The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway, Gerald McRaney, Tami Stronach, Alan Oppenheimer, Thomas Hill.
Spoilers herein.
"The NeverEnding Story" is a pleasing and often exciting children's story that is especially good for kids. I first watched it when I was about seven, it instantly became one of my favorite films. Of course, now that I've grown up I've found interest in much better movies, but I still consider "The NeverEnding Story" to be a very strong film, and I prefer it to the vastly overpraised "Lord of the Rings" or "The Princess Bride" any day. I can hardly believe it's been over twenty years since it released!
Bastian is a young boy who is picked on and misunderstood for having a wild and visual imagination. While hiding from school bullies in a library, he comes across a book called The NeverEnding Story that the bookstore owner warns him about. Bastian ignores the warning and borrows the book. He decides to skip school to read it, so he hides in the attic. Bastian tunes into the story taking place in Fantasia, a fantasy land that is being consumed by a "nothing", wiping out anything that it passes. The Childlike Empress, "queen" of Fantasia, is becoming sick and a warrior named Atreyu is on a quest to find what has caused the "nothing" and what he can do to stop it.
What makes "The NeverEnding Story" succeed is the likable characters (aside of the villains) that you can always care for and root for. Bastian's character has the imagination and heart of a hero, but in reality he cannot face his fears, whereas Atreyu is the opposite in the story. Kids will enjoy the twists of the book as Fantasia falls apart more and more as time goes on.
Wolfgang Petersen's direction is very good for this material where he adds in good humor and dark suspense, even for a children's movie. Oliver plays his part well about the cowardly side of the story, while Hathaway does good playing the character that Bastian would like to become. While I dislike most of his other work, Giorgio Moroder actually does quite well with the musical score. The special effects are obviously dated when compared to films like "Terminator 2" or "Lord of the Rings", but for an 80's film it is still enjoyable.
This film spawned two terrible sequels that almost ruin the original's message about courage and standing up for what you believe. Overall, "The NeverEnding Story" has been dated in many ways and almost forgotten by now, since most children have started watching films like "Toy Story" or "Finding Nemo" now, but this movie is still one that I won't forget from my childhood and it's actually one of the only fantasy films that I actually enjoy. 4 stars out of 5.
Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway, Gerald McRaney, Tami Stronach, Alan Oppenheimer, Thomas Hill.
Spoilers herein.
"The NeverEnding Story" is a pleasing and often exciting children's story that is especially good for kids. I first watched it when I was about seven, it instantly became one of my favorite films. Of course, now that I've grown up I've found interest in much better movies, but I still consider "The NeverEnding Story" to be a very strong film, and I prefer it to the vastly overpraised "Lord of the Rings" or "The Princess Bride" any day. I can hardly believe it's been over twenty years since it released!
Bastian is a young boy who is picked on and misunderstood for having a wild and visual imagination. While hiding from school bullies in a library, he comes across a book called The NeverEnding Story that the bookstore owner warns him about. Bastian ignores the warning and borrows the book. He decides to skip school to read it, so he hides in the attic. Bastian tunes into the story taking place in Fantasia, a fantasy land that is being consumed by a "nothing", wiping out anything that it passes. The Childlike Empress, "queen" of Fantasia, is becoming sick and a warrior named Atreyu is on a quest to find what has caused the "nothing" and what he can do to stop it.
What makes "The NeverEnding Story" succeed is the likable characters (aside of the villains) that you can always care for and root for. Bastian's character has the imagination and heart of a hero, but in reality he cannot face his fears, whereas Atreyu is the opposite in the story. Kids will enjoy the twists of the book as Fantasia falls apart more and more as time goes on.
Wolfgang Petersen's direction is very good for this material where he adds in good humor and dark suspense, even for a children's movie. Oliver plays his part well about the cowardly side of the story, while Hathaway does good playing the character that Bastian would like to become. While I dislike most of his other work, Giorgio Moroder actually does quite well with the musical score. The special effects are obviously dated when compared to films like "Terminator 2" or "Lord of the Rings", but for an 80's film it is still enjoyable.
This film spawned two terrible sequels that almost ruin the original's message about courage and standing up for what you believe. Overall, "The NeverEnding Story" has been dated in many ways and almost forgotten by now, since most children have started watching films like "Toy Story" or "Finding Nemo" now, but this movie is still one that I won't forget from my childhood and it's actually one of the only fantasy films that I actually enjoy. 4 stars out of 5.