The Pagemaster (1994) FOR THE FIRST TIME!! || Movie Reaction!! 

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the reaction! See you next for Wallace and Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit and a surprise movie!!

Never lose your innocence Nick. It's a special gift you have.

As the bookworm kid growing up, this movie was practically a gift. Thanks for reacting to this underrated gem.

Ahhh, The Pagemaster!! Every bookworm's childhood gateway to bibliophilia!

I loved pagemaster as a kid because it promoted the idea of books being able to transport you to another place. And I like that they incorporated classic stories like dr. Jekyl/mr. hyde, moby dick, king arthur and treasure island into his the 3 tasks he had to do to get out but also learned to grow as a person at the same time

I have not seen this movie in a long time! I remember seeing this on the FOX network 25 years ago then HBO in 1998 or 1999. The live action segments were directed by Joe Johnston, the filmmaker who brought us Captain America, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, The Rocketeer, October Sky, The Wolfman 2010, and JURASSIC PARK 3. The music was composed by the late James Horner,making it his third and final collaboration with Johnston.

Fun fact: Dr. Jekyll was voiced by Leonard Nemoy (Spock from Star Trek and Master Xehanort from Kingdom Hearts games)

Can't wait for Wallace and Gromit. Such fun characters, and wacky situations. To be fair a lot of the jokes i didn't understand until I grew older, but the cheery style, the lovable characters, and the silly scenarios they get themselves into is amazing. And it's treated with care by the filmmakers too. You could tell they loved making all those movies and shorts. And the guest voice cast they get are always so enthusiastically energetic in their guest roles, it's treated with such love and respect.

This was a favorite of mine growing up, so I'm thrilled you're checking this out! I'm pretty sure I wore out my VHS copy from watching it so much, partly due to James Horner's incredible score. He's one of my favorite composers!

Wow, if there was ever a surprise movie, this is it. I almost forgot about it. I could never own it for a reason, but I rented it... a lot. This movie didn't have great reviews, and yes, could've done a bit better, but nobody can deny how creative it truly was. The animation is gorgeous and the cast is superb. Mesmerizing soundtrack too 😍

Nick, I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you chose this film: it's been one of my most favorite children's films for two decades now and I wish more people could experience it. Hopefully your reaction will help with that. I'm so happy you enjoyed it. 😃

This was a childhood favorite. For me, personally, the scariest part as a kid was Mr. Hyde. I remember our entire class freaking out over Mr. Hyde. Yes, you were correct with the "sanctuary" part. Horror's design is done after Quasimodo. The entire movie was outright references to classic books. Jekyll and Hyde. The Hound of the Baskervilles. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Treasure Island. Moby Dick. Gulliver's Travels....just to name a few. I love this, because it was only as I got older I read these stories and, in turn, loved this movie even more. Horror was my favorite character too! I had a plushie of him!

This movie holds a very special place in my heart. I was always a very fantasy oriented kid that read a lot and had a very, very active imagination. When I was younger, I thought it was just something I'd grow out of, that had no actual place in the real world. But every time I watch this movie, I'm reminded again how important stories are, and it's actually one of the reasons I've found myself enrolled in university to earn myself a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, so I can become a story-teller that reminds others like my younger self that fostering your imagination is just as important as any other skill in life. So thank you for reacting to this one, definitely a childhood favourite of mine 😊

Oh man. Another childhood classic that I totally forgot about.

5:54 In hindsight as an adult, I love that the librarian actually did guess Richard's tastes before Richard even developed them; he guessed fantasy first, and the fantasy section ended up being the one Richard enjoyed the most in his journey (that is to say, enjoyed in general). The librarian's talent is true and accurate. :)

Ooh, The Pagemaster! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen this childhood film of mine. To find someone that has posted a reaction to it makes me glad because last time I checked there hasn’t been one that I’ve seen. This film in my opinion is underrated and should be watched by many others. I appreciate that you’ve checked this film out, Nick!

You’re reacting to one of my favorite childhood cartoon movies… I honestly thought it was always underrated

This movie was my absolute favorite growing up. Used to watch it on repeat when I was 7 years old. I’m now 27… It’s been so long since I watched it last… This was so nostalgic, kind of like watching it all over again for the first time with you. Thank you so much, for reminding me how to be brave - like Horror, confident - like Adventure, and kind - like Fantasy. I needed this movie reaction!

Yay, the Pagemaster!! This brings back such fond childhood memories! They really don’t make movies like they used to. Those were truly the days. So happy you liked it! 😄😄😄

Fun fact: Wendy Moten who sings Whatever You Imagine was an R&B singer back in the day who never became syndicated, but found more recognition recently on The Voice. I believe she was on Team Kelly.

Yes! This is one of the greatest movies from the 90s ever!! Glad you watched it 😁😁

I like how Macaulay’s rosy lips stand out as a cartoon

Well this just unlocked a childhood memory... I haven't thought about this film in years!

Glad to see the classics still beloved, back when they showcased talent in artwork and music, telling a story without sacrificing the darker tension for the uplifting wholesomeness. And it's an understated joy being able to vicariously live through fictional worlds as you turn the pages.

I will never cease to be baffled by you, Nick. You got so invested in this movie which I find incredibly boring, but some really great films you haven’t gravitated toward at all. Not that we have to have the same taste in films, far from it. I just always find myself surprised (which is good, though, I want to see different reactions.)

Joe Johnston later disowned the film, saying that he was not satisfied with the way it was edited without his permission. He soon crossed it off his resume.

I'm glad you commented on how inventive this movie is, Nick; it truly is! Although I watched it a lot when it came out (I was 5), I haven't watched it since then. Fun reaction!

Can I just say thank you Nick for doing my favorite childhood movie

This was a favorite of mine growing up. I watched this movie soooo many times......like at least 60. But haven't seen it in 20+ years and it still holds up. The animation is great and the story is so positive ....hey read books! But the don't force it down your throat. Its more like "hey these are the wonderful lands of books that you can get lost in" and for a movie to tell kids to read!? Is so incredible. All of the moments are from classic books, like Dr. Jeckyll Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, Moby Dick Frankenstein....its staggering how ingenious this movie is. Best movie? Hell know. But for a movie of around this time period its soo good and very underrated. This teaches kids to go to the library and read a damn book. And its so weird that a movie tells kids to read. I love it. One of my staples of my childhood and am glad you liked it just as much as I did....and still do.

When the movie came out, it was a 90-minute plug for the producers' toy/book/videogame merchandising campaign, to promote the "joys of reading" to kids and parents-- But, as Siskel & Ebert panned, our hero's book-exploration adventures seem to consist of being chased by dragons, chased by pirates, and chased by Frankenstein..."THIS is a 'love of reading'?? 🤨" 😅

I love this movie. Thanks to this movie and the series Wishbone I have an undying love for classic literature. Thank you so much for reacting to this movie. Share it with your fellow reactors, suggest it to them, let’s get this movie out there. It’s so underrated.

This is one of the few movies my brother and I could agree on watching growing up; I've always loved reading, so this movie was one of my absolute favorites as a kid, even as the horror sequence scared the crap out of me. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much!

Something else I wanted to add about what this movie does right, is the colors. What I mean is the backgrounds, the way they know how to instantly set a mood. The horror section was a mix and blue and green with deep shadows like when Jekyll transformed into Hyde. Adventure scenes had red, black, and yellow, my favorite part was when Captain Ahab spots Moby Dick, the background changes to red, and he becomes a dark obsessed being of revenge. Then fantasy had orange, a lot of orange, still making you feel not quite calm, but it's still a color that seems familiar, and a hint you must be closer to home. Sure enough that's the final test and Richard was ready to go home.

I love this movie! This was my childhood and I love “Whatever you imagine” song. Omg that song it hits me in my heart for my childhood.

As a bookworm and a fantasy lover and someone who loves it, if there is cartoon in real movies, this movie is awesome! Thanks for showing this to me

the animation in this is stunning, insane to think it was made largely just as a promotion also i forgot how christopher lloyd just put his whole chest into this, man that guy must be amazing in on stage performances

The pagemaster was one of my favourite movies when I was little

Even though many people hated this movie over the years, this movie was the reason why I became an artist and kept creatin' art. The animation as well as James Horner's gorgeous music were jawdroppin' to me as a kid and the actors did a very great job. The story could've been better, but it ended on a good note much better than what ye see in most movies nowadays. It's nice to see somebody reactin' & enjoyin' this movie as much as I did. Even though I'm dyslexic and struggle to read books to this day, the movie really got me more motivated and introduced me to classics like The Hound of Baskervilles, Jolly Roger, Moby Dick, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Nevermore as well as the game Dungeons & Dragons. Thank ye for this reaction, it was very enjoyable watchin' yer reaction while also gettin' watery eyes seein' this film after so long. Happy Holidays, matey! 🏴‍☠

28:47 This part is a reference to Gulliver’s Travels. Speaking of which, you should watch the 1939 film of the same name. It was the second feature-length animated film made in the USA (two years after Disney’s Snow White) and it was made by the Fleischer Brother, who also created Betty Boop and Popeye!

I haven't seen this movie since I was a kid, but I LOVED this when I was like 7 or 8. This is so nostalgic.

When he reaches the exit I’m always in tears because it’s such a powerful ending

I used to love this movie. I see more flaws in it now that I'm older, but it still has one of the best dragon designs I've ever seen and very much inspired some of my own work.

Amazing Nick I can't wait to see you react to Wallace and gromit the curse of the were-rabbit I hope the surprise movie will be the live action Flintstones movie starring John Goodman.

Ahhhh this is childhood. I remember my first time watching was in my 3rd grade classroom. They wanted us to show how books were great, so they showed this movie to us. I can’t remember the last time I watched this, and I haven’t seen this in forever. Was excited when I saw this pop up.

The scene where Moby Dick came up from under the boat terrified me as a kid

I always loved this movie as a kid primarily because I'm an absolute bibliophile. I was a pretty bullied kid, and books were my escape into other worlds where I could have grand adventures. My love of reading persists to this day, and I appreciate how much this film (which is itself based on a book) understands the way I feel about books, libraries, and literature. :) (The SNES game was also REALLY hard to play!)

A cool thing is the film references actual books, Hounds of Baskerville, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Moby Dick, Treasure Island, Gulliver's Travels, Jack and the Beanstalk, and even small nods to books like Alice in Wonderland, Hunchback of Notre-Dame, The Raven, The Wizard of Oz, and Arabian Knights. Its actually very creative.

Wow the nostalgia, this one is a classic. The ost that plays in the beginning aways gave me chills because of the orchestration

Duuude, I totally forgot this movie existed! I’m so glad you reacted cause now I have so much nostalgia 😅

Amazing movie I grew up with this movie when I was young. So, I remember it well. Good film to react too.

im so grateful my grateful my grandparents back in the day showed me lots movies like this may they forever be at peace

This movie is not for everyone, but I feel it's best that more people watch this. It's just a great piece of 90's charm. Even though a lot of it is dated, I don't care. This movie brings me back to my childhood. I first saw it in I think 2000 or 2001. It has stuck with me ever since. And the fact that I learned years later that I recognize the entire cast from other things, just cemented it in my memory. And the song is so good. Objectively nothing about it is out of the ordinary, but within the context of this movie, it just helps drive home that feeling of awe-inspiring wonder, and it does sound very beautiful. Yea it can be cheesy sometimes, but you could tell a lot of love was put into the making of this film. It took itself very seriously, and really went all out. It just makes you feel good when watching it. I'm definitely gonna rewatch it again after this reaction video. This brought me back. Made me feel like a kid again.

I loved this movie as a child!!

I was SO not expecting this!! We had this on tape as a kid and we watched it hundreds of times, didnt catch all the literary references before but I loved it! (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde always terrified me as a kid XP)

We were shown this movie in 3rd grade, and I've really enjoyed it ever since. My taste in books has veered from fantasy to horror, so it's pretty fun to see how creepy the ambiance is for the horror section. Reminds me of the most recent horror I've read--also taking place in a manor of horrors.

YES I BEEN WANTING U TO REACT TO THIS MOVIE FOR SO LONG! I knew it would resonate!

This is one of my absolute FAVORITE movies from childhood! Thank you for the nostalgia and an awesome reaction!

For Nick, some of the books referenced: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Where a crew tries to find a Narwhal destroying ships, it turns out that the ship is actually a submarine and the group is taken prisoner aboard.(the squid scene is towards the end of the book.) Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes story, Sherlock tries to find if a story of a glowing dog that hunts a specific bloodline is true. Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde: A kindly doctor tries to separate his good and evil sides and ends up unleashing a second personality, Mr.Hyde. Jekyll begins to indulge heavily into his drug, as he enjoys the freedom of being Hyde gives, but starts to change into Mr.Hyde without it. Moby Dick: A sailor joins a crew captained by Ahab, whose mad quest is to hunt down the white whale Moby Dick and kill him after the whale ate his leg. Treasure Island: Treasure Planet WAS a retelling of the story, but of course Adventure would know there wasn't any treasure worth going after. While it might just be a generic dragon, the dragon Richard fights could also be the beast from "the Fairie Queen"(same as the knight.)

This is such a forgotten movie. As a cartoon fan/wannabe animator kid, seeing Culkin animated was such a treat. And while the story isn't like super outstanding, it's still servicable! It's good enough writing to stand up to today's movie standards, for sure.

This was one of my early cinema experiences at 10 years old and I loved it. Surprising how dark it was back in the day- proper movies back then! 😁

Omg the pagemaster, I'm so happy to see someone review it and then Nick too. Edit: absolutely love the reaction. Love how you liked the movie as special as it is. And gosh, I forgot how beautiful the animation is

i forgot how amazing this movie is.

Fun fact: the book of Horror is scared of everything, because he has a backstory where his father is an encyclopedia, but his mother was a paperback, and he always felt he's been mis-shelved, and wants to be in a section of happy endings. But that part was cut for time.

Happy that you liked The Pagemaster, it's one of my favourite films. 👍

When I was a child I loved this film, I always liked the intertwining of reality and cartoon. In my opinion it has always been underestimated ... it will not be who knows what story but it is much better than others!

12:17 "The Secret Garden" is behind him, and I think the book spine of one of the books says, "Outta Here." 12:40 It's funny that one of the books behind Fantasy is "Cinderella" because the voice of Fantasy (Whoopi Goldberg) was Queen Constantina in Brandy "Cinderella." 17:40 All those are real horror books: "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," "Frankenstein," "The Shining," "The Haunting," "The Other," "Black Cat," "The Exorcist," Macaulay Culkin is so cute as an animated character! 35:58 I imagine the first book he said, "Mm-mh" to was "The Wizard of Oz" and the second one he tossed aside was "Peter Pan."

Oh my gosh! I forgot about this movie!! It was one of my absolute favorites as a kid!!! This is so cool! Thanks dude for this reaction, it really brings me back :D

Little more than 20 years ago I was a huge fan of this book and when the movie came out the author actually came into my school and did a reading of it.

22:13 you know, Nick this film shows four classic works of literature such as the two books by Robert Lewis Stevenson Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde” perspectively, Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Saint George and The Dragon. This movie could encourage kids to read books.

32:16 - This came out right after Aladdin came out, so carpets were a thing everyone did that year in some form or another. I'm sure this is why it was included as an easter egg to Aladdin's popularity.

Me and my brother loved this one when we were kids and I even used to make up bedtime stories about the characters of this movie and tell them to my brother! ♡

I now just realized the main character is played by the guy who played Kevin in Home Alone. This movie is a mix between animation and live action.

I’m so happy you reacted to this. It’s one of my favourite movies!

YAY! I thought everyone just like totally gorgot about this gem of a movie lol You do such a good job of reacting to lesser-known films from my childhood that not everyone does. There is 1 amazingly nostalgic song in it, I hope you like it 💜

It’s been probably almost 20 yrs since I’ve seen this film lol. I should watch it again.

Oh dang, this movie was my childhood. Man, I haven't thought about this movie in forever.

"I thought he would take baby steps and work his way up to that." Dude, he just faced a dragon with nothing but a sword. A small ramp is nothing compared to that. :b

26:50 - We finally learn the motivation of why this adventure matters to him.

7:55 when I was a kid, this whole scene of him running away from a wave of paint was scary for some reason.

Not a day goes by when I stop to look at this childhood film of mine. Compared to other non-Disney films like Ferngully and Land Before Time, The Pagemaster is without a doubt a movie I enjoyed. Was a fan of Macaulay Culkin since his Home Alone heyday, so seeing him in other movies is what I used to follow back then. All the way up to his last film as a kid actor, Richie Rich.

I'd like to think this was my 1st "acid dream" because I didn't know if I was really watching a movie or I was imagining the whole thing when I was little. The doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scene terrified me!

I remember watching this movie on 📼 when, I was a kid.

Thank you for giving this film a chance. It may not be the greatest film ever, not even close, but no other animation of its time had so much heart and devotion poured into it. The Making Of The Pagemaster especially makes this clear.

Not gonna lie, I wanted that bike at the beginning, lights, noises and all.

To me it doesn't matter where you are, it's just great to see you!

23:56 - I mean, it wouldn't be a cartoon without the endless capacity dimensional pocket trope for a cartoon :D.

Oh snaps, I remember this movie when I was a kid. This is a huge classic!

Movie Recommendations: Spontaneous The Lovely Bones (I'm warning you now, there's a lot of heavy subject matter in this one, don't watch it unless you're in the right emotional mindset beforehand.) Collateral Beauty Stranger Than Fiction Fried Green Tomatoes Ten Inch Hero Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Last Night in Soho Midnight in Paris Silver Linings Playbook Tick Tick Boom Bridge to Terabithia Not Okay Just My Luck Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead 13 Going on 30 Down With Love What if? (Also called the F Word in other countries) Midnight Sun Penelope Field of Dreams Remember Me Mother! (Another warning: while this isn't particularly heavy in subject matter, it is very disturbing in some scenes. Make sure you have a strong stomach before attempting to watch this one.) Cats Don't Dance Little Black Book The Words Space Chimps Uptown Girls The Fallout Big Fish Marriage Story Thomas Kinkade's The Christmas Cottage Alex Strangelove Listen to Your Heart Mr. Peabody and Sherman Mitchells vs the Machines Steel Magnolias (the ORIGINAL) Secret Life of Walter Mitty Klaus Don't Look Up Zootopia Passengers Hope Floats Jojo Rabbit Sleeping With the Enemy Enough (starring J.Lo) The Electrical Life of Louis Wain The Imitation Game TV Recommendations: Green Eggs and Ham Regular Show Only Murders in the Building Schitts Creek Looking for Alaska The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel My Roommate is a Cat Merlin Good Omens The Good Place

This was my childhood man holy crap... I still sleep on the fact that this movie exists

29:04 - Gulliver's Travels lol. I love it.

Thanks you so much for reacting to this bro I'm still trying to get others to react to it 👍👍👍👍👍💰💰💰💰😊😊😊

So glad you enjoyed it! I love this movie so much and no one ever knows it!!

Man, it’s been ages since I’ve seen this but I used to LOVE this movie as a kid!

This was so nostalgic for me!! Haven’t seen this since I was about 8. Thank you for the great reaction Nick :)

Yallll another 90s animated classic you need to check out one day is Cats Don’t Dance! It’s so good and no one knows it exists -.-

I’ve never seen this movie but I heard a lot of good things about this. Also, I’m excited for you checking out Wallace and gromit soon because itstotallycody really liked the film.

I love this song whatever you imagine, I love that song

Great reaction to an underrated classic

oh damn you actually watched this gem, good for you :D this was a very nice part of my childhood :) its truly wonderful and full of imagination, perfect for children and also enjoyable for more mature audiences :)

AAAAAHH I LOVED THIS MOVIE AS A CHILD!! I'm so excited to watch this one!