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Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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[[File:ThePagemaster_9413.jpg|frame]]
[[File:ThePagemaster_9413.jpg|frame]]


'''''The Pagemaster''''' is a 1994 film that features both Live Action and Animation, one of only two made by Turner Entertainment's animation unit before [[Warner Bros]] took over (''[[Cats Don't Dance (Animation)|Cats Don't Dance]]'' was the other). ''The Pagemaster'' tells the story of a young boy named Richard Tyler (Macaulay Culkin), who is -- to his parents’ annoyance -- timid to the point of neurosis. He is tremendously afraid of heights and generally obsessed with quoting the statistical risks invovled in countless everyday actions, which, of course, explains why he isn't the most popular guy. One day his father runs out of nails while building him a tree house and sends a very reluctant Richard to buy more.
''[[The Pagemaster]]'' is a 1994 film that features both Live Action and Animation, one of only two made by Turner Entertainment's animation unit before [[Warner Bros]] took over (''[[Cats Don't Dance]]'' was the other). ''The Pagemaster'' tells the story of a young boy named Richard Tyler (Macaulay Culkin), who is -- to his parents’ annoyance -- timid to the point of neurosis. He is tremendously afraid of heights and generally obsessed with quoting the statistical risks invovled in countless everyday actions, which, of course, explains why he isn't the most popular guy. One day his father runs out of nails while building him a tree house and sends a very reluctant Richard to buy more.


On his way to the hardware store, a storm suddenly breaks out, and Richard seeks shelter in a huge and luxurious but rather sinister library. The only person there is its extremely enthusiastic and slightly creepy librarian, played by Christopher Lloyd, who is disappointed that Richard merely sought shelter from the storm and isn't looking for books, but affably points him towards the public telephone so he can contact his parents. While wandering deeper into the library in search of the phone, Richard enters a magnificent rotunda painted with gigantic scenes from classic novels which surround the image of a blue-robed wizard holding a scroll.
On his way to the hardware store, a storm suddenly breaks out, and Richard seeks shelter in a huge and luxurious but rather sinister library. The only person there is its extremely enthusiastic and slightly creepy librarian, played by Christopher Lloyd, who is disappointed that Richard merely sought shelter from the storm and isn't looking for books, but affably points him towards the public telephone so he can contact his parents. While wandering deeper into the library in search of the phone, Richard enters a magnificent rotunda painted with gigantic scenes from classic novels which surround the image of a blue-robed wizard holding a scroll.


The paint descends on Richard, transforming him and the library into an animated world of illustrations where the mystical wizard, the eponymous Pagemaster (also voiced by Lloyd), tells him that in order to get home, the boy must face three challenges: The lands of Horror, Adventure and Fantasy. He is assisted by three books which personify those genres(colourfully voiced by Frank Welker, [[Patrick Stewart]] and Whoopi Goldberg respectively). Along the way we see references to many classic books such as ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'', along with a goodly heaping of [[Incredibly Lame Pun|Incredibly Lame Puns]], while Richard learns to confront his fears and to lead a life of bravery.
The paint descends on Richard, transforming him and the library into an animated world of illustrations where the mystical wizard, the eponymous Pagemaster (also voiced by Lloyd), tells him that in order to get home, the boy must face three challenges: The lands of Horror, Adventure and Fantasy. He is assisted by three books which personify those genres(colourfully voiced by Frank Welker, [[Patrick Stewart]] and [[Whoopi Goldberg]] respectively). Along the way we see references to many classic books such as ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'', along with a goodly heaping of [[Incredibly Lame Pun|Incredibly Lame Puns]], while Richard learns to confront his fears and to lead a life of bravery.


Beloved childhood classic to many children of [[The Nineties]].
Beloved childhood classic to many children of [[The Nineties]].
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* [[Cowardly Lion]]: Richard himself.
* [[Cowardly Lion]]: Richard himself.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Fantasy, to an extent. It helps that she's voiced by [[Whoopi Goldberg]].
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Fantasy, to an extent. It helps that she's voiced by [[Whoopi Goldberg]].
* [[Drunk On the Dark Side]]: Literally, Dr Jekyll after becoming Mr Hyde.
* [[Drunk on the Dark Side]]: Literally, Dr Jekyll after becoming Mr Hyde.
{{quote| [[Large Ham|My name is... Mr HYYYYYYDE !!!]]}}
{{quote|[[Large Ham|My name is... Mr HYYYYYYDE !!!]]}}
* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: In the beginning of the movie, Richard has one of the most death-defying bike rides ever, encountering heavy rain, harsh winds, exploding street lamps and falling trees. Of course the scene is from his point of view, meaning it all seems terrifying to him. Played straighter when he enters the Library, where everything ''is'' trying to kill him.
* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: In the beginning of the movie, Richard has one of the most death-defying bike rides ever, encountering heavy rain, harsh winds, exploding street lamps and falling trees. Of course the scene is from his point of view, meaning it all seems terrifying to him. Played straighter when he enters the Library, where everything ''is'' trying to kill him.
* [[Evil Laugh]] / [[Laughing Mad]]: Mr Hyde.
* [[Evil Laugh]] / [[Laughing Mad]]: Mr Hyde.
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* [[Large Ham]]: George Hearn as Ahab, which isn't a surprise when one remembers his other roles. He is only on-screen for few minutes, [[One-Scene Wonder|but surely everyone remembers him.]]
* [[Large Ham]]: George Hearn as Ahab, which isn't a surprise when one remembers his other roles. He is only on-screen for few minutes, [[One-Scene Wonder|but surely everyone remembers him.]]
** Considering how OTT Ahab got when even thinking about [[Moby Dick]], this characterization isn't too far off.
** Considering how OTT Ahab got when even thinking about [[Moby Dick]], this characterization isn't too far off.
** Also Mr Hyde at his best. [[Hey, It's That Voice!|This]] [[Leonard Nimoy|is]] [[Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep|Xehanort]] doing his voice after all.
** Also Mr Hyde at his best. [[Hey, It's That Voice!|This]] [[Leonard Nimoy|is]] [[Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep|Xehanort]] doing his voice after all.
* [[The Library of Babel]]
* [[The Library of Babel]]
* [[Medium Blending]]: [[Trapped in Another World|Trapped in an Animated World]]
* [[Medium Blending]]: [[Trapped in Another World|Trapped in an Animated World]]
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* [[Omniscient Morality License]] : The eponymous Pagemaster takes a cowardly child and subjects him to all sorts of deadly situations. To all appearances, there was a real chance that the kid would either die or develop severe mental trauma as a result of this. But instead he learns to be courageous, and the Pagemaster gets off the hook because apparently he's just so darn wise that he knew it would work out like this from the beginning.
* [[Omniscient Morality License]] : The eponymous Pagemaster takes a cowardly child and subjects him to all sorts of deadly situations. To all appearances, there was a real chance that the kid would either die or develop severe mental trauma as a result of this. But instead he learns to be courageous, and the Pagemaster gets off the hook because apparently he's just so darn wise that he knew it would work out like this from the beginning.
* [[Or Was It a Dream?]]
* [[Or Was It a Dream?]]
* [[Ow My Body Part]]: Adventure yells "Ow! Me binding!" after Fantasy smacks him.
* [[Ow, My Body Part]]: Adventure yells "Ow! Me binding!" after Fantasy smacks him.
* [[Pirate]]: Adventure acts like one, and then they meet real ones (Long John Silver's crew).
* [[Pirate]]: Adventure acts like one, and then they meet real ones (Long John Silver's crew).
* [[Portal Book|Portal Books]]
* [[Portal Book|Portal Books]]
* [[Public Domain Character]]: Tons of them.
* [[Public Domain Character]]: Tons of them.
* [[Random Events Plot]]: But seriously, the film is really, really lacking in, shall we say, [[Pun|story structure?]]
* [[Random Events Plot]]: But seriously, the film is really, really lacking in, shall we say, [[A Worldwide Punomenon|story structure?]]
** The Pagemaster said the whole point was for Richard to face his fears.
** The Pagemaster said the whole point was for Richard to face his fears.
* [[Reading Is Cool Aesop]]
* [["Reading Is Cool" Aesop]]
* [[The Renaissance Age of Animation]]
* [[The Renaissance Age of Animation]]
* [[Right Behind Me]]: Adventure starts ranting about how the dragon doesn't pose a single threat to him, just as said dragon is behind him.
* [[Right Behind Me]]: Adventure starts ranting about how the dragon doesn't pose a single threat to him, just as said dragon is behind him.
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* [[Visual Pun]]: Richard and the gang encounter some ghost stories, ''i.e.'', books that are actually intangible and/or haunted.
* [[Visual Pun]]: Richard and the gang encounter some ghost stories, ''i.e.'', books that are actually intangible and/or haunted.
* [[Wrote the Book]]:
* [[Wrote the Book]]:
{{quote| '''Adventure''': I wrote the book on sailing. In fact, I ''am'' the book on sailing.}}
{{quote|'''Adventure''': I wrote the book on sailing. In fact, I ''am'' the book on sailing.}}
* [[X Meets Y]]: [[The Wizard of Oz (Film)|The Wizard of Oz]] meets [[Reading Rainbow]].
* [[X Meets Y]]: [[The Wizard of Oz (film)|The Wizard of Oz]] meets [[Reading Rainbow]].


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]
[[Category:The Pagemaster]]
[[Category:The Pagemaster]]
[[Category:Western Animation of the 1990s]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pagemaster, The}}
[[Category:Western Animation]]
[[Category:Film]]

Latest revision as of 15:01, 24 May 2021

The Pagemaster is a 1994 film that features both Live Action and Animation, one of only two made by Turner Entertainment's animation unit before Warner Bros took over (Cats Don't Dance was the other). The Pagemaster tells the story of a young boy named Richard Tyler (Macaulay Culkin), who is -- to his parents’ annoyance -- timid to the point of neurosis. He is tremendously afraid of heights and generally obsessed with quoting the statistical risks invovled in countless everyday actions, which, of course, explains why he isn't the most popular guy. One day his father runs out of nails while building him a tree house and sends a very reluctant Richard to buy more.

On his way to the hardware store, a storm suddenly breaks out, and Richard seeks shelter in a huge and luxurious but rather sinister library. The only person there is its extremely enthusiastic and slightly creepy librarian, played by Christopher Lloyd, who is disappointed that Richard merely sought shelter from the storm and isn't looking for books, but affably points him towards the public telephone so he can contact his parents. While wandering deeper into the library in search of the phone, Richard enters a magnificent rotunda painted with gigantic scenes from classic novels which surround the image of a blue-robed wizard holding a scroll.

The paint descends on Richard, transforming him and the library into an animated world of illustrations where the mystical wizard, the eponymous Pagemaster (also voiced by Lloyd), tells him that in order to get home, the boy must face three challenges: The lands of Horror, Adventure and Fantasy. He is assisted by three books which personify those genres(colourfully voiced by Frank Welker, Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg respectively). Along the way we see references to many classic books such as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, along with a goodly heaping of Incredibly Lame Puns, while Richard learns to confront his fears and to lead a life of bravery.

Beloved childhood classic to many children of The Nineties.

Tropes used in The Pagemaster include:
  • Actor Allusion: May be unintentional, but Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sound like Spock and Evil Spock respectively.
    • Entirely Intentional/Coincidental, Leonard Nimoy voiced said character
  • Animation Lead Time: There were trailers coming out for this movie FOUR YEARS before it was released!
  • You Fail Logic Forever : "8% of all household accidents involve ladders. Another 3% involve trees. We're looking at 11% probability here". First, he's ignoring some overlap between the 8% and the 3%. Secondly he's assuming that an accident will happen, in which case the probability that it involves ladders is 8%, but that doesn't tell us anything about the chances that this specific ladder-climbing event will lead to an accident. What he needs is a statistic in the form of "X% of the time somebody climbs a ladder, they have an accident" rather than "X% of all accidents involve ladders."
    • Apparently his fear is so great that it actually warps his sense of logic.
    • Of course, it is worth remembering that he's a kid. They presumably don't teach statistics in grade school.
  • Award Bait Song: "Whatever You Imagine", which plays during Fantasy's sequence.
  • Axe Crazy: Mr. Hyde in the horror section, using a cane instead of an axe.
  • Big Bad: The dragon. Sort of. He's more of a Final Boss.
  • Body Horror: Dr Jekyll's (presumably) very Painful Transformation to monstrous Mr. Hyde
  • Character Title
  • Cowardly Lion: Richard himself.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Fantasy, to an extent. It helps that she's voiced by Whoopi Goldberg.
  • Drunk on the Dark Side: Literally, Dr Jekyll after becoming Mr Hyde.

Adventure: I wrote the book on sailing. In fact, I am the book on sailing.