The NeverEnding Story (1984)

The message behind this film and the original book have inspired so many people including Steven Spielberg who, so I've read, as a prop AURYN in his office, there to remind him to never stop dreaming because when you stop dreaming, you start dying.

The effects, especially on the DVD, look amazing, better than most of the CGI crap we're force-fed nowadays.

If you love the movie, go buy the book. It's a million times better, if you can believe it, and certainly better than the crap sequels and cartoons and stuff that have come since.

Fmovies: The boy Bastian (Barret Oliver) misses his mother, who has died, and is bullied at school by three bullies. One day, he is running away from the three boys and hides in a bookstore, where the owner shows him a book that he has never read called "The Neverending Story".

Bastian does not resist and shoplifts the book, leaving a note telling that he will return the book after he reads it. He goes to the school attic and anxiously reads the book that tells the story of the magic kingdom of Fantasia that is doomed to destruction, unless the boy Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) can save it. But he needs the help of an Earthling boy to avoid that The Nothing destroys his world.

The first times that I saw "Die Unendliche Geschichte", a.k.a. "The Neverending Story", I was younger and younger and I simply loved it. Twenty-eight years later, I have just bought the Blu-Ray and after watching it again, I liked but less that I remember.

The state of art especial effects in 1984 is now dated and the acting is only reasonable. But the story of the coming of age by force of a boy that sees his innocence lost due to the death of his mother and bullying at school has a beautiful message in the end and is still worthwhile watching it. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A História Sem Fim" ("The Neverending Story")

The Neverending Story, or "Unendliche Geschichte, Die" as it's called in Germany, was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and is a tale about a young boy named Bastian, who is a boy with a large imagination, who stops in an old bookstore after being chased into it by bullies, when he finds a mysterious book called "The Neverending Story".

As young Bastian takes the book and begins reading it, the movie goes from what I thought to be a stuffy fantasy film, to actually be a magical, clever and emotional adventure. In an age where CGI rules nearly every movie, and pop culture references are to be scattered within every scene in order to create a bit of a norm with the audience, this film does the exact opposite, by creating no silly dialog based off of some other film, or referencing some famous TV show or popular song, this is what fantasy should be today, but sadly, is falling apart with every new "Shrek" and "Hoodwinked" out on the market.

The scenes that give off the most powerful emotional responses to me are the ones when the world tends to look chaotic, destroyed and nearly moments away from their destruction. The creatures in the film, such as the Rock Biter and Falkor are the greatest examples of why making creatures for movies with good old fashioned foam rubber and some animatronics instead of CGI really go a long way. The magic Atreyu experiences with his interaction with these two creatures is a lot better than watching the child actor trying to imagine the creature in front of him. Working with CG, people's eyes wander because they cannot see the creature, with the characters in this movie acting with puppets, there's more response and emotion than trying to act with something that's not there.

The last few minutes are the most emotional to me. The Princess is simply a cute little girl who knows what the problem is, but it's a bit different than just saying it.

Yes, the acting on Bastian's part is a bit bad, and the ending is a bit weak, and the editing is pretty poor, compared to other movies, but you know what? I loved this movie. I didn't know what was going to happen next. I had tears in my eyes during the swamp of despair, I got emotional when the princess yelled for Bastion and I had little tears for the ending theme.

People probably look at this movie as outdated, I think it's fresher than anything out to date. From the beginning song by Limahl (Check for Kajagoogoo from the 80's) to the ending with Bastion yelling "Yeah!", it's an absolute treat.

Give Shrek a break, grab this movie instead.

The NeverEnding Story fmovies. I think most people that have seen this will agree that this is one of the best fantasy films ever made! I think I may have to agree with them!

This film has a special place in my heart, cause I grew up with this film. I've probably seen this film more times than any other movie (although, it may be too close to call with "Labyrinth", "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Dark Crystal" in the running)! Isn't it funny how when you were young you could watch the same movie over and over and over and over and never get sick of it...not that a whole lot has changed since then, but it cracks me up how well I remember this film ever time I see it. I remember just about ever line, every scene, every nuance, every single little miniscule detail about this movie! Ok...I'm sounding a bit obsessed aren't I.

Well, what I'm trying to say here is that this is a great film and with an excellent story. The acting, directing, special effects, and everything else is just excellent in this film! Wolfgang Petersen really out-did himself with this film! I would definitely recommend this film to anyone that likes fantasy films...what am I saying, I would (and do) recommend this film to EVERYONE! What are you reading this review for? Go see this movie!!! Thanks for reading,

-Chris

‘Turn around, tell me what you seeeee', flying through the clouds as the titles roll. It is on every Christmas, I own it and I simply love it. The Neverending Story is one of the least offensive and nicest family films out there. It has numerous sequels, but it is the first one directed by Wolfgang Peterson that is the best of the three.

Bastian, a young boy lives in a dream world, his father wants him to grow up his school would like him to get his head out of the clouds and is tormented by bullies. On his way into school while trying get away from the bullies he runs into an old book shop. While hiding inside the owner shows him ‘The Neverending Story' a huge volume decorated with the Orin the symbol of the child like emprise of the Land Fantasia. When the owner isn't look Bastian takes the book.

This is a beautiful film; it enthralled me as a child and still does as an adult. I have watched over and over again, never tiring of it and always enjoying it. If you have young children or are an old child it doesn't matter this is pure a adventure fantasy for all ages, with colourful characters.

This film was a favorite of mine as a kid, but even back then I recognized that the book by Michael Ende was superior. Overall, it's a wonderful children's film marred by an inconsistent tone and an unsatisfying ending.

No fantasy film I've seen has tapped more successfully into the kinds of philosophical thoughts that kids have. Think of Rockbiter's speech describing the Nothing: "A hole would be something. Nah, this was nothing. And it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger...." This is the type of film that greatly appeals to introspective kids who think about things like infinity and the end of the universe. Do children really think about such things? I did. People who find that surprising have forgotten how profound children can sometimes be.

The whole of Fantasia, indeed, seems to be built out of children's dreams and fears. Some of it is about exhilaration, as when Atreyu rides Falkor. Others reflect anxiety, as in Atreyu's trek through the Swamps of Sadness. What appealed to me most as a kid was how an imaginative but passive child, sort of a young Walter Mitty, opens up a book in which an older, braver version of himself goes on adventures. But "Neverending Story" isn't so much escapism as it is about escapism. It's essentially a fable about the destruction of a child's fantasy world as he grows older and adapts to the modern world.

The special effects are good for their day. Although they look phony at a few points, the film's distinct visual look, from the shimmering Ivory Tower to the assortment of weird creatures, holds up well today. What makes the film work especially well is that the two child stars--Barret Oliver and Noah Hathaway--prove themselves capable actors. I use the word "capable" because almost everyone in the film overacts in an annoying way, which I blame primarily on the director. But there's a wonderful cameo by Gerald McRaney as Bastian's father. He has the perfect tone for the scene, appearing loving but distant, unable to fathom Bastian's mind. I wish the film had followed through by returning to their relationship at the end and exploring how Bastian changes as a result of his experiences in Fantasia.

The reason the ending doesn't work is obvious to anyone who's read the book. Simply put, the movie shows only the first half of the book! While this isn't the movie's fault entirely--there was no way the entire story could have fit into one movie--this could have been handled better. "The Wizard of Oz" faced the same problem yet managed not only to become one of the greatest fantasy movies of all time but to surpass its source material in some ways. "The Neverending Story" doesn't accomplish that feat. The story feels unresolved at the end while at the same time failing to clearly set up for a sequel. It attempts to wrap everything up with a sequence in which Bastian takes revenge on his old bullies. I enjoyed this scene when I was a kid, but in retrospect it creates a clash between the real world and the fantasy world. Bastian never grows as a character, he never learns to put his feet on the ground, something the early scenes suggest will happen.

There's one other problem, and that's that Wolfgang Petersen never really figured out the proper tone for a children's movie. He must not have had a clear idea what age he was shooting for. Some of the scenes are quite scary and violent, making this film inappropriate for younger children