The Neverending Story (1984)

Score: 3/10

I was bewildered after watching the movie. Bastian is a boy who just lost his mother, left with an unemotional father, and bullies by his school mates. One day, the bullies chase him and he hide in an old bookstore where he meets the keeper who is reading a book called The Neverending Story. He intentionally arouses the curiosity of Bastian toward the book and in the end the boy “borrows” the book when the keeper is receiving a phone call.

Bastian brings the book to school attic and starts to read. The story is about the Nothing who eats up the land of Fantasia. There is only one boy who can save the land and his name is Atreyu. The queen of Fantasia summons Atreyu to save Fantasia and off he goes with the adventure. Meanwhile, Bastian is immersed and following the book intently.

To cut the story short, it is Bastian who actually can save Fantasia. He just needs to let his imagination soaring high. Faith and simple wishes from Bastian are enough to save Fantasia. So be it, the land is safe and Bastian is happier because he can bring the dragon from the book to the real world and scare the bullies!!!????

This is a bizarre movie. I tried to capture the meaning of the movie but found nothing. Or maybe it’s only my mind that could not comprehend the movie (I really don’t think so). The boy steals a book and it’s all right to leave a note saying that the book will be returned. The kid skips school to read a book. He also doesn’t leave any message regarding his whereabouts to his dad.

Moreover, there are numerous unexplainable things. Bastian goes inside the story and meets with the queen. Crying because of losing his horse does not count as sadness since the swamp does not suck Atreyu. Atreyu can walk some 100 miles in a few minutes. Atreyu can slip and pass the first gate just by running and jumping (that’s surprising, no one has ever thought about that). What’s the difficult part on the second gate? Bastian rides the dragon in the city and chases the bullies????? Ok, I know this is a fantasy movie, but honestly, this is too unbelievable.

Nothing special with the acting, sometimes Noah Hathaway as Atreyu acts like a spoiled kid. I feel that Barret Oliver as Bastian has pulled out a better act. The good thing that I can say about the movie is the creatures. It was really imaginative and fascinating. My favorite quote is from the ancient turtle “not that it matters, but yes”.

All in all, this is an awful movie. I found that the second and third series of the movies are also available. I wonder, why did they remake the movie?

For more info for the movie, you can visit the following links:
- The Internet Movie Data Base: Unendliche Geschichte, Die.
- The Neverending Story.

"Is that a flying dog?"