The NeverEnding Story

Rating:
Summary: If dad is distant, hard movie for kids to watch & hope for.
Review: The theme of reconciliation with dad that occurs in the Neverending Story might be great for all those kids out there with great dads, but for my kids whose dad doesn't reconcile/apologize for anything, I think the movie teaches kids they have to be heroes themselves and maybe then dad will come and everything will be alright. Do you know how hard kids try to make this happen? Let this be a cue to dad's out there to watch the movie and, if there's ever been a time when your relationship with your kid wasn't great, to go to your kid and apologize and get some professional help for both of you to really work it out.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful.
Review: This film is mostly for children. A wonderful fantasy fairy-tale that will capture the hearts of children and adults alike. I watched it with my sister and was speechless throughout the whole film as the fantasy continued.

The acting was very impressive. The creator of this film should be proud of him/herself for creating such a beautiful masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: when the boy ente the world of fantasy ,world in the book
Review: when the book get the book in his hand and read it and was bothered by the nasty ,and then he was got in to the book and meet his friends in part1 and meet the gorgeuos princes and the other characters was there and then the tragedy happen that the characters was bring in to the world of reality and the princess was lift behind.The characters was lost in the world of the boy

Rating:
Summary: Life is too short to be preached at by arrogant little boys.
Review: How odd that a movie based on a novel that encourages kids to read has no: cohesive narrative, interesting characters, pacing, originality, or redeeming value! There are so many better fantasy movies aimed at children than this. "The Dark Crystal" springs to mind. This movie is preachy, pretentious (I've read this and this and this and this and this!), and flat-out dull. I suggest you try a fantasy movie that doesn't insult your intelligence before you wrestle with this trash.

P.S. What's the father's problem? His wife and the mother of his son just died, and he treats his obviously severely introverted son like a poop trailer.

Rating:
Summary: became spellbound at age 11, still spellbound at 25
Review: When I first saw this movie at 11 years, words could not describe the emotions I felt. The Neverending Story has been my favorite ever since, even at 25. It is magical. I still get goosebumps every time I see the movie. The soundtrack is wonderful, such beautifull music. You can almost imagine yourself there with Bastian and Atreju. I am an adult and proud to say that this movie inspires me and it always will! I love to read, especially fantasy novels. If you like to leave it all behind and go some place wonderful just follow Bastian as he reads his story. Bastian is a young boy having a hard time dealing with the death of his mother and also a father who insists he grow up much to fast. He reads The Neverending Story, which is about a boy warrior, Atreju. Atreju is on a quest to find a way to stop the Nothing, a horrible thing which is eating up Fantasia. The warrior must travel thousands of miles and meet many enchanting friends along the way. As Atreju goes on this quest Bastian discovers that he is living vicariously through Atreju and that this story, this quest is all meant to reach him. Bastian realizes he is a very important part and that he alone can save Fantasia. He learns that his dreams and imagination are all part of life and are a necessity. Without our imagination we are all in a sad existence and easily controlled because we have no drive, no inspiration. Watch it, keep and open mind and heart and you will see that you are also a part of The Neverending Story.

Rating:
Summary: This movie brings you to a world of woderful imagination.
Review: This movie is about a boy who comes upon a book that looks too wodorous to be real. As he reads the book he soon becomes a part of the story and ends up having to save a world of imagination called Fantasia. You will watch as Bastian,Atreyu,and the Child-Like Empress race to save this world of wonder.Its just a great movie and way too good to not watch in your life-time!!

Rating:
Summary: Triumph of human Imagination
Review: Sir Adam got it almost right! Good review, by the way.

This is an awesome story about the importance of the story. Yes, the moral lesson of "The Neverending Story" is the importance of the story itself (and by extension the importance of human imagination). If one has read some of Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth" one understands this completely. It is that Native American idea of "he who does not have the stories has nothing."

The key force of destruction in this tale is "the Nothing" literally non-existence or the lack of imagination. The world in which "The Neverending Story" takes place, Fantasia, is a conglomerate universe composed of the dreams and hopes of all people. Every story ever told and every character who has ever lived exists somewhere in Fantasia. So that somewhere in Fantasia, Paul Atreides wanders a desert landscape while somewhere else in Fantasia Alice falls down the rabbit hole.

Fantasia, this conglomerate world of human dreams, is dying. The reason is that people in the real world no longer dream... of anything. It is a very modern tale about the death of the human capacity to, as John Lennon put it, IMAGINE. Without the capability to imagine anything, people become easily manipulated by forces greater than them... this is where the real villain comes in (more about that after the next paragraph).

The main protagonist, Atreyu, is the alter ego of the real life boy who is reading the story. The real life boy, therefore, is filled with imagination, brimming with it, in fact. He exists in a real world where nobody imagines anything anymore. Therefore, the alter ego (in Fantasia) of the real life boy with imagination is a young champion who is trying to save imagination itself and its conglomerate world, Fantasia.

The real villain of the story is, at least from a Christian context, Lucifer, or the Devil himself. He is the "force behind the Nothing" who is attempting the death of all imagination. This explains the creature known as the Morg. As Sir Adam mentioned in his review, this is the major adversary for Atreyu (and the real life boy who is his generator). The Morg is, in his own words, "a servant of the force behind the Nothing." The Morg is, I believe, a demon, or fallen angel servant who has somehow crossed the border into Fantasia and put on the guise of that mythical creature of destruction, the werewolf. The Wolf image is only a guise used by the demon to try to blend in with his surroundings.

Of course, we know who wins in the end. This is a very complex movie and a VERY relevant one to the times in which we are living. I see people around me who are quite literally mental cripples who are incapable of imagination. Without the stories, we are nothing.

Rating:
Summary: A movie that touches one's very soul
Review: I know those who read the book first are greatly disappointed with the movie, but as is said in the dialogue, "There are many paths to Fantasia." Many people who aren't into books would miss this terrific opportunity. I *am* "into" books, and I still missed this one, and if it weren't for the movie then I wouldn't have enjoyed one of the greatest stories I have ever seen on film.

This movie isn't just for kids. It is rich in symbology that will amaze you as it slowy dawns on you just how multi-layered this story is. An example is The Swamp of Sadness, and how it symbolizes the "Dark Night of the Soul" that we each ultimately have to journey though in our own lives, as we face our adversities that we think we cannot possibly overcome. Our weakness is an illusion that we must not give in to, or we are lost. Amazing symbology; truly outstanding.

It is like this throughout the entire movie. One of my favorite scenes involved looking into a mirror. But I won't say more because I don't want to risk spoiling the story for you.
This movie is terrific and will mesmerize both kids and adults, alike!

If you are looking for a movie that is more than just fluff and will touch your soul, reach for this one. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: a great movie!!
Review: i am sorry to say that i don't own this dvd, but i rented it, and i found that it was super!! parents beware, this video is not really intended for young children, it is morbid, and it points out fearsome moralities. but if you are a fantasy lover like myself, then you might want to consider buying this film. it is awesome!!

Rating:
Summary: Magical, but misses the mark
Review: This movie offers some uniquely magical moments, but it suffers from pretty sloppy editing and directing. Some of the scene changes are abrupt, and it is rather dark and moody for a children's film. Also, parents beware that the book is really meant for an older audience; it is a bit too serious and philosophical for the younger ones (but it is good).