The Pagemaster

Young Richard (Culkin) is a little boy frightened of everything, having calculated the possibility of having an accident for just about every childish activity you can think of. One day a storm breaks and he ends up seeking shelter in a strange library, and a bump to his head takes him into an animated world of books. The Pagemaster (Lloyd) can help him to escape, but first he has to experience adventures in literature in which he meets such characters as Long John Silver and Dr Jekyll.
A mixture of live action and animation, this scores points for being a movie that encourages kids to pick up a book once in a while. It’s packed with recognisable voices as Richard goes on his literary journey, from Patrick Stewart (as Adventure) to Whoopi Goldberg (Fantasy) and Leonard Nimoy (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde). But it’s also a bit dreary, thanks to some uninspired, dull animation, so while there’s a good message (books are fun!), many viewers may not stay awake long enough to notice it.