THE PAGEMASTER
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 7.2
Date Released: 11/23/94 Running Length: 1:16 Rated: G
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Ed Begley Jr., Mel Harris Featuring the voices of Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Welker, Leonard Nimoy, and George Hearn Directors: Maurice Hunt (animation) and Joe Johnston (live action) Producers: David Kirschner and Paul Getz Screenplay: David Casci, David Kirschner, and Ernie Contreras Music: James Horner Released by Twentieth Century Fox
At a time when children are reading less, opting instead for such fast, furious, and empty entertainment as video games and MTV, it falls to a movie, THE PAGEMASTER, to make the case for books. This clever, often engaging, and always fast-paced motion picture uses the visual medium to encourage its viewers to reach out with their imagination. They may not be as visibly transformed as Macaulay Culkin's Richard Tyler, but through the magic of page-turning, they can enter different worlds--or at least that's the message this release is trying to convey.
Richard Tyler is a child with so many phobias that they've run out of names for them all. His father (Ed Begley Jr.) despairs that his son will ever shed his cloak of fear, especially when Richard's response to an invitation to climb into a tree house is that he can't because "seven percent of all accidents involve ladders." So, instead of joining Dad up in the branches, Richard is sent off to the store on a quest for a box of nails. Instead, he finds something he never dreamed possible.
Along the way, a sudden thunderstorm necessitates Richard to seek shelter in the nearest building--a mysterious library run by the prescient Mr. Dewey, aka The Pagemaster (Christopher Lloyd). During his stay amidst the thousands of books, Richard is transformed into a cartoon character and forced to make his way through several lands of fiction, guided by a trio of genres-come-to-life: adventure (voice of Patrick Stewart, lustily belting out his lines like a refugee from Pirates of the Caribbean), fantasy (Whoopi Goldberg, all sugar-and-starch), and horror (Frank Welker, doing his best "Igor" imitation).
Titles as diverse as ATLAS SHRUGGED, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, TREASURE ISLAND, MOBY DICK, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and JACK AND THE BEANSTALK are either alluded to or represented. If the sight of Culkin's animated image making his way through these adventures isn't enough to pique the reading curiosity of the average youngster, it's hard to imagine what will.
Technically, the movie isn't an unqualified triumph. While the live action special effects are impressive, the animation appears somewhat rushed. It's certainly not the worst to have graced the big screen in the past few years (that distinction probably goes to FERNGULLY), but certain sequences, most notably those involving The Pagemaster--who resembles Gandalf from the animated THE HOBBIT--look unfinished. On the other hand, the fire-breathing dragon is suitably imposing and menacing.
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.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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