually had a grand feel to it. The dragon was my favorite simply because of the massive presence it had. It really felt BIG.

The anthropomorphic books were also cute and clever in their interactions. Some may find them annoying, but Whoopi Goldberg,Patrick Stewart and Frank Welker brought them to life with exellence.

An underated family movie which deserves more attention. Entertaining, educational and heartwarming

With its curious mix of Time Bandits-like enchantment and plain sense of fun, The Pagemaster represents the least-annoying and most enjoyable contribution Culkin has made to the industry since Home Alone. This won't be the monster hit that movie was, but children venturing into The Pagemaster should be no less beguiled. Grownups who often feel insulted by the too-juvenile tone of most so-called "family features" will likely find this movie long enough to catch their attention, but short enough not to lose it -- in essence, a surprisingly affable (and occasionally even sophisticated) movie-going experience. Most importantly though- This film is even more relevant today 25 years on.

The Pagemaster in my opinion, was a wonderful film, and I do think the 4.8 rating is too low. I have seen much worse movies, that are rated higher than that. Sure it's not Disney, but it is a good family film that I guarantee if you give it a chance that the whole family will love. The animation is not so bad, perhaps a little dated and rushed, but I've seen worse, and the dragon was excellent. The music by James Horner was beautiful, very fitting with what was going on on screen, very reminiscent of Land Before Time and Once Upon a Forest, and Whatever You imagine was amazing. The story tells of a young boy named Richard, who is serious and fearful of everything, until an unexpected visit to the library changes his life forever. I loved the story and the clever and diverse references to the literary giants, like Treasure Island, Jekyll and Hyde and Moby Dick, and the message of the film about facing your fears that doesn't preach. Macaulay Culkin is excellent here as is Christopher Lloyd, and Patrick Stewart (rousing and witty), Whoopi Goldberg (sugar and starch) and Frank Welker (in a fine Igor impression) expertly bring the snappy screenplay to life. I loved the witty banter between Adventure and Fantasy, and the librarian's rant about the different literary genres. And I don't think it is Macaulay Culkin or Christopher Lloyd's worst film, Culkin's was Richie Rich, Lloyd's was My Favourite Martian. All in all, a terrific film, with a 10/10. Bethany Cox

Just because something is part of my childhood doesn't mean it's good, and this movie is really not a great animated film. It's got a nice message, and it looks good, but the premise of jumping from storybook to storybook gets tiring by the end.

Richard Tyler (McCaulay Culkin) is a scaredy cat who's always getting picked on. On a stormy night he gets stuck in a library, and ends up animated with several book friends. He meets Fantasy (Whoopie Goldberg), Adventure (Patrick Stewart) and Horror (Frank Welker), and he goes through many famous books. The plot is very slim, and kind of just jumps around from book to book, but it actually works very well. This also has a great musical score and it manages to make the movie sad at times. Unlike many animated films, you actually come to like the characters by the end, and that's hard to do.

"The Pagemaster" is a very underrated, good animated movie that will appeal to kids and will amuse adults.

My rating: *** out of ****. 70 mins. Rated G

"The Pagemaster" may have been the only really good movie that Macaulay Culkin ever did. Playing accident-obsessed youngster Richard Tyler, who goes to the library and gets transferred into a world of horror, fantasy and adventure, he makes the most of the role. Patrick Stewart (a pirate-like book named Adventure), Whoopi Goldberg (a fairy-like book named Fantasy) and Frank Welker (a maladroit book named Horror) show themselves to be as adept in these kinds of movies as they are in their normal roles, as does Christopher Lloyd (the librarian and the Pagemaster).

All in all, this movie really shows you how much there is to read. I think that my favorite scene was the whole Jekyll and Hyde sequence - although the dripping painting was also pretty impressive. A very well done movie. Also starring Ed Begley Jr., Mel Harris, and the voices of Leonard Nimoy, Dorian Harewood and Phil Hartman.