There are few working relationships more fruitful than the one between movies and books. The two frequently draw inspiration from each other. The book usually ends up better, but the movie makes more money. And in 1994, the latest book image enhancement project came in the form of The Pagemaster. In his final year before his extended acting hiatus, Macaulay Culkin starred as a peerlessly wimpy boy who takes refuge from a storm in a musty library. There, he meets Christopher Lloyd, playing a (what else?) eccentric who entices him into the world of books. Subsequently, Culkin is sucked into an animated world inspired by works like Treasure Island. Yeah, it's no surprise that by the end he'll learn strength, courage, and make a few new friends along the way, in a movie Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central calls "a nice starting point for an important conversation with your child about why so many cartoons think children are stupid."

Fine, so it has a 20 percent Tomatometer. And its title sounds like a Microsoft Word plug-in. But the movie has a goofy, square charm to it and there's fun to be had with The Pagemaster as long as you're not comparing it to book-centric masterpieces like The Princess Bride (95 percent) or The NeverEnding Story (82 percent).

Rescued by pirates.

Then there are fantasy films that are both critical and box office successes. Films like Spirited Away (97 percent), Pan's Labyrinth (96 percent), or even The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (89 percent) that have people retreating or falling into extraordinary worlds. Their popularity is hardly accidental: escapism is virtually the foundation upon which movies are built. They get us out of the house and into darkened rooms for hours and hours.