PAGEMASTER (DVD/FAMILY FEATURE) DVD

The Pagemaster
A young boy overcomes his obsessive fears by discovering a love for books in this animated fantasy adventure. In a live action wraparound, Macaulay Culkin stars as Richard Tyler, an easily bullied, nervous wreck of a kid who's an expert on safety statistics. His mother and father (Mel Harris and Ed Begley, Jr.) don't know how to inspire their son to embrace life boldly. Barely able to leave the house, Richard ventures out one day, but he gets lost in a storm and ends up at a mysterious library. Inside, he slips, knocks himself unconscious and finds himself in a cartoon realm where books come to life. Guided by Adventure (Patrick Stewart), Fantasy (Whoopi Goldberg) and Horror (Frank Welker), Tyler experiences the adventures of classic novels such as Moby Dick and Treasure Island, and he even meets some famed fictional characters, such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Leonard Nimoy). Through his experiences in the pages of the legendary books, Richard confronts his phobias and learns to face life more courageously. The Pagemaster was directed by Joe Johnston, a former special effects supervisor and production designer who later directed Jumanji (1995) and October Sky (1999). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Cast Macaulay Culkin as Richard Tyler Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Dewey Ed Begley Jr. as Alan Tyler Mel Harris as Claire Tyler Patrick Stewart as Pirate Book "Adventure" Whoopi Goldberg as Fairy Grandmother "Fantasy" Frank Welker as Dragon Leonard Nimoy as "Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde"

Crew Maurice Hunt - Art Director Robert Lence - Animator Jim Hickey - Animator Bruce W. Smith - Animator Don Morgan - Animator Maurice Hunt - Animation Director Roxy Novotny Steven - Associate Producer Claire Glidden - Associate Producer Amy Kimmelman - Casting David Steinberg - Co-producer Barry Weiss - Co-producer Robin Lewis - Costume Designer Betsy Magruder - First Assistant Director Joe Johnston - Director Jeffrey Patch - Editor Kaja Fehr - Editor Roy Forge Smith - Editor James Horner - Composer (Music Score) Steve Nelson - Musical Direction/Supervision Roy Forge Smith - Production Designer Valeria Ventura - Production Designer Marie Cantin - Production Designer Gay Lawrence - Production Designer Alexander Gruszynski - Cinematographer Michael R. Joyce - Producer David Kirschner - Producer Paul Gertz - Producer Richard T. Sullivan - Special Effects Scott E. Anderson - Special Effects Steve Maslow - Sound/Sound Designer David Kirschner - Screenwriter Ernie Contreras - Screenwriter David Casci - Screenwriter Ted Chu - First Assistant Camera

The Pagemaster
Given a fairly negative critical reception upon its initial release, The Pagemaster is actually a more-than-passable mixture of live action and animation with a fair number of high points. While the filmmakers may be presenting the message of their movie -- essentially, that reading is a good thing -- in a fairly obvious and banal manner, it does serve as a smooth way of introducing children to some of the exciting characters that can be found in classic literature. It also features excellent voice work, especially from Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg. Stewart seems to be enjoying himself a great deal, bringing an enthusiasm and energy to his work that is a change of pace from his usually more restrained approach. Goldberg is Goldberg, full of sass and vinegar and always ready with a quip. Macaulay Culkin is less annoying than in many of his other films, probably because his mannerisms are naturally minimized when the character becomes animated. On the downside, the story is rushed and not as compelling as it should be; much of it lacks the magic and sparkle that the situation demands and it has episodes rather than a real plot. Although most of the animation is just middling, there are a couple of impressive moments, such as the initial "meltdown" sequence in which Culkin becomes animated and the segment involving a dragon. Pagemaster's quality varies, but there's more than enough there to satisfy children. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DDS: Dolby Digital Surround Additional Features: cc Featurette "Dream Away" music video Theatrical trailers Anamorphic widescreen (Aspect ratio 1.85:1) and pan & scan versions Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 75 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- The Pagemaster [WS] 1. Main Titles [3:46] 2. Afraid [4:08] 3. The Library [2:17] 4. An Illustration [2:34] 5. Adventure [3:58] 6. Fantasy [2:32] 7. Horror [:47] 8. To the Exit [2:49] 9. Captain Ahab [7:18] 10. Pirates [:46] 11. Treasure Island [2:09] 12. The Library Card [3:03] 13. The Dragon [3:30] 14. Swallowed Whole [:44] 15. The Pagemaster [5:13] 16. Back to the Present [2:49] 17. He's Home [2:48] 18. End Titles [5:44] Side #2 -- The Pagemaster [P&S] 1. Main Titles [3:46] 2. Afraid [4:08] 3. The Library [2:17] 4. An Illustration [2:34] 5. Adventure [3:58] 6. Fantasy [2:32] 7. Horror [:47] 8. To the Exit [2:49] 9. Captain Ahab [7:18] 10. Pirates [:46] 11. Treasure Island [2:09] 12. The Library Card [3:03] 13. The Dragon [3:30] 14. Swallowed Whole [:44] 15. The Pagemaster [5:13] 16. Back to the Present [2:49] 17. He's Home [2:48] 18. End Titles [5:44]