The NeverEnding Story

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Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating, Unforgettable 80's Fantasy! [Posted on 2008-03-13]
Bastian is a young boy of higher than average intelligence and imagination struggling to deal with bullies and the recent death of his mother. The hardships that have befallen his life, along with the hard instruction of an out-of-touch father, have taken their toll on Bastian's ability to fantasize and dream, convincing him that he must grow up and keep his feet on the ground. Luckily for him, while taking refuge in an old bookshop one day on his way to school, Bastian is introduced to "The NeverEnding Story". This mysterious book takes his imagination on a daring quest with a young warrior named Atreyu to save a child-like empress and the entire land of Fantasia from the mysterious and terrible Nothing that is sweeping across the land and destroying everything it touches.

If any movies from the now much celebrated 1980's can truly be called classics, "The NeverEnding Story" is without a doubt one of the most worthy. It was a time when fantasy films for young people were insanely popular, all with dazzling pre-CGI effects and eerie, otherworldly music, and this film is the finest example. Based on a famous German book (it's said that the author was not pleased with the film version), "The NeverEnding Story" is an exciting and magical tale about the restoration of a boy's imagination against great odds. The land and creatures of Fantasia, while sometimes rather ugly, are brilliantly brought to life, the cast is excellent, and every young boy growing up in the '80's was totally in love with beautiful Tami Stronach as the empress (now a lovely and accomplished dancer). We all also wanted a luck dragon of our own!

The Warner Bros. DVD release could use an update, as all the extras are in the form of text information (little tidbits about the characters and effects), but at least the film is presented in widescreen (on the flip side) and a trailer is included as well. There were two sequels made to "The NeverEnding Story", plus a cartoon series and something called "Tales from the NeverEnding Story," which I believe was a live-action TV series. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of that stuff, so I can't recommend or discourage seeking it out. However, you can't go wrong with the enchanting original!

Pleasurable fantasy movie [Posted on 2008-05-22]
Only a died in the wool grump could possibly dislike this engaging fantasy movie ,based on Michael Ende's novel of the same name .It is imaginative and thoughtful.It revolves around a young boy named Baslian -played by Barret Oliver-who lives with his Dad (Gerald Mcraney)who gets on his case for Basilan's constant daydreaming .He is bullied at school and desperately misses his mother who has recently died .One day he cuts school and wanders into a mysterious bookshop where he picks up a book entitled The Neverending Story and as he begins to read the book the events in the story come to life.
The key figure in the tale is a child like Princess (Tami Stronach).She is ill and fears that if she dies her land ,the land known as Fantasia , will be taken over and its essence destroyed .She sends a young warrior Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) to find a cure for her lingering illness.What menaces Hantasia is a plague of "nothing".The people of the land are losing hope and forgetting their apirations and Fantasia is dying as a result.Atreyu's journeyings bring him into contact with all manner of weird and wonderful creatures ,and gradually Basilian becomes sucked into and becomes part of the story himself.
The tale with its state of the art for its era)animation ,puppetry and prostetics owes a great deal to Alice in Wonderland and ,in some sequences to the science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. with traces of The Wizard of Oz and The Dark Crystal .The special effects team of Brian Johnson (Alien )and Bruce Nicholson (The Empire Strikes Back)create menacing swamps and spooky wooods on a Bavarian sound stage which arte easily the equal of Industrial Light and Magic and are a vital part of a movie which is excellent for children but which also has a vital message for adults .Yes -this is a message movie folks .The warning is clear among the fantasy and charm-it warns of a generation that has turned its back on imagination in favour of media in which everything is laid out on a plate for the audience .It si apen of praise to then power and importance of the imagination .Our imaginations are under threat -amd if that does not worry you ,it sure as Gehenna should!

The message here is a tad simplistic but overall it is a bold ,and daring movie with something to say

It remains ,still,among the best movies of its era

Simply at the top of fantasy cinema. [Posted on 2008-05-27]
This film effected me in a way that no other ever did as a child. When I saw it recently for the first time as an adult, I now appreciate the film now more than I did before. A fantasy that speaks to human nature and the thoughts of child and man alike. May I also add that the special effects here were at times beautiful and blow a lot of the modern fake looking computer graphics out of the water. Film makers should think about looking back into expensive animatronics and stop motion. It is better in my opinion.

Charming [Posted on 2008-06-10]
This movie is charming. It has fantasy elements, real life childhood struggles and a real personable touch. If you are an avid reader you will relate to the lead character in this film. While I did not experience the bullying the lead character did as a child I definately related to his love of books and the escapism they represent. It's a thrill that this movie really puts you back in touch with, in only the way a child can experience. That is probably my favorite part of this film. Books were exciting worlds as a child, complete mysteries to be revealed; this movie captures that and brings it to life in a fantastic way. I thought it was clever and charming and very entertaining, fun for all. I still enjoy this film all these years later.

"Nothing" less than extraordinary. [Posted on 2008-06-15]
Watching any of the Lord of the Ring movies before viewing this film first should be against the law. "The Neverending Story" was one of the first titles I added to my DVD collection, and one of the first films I remember enjoying as a child. "The Neverending Story" incorporates all of the elements of the classic imaginary tales that came before it, like the wonderful "Wizard of Oz," with it's memorable characters who embody objects and animals from our everyday lives (my favorite was the "rock biter"), and it sets the standard for the blockbuster tales what would come after it, like the Lord of the Rings and Harry Poter movies, with it's tale of a young hero set out to achieve a great task and save the world. It would be unfair to compare the graphics and special effects of "The Neverending Story" with that of "The Lord of the Rings," but what this film does a better job of in my opinion, is tie the book in with the movie. The actual story might not be exact, but the way Sebastian was included directly into the film as the reader of the story being told is something a director might not be able to get away with in today's movie market. This is a must see for young viewers as it is for the most part kid-friendly.

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