Rating: 
Summary: The ultimate fantasy film!
Review: Scoff if you will at the dated appearance and juvenile dialogue of "The Neverending Story," but chances are, if you happen upon someone who has seen the film, your opinions will differ immensely. Based on the novel by Michael Ende, this highly imaginative and visually sumptuous fairy tale is nothing short of astounding, and certainly a step forward in the children's film genre in its time. Truth be told, there is nothing quite like this film, and while attempts at sequels have failed miserably, they are unable to hinder the effect it has on its viewers. It sticks with you, in your mind, from the opening theme song to the stunning visual effects and dark undertones that permeate the story's conflict. The film begins when a young boy is chased down the street and hides in a bookstore to evade his pursuants. Bastian is a small child, though highly educated and an enthusiatic reader, though his mother's recent death have caused his school grades to hinder and his relationship with his father to turn stale. Which is why his interest is peaked when he happens upon a book by the name of "The Neverending Story," a large volume whose cover is enough to intrigue even the audience into sticking with the film. As Bastian begins reading the story, he is transported into the world of Fantasia, where a mysterious force known only as The Nothing is destroying this elegant land. Many citizens of Fantasia have made their way to the Ivory Tower to seek the help of the Empress, who is fatally ill. Only one can find a cure for her illness: Atreju, a preteen warrior of the plains people who is called upon to seek out and destroy The Nothing and save the Empress from death. This begins both of their journeys: Atreju's treck across the land to find some hope of saving the increasingly deteriorating land, and Bastian's realization that he is playing a much larger role in the events of the book than he dares to think about. Atreju learns that discovering the answers to his questions means looking inside himself, while the both of them must find the courage to face their fears and save Fantasia before it is too late. For many who see the film, the connectiveness between these two worlds will seem silly to the point of absurdity. But this is not a film for such a mindset: this is a children's fantasy film, a delightful deluge of important morals and values that children are instilled with at an early age. From courage and faith, to truth and heroism, these traditional values are effectively dispersed throughout, and succeed in conveying their messages. For those who enjoy out-of-this-world landscapes and breathtaking vistas, this is a real treat. Fantasia is a place of endless beauty, cut with settings of dismal terror. The Ivory Tower stands as a pinnacle of hope against the setting sun, while such places as the Swamps of Sadness and the Southern Oracle, are treacherous and foreboding. The Nothing is the centerpiece for the film's visual delights, shown in the form of storms and endless dark clouds. Parents should not miss letting their child in on "The Neverending Story," which has a lasting impact like no other film of its kind. Wolfgang Petersen's first English-language film is a striking example of excellence, no matter how you look at it. The film itself may have an ending, but its final message and the memory it leaves is endless.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow!
Review: I really enjoy this movie, but what I am starting to realize know is the extraordinary symbolism of this movie. The Barret Oliver character literally escapes into the book and you see his adventures of the indian boys quest to stop "The Nothing." The Nothing is an excellent enemy: formless, unstopable, it's only goal is to destroy whatever is in it's path. It represents the gradual disentegration of imagination and fantasy. But within this world there is still hope represented by the princess, Falcor, and the characters scattered throught the film. Amazing work by Wolfgang Petersen and his crew. It blew me away to find out he had directed this movie considering I had known him as the director of some of the best and most intelligent action films I've seen: Das Boot, Air Force One, In the Line of Fire. He did this incredible job of making the film appeal to kids and adults at the same time without being, well, sappy!:)
Rating:
Summary: NeverEnding Story
Review: The title was actually misleading. The movie ended after about 2 hours.
Rating:
Summary: Child of the 80's
Review: This is the kind of movie (like so many of those from the 80's) where, if you did not see it around the time it came out, you cannot fully appreciate the magic of it. It's such an enchanting story. If you liked it when you were a kid, there's no doubt in my mind that it will always have a place in your collection. If not, you may like it, but all of today's computer generated characters will probably leave you wanting something more. Read the book.
Rating:
Summary: Up there as One of the Best Fantasy Movies Ever
Review: This movie's release was unfortunatly overshadowed by the release of E.T., and so many missed out on this incredible movie that is one of the rare movies that actually improves on the original novel (although Micheal Ende would probably disagree). Bastian is a young boy, still grieving from the death of his mother, struggling in his relationship with his father, suffering from nightmares, and mercilessly bullied by fellow school students. To escape from this unhappy existence, he surrounds himself with books, and one day when escaping the local bullies hides in an old bookshop belonging to the mysterious Mr Koreander. Using the ole' reverse psychology treatment, the old man entices Bastian to run off with a large book, intrigingly titled 'The Neverending Story'. Hiding himself in the school's storage room, Bastian begins to read of the land of Fantasia, which draws him deeper and deeper into it's story as he reads of the young hero Atreyu and his quest to find a cure for the seriously ill Child-Like Empress to stop the mysterious Nothing that is swallowing up the land.
What follows is an incredible journey of adventure, magic, imagination and faith that the two boys face - Atreyu by experiencing them, Bastian by reading them - helped by Falcor the luck dragon, the gnomes Engwok and Urgl and the giant Rock-Biter, and hindered by the ever-growing Nothing and the wolf-like G'Mork. By the conclusion, we not only learn the (rather startling) true natures of both Fantasia and the Nothing, but are left with some pretty important issues to think about such as the importance of the imagination, the need faith in one's self and reinforcing the idea that just one person can make a difference. A few minor gripes with the story is that the rocky relationship between Bastian and his father is not properly resolved or explored, though it is implied that they eventually reconcile. Also, after the climax in the Ivory Tower, Atreyu unfortunatly drops from the action. True, his role in the story was completed, and the spotlight has to fall on Bastian, but it would have been nice to of had a scene with both Atreyu and Bastian who share their adventure together. The three children actors are utterly outstanding - Noah Hathaway as the heroic and innocent Atreyu, Barret Oliver as the Bastian who manages to be hopeful and despairing at the same time, and the stunning Tami Stronach as the Child-Like Empress, who never fails to make an impression as Atreyu nervously approaches her in the Ivory Tower. Adult actors back up the child stars nicely, and even the special effect characters such as Falcor, the Rock Biter and Morga come across as real characters, capable of real emotion. Even though this movie is getting on in years, it undoubtably holds up to today's standards. The many characters such as Falcor, the Racing Snail, the Bat, the Rock Biter and the chilling G'Mork (who still makes me shiver every time he says -
"People who have no hopes or dreams are easy to control") are flawless. Sets such as the Swamp, the Ivory Tower, Engwok's cave and the Sphinx are also still as fresh as they were on their original release - although they used the same figures for the Southern Oracle as they did for the Sphinx, only changed the color - slack! Lastly, the soundtrack is beautiful, and the song 'The Neverending Story' is perhaps the best song written for a movie. My enthusiastic ravings are no doubt due to the fact that this movie featured dominantly in my childhood - it partly helped along my love of books, and remains one of my all-time favourite movies. Hopefully I haven't over-hyped it for you, but it's truely a great film that you don't have to be a kid to enjoy, and can learn more from each time you watch it. Note: Avoid the sequels at all costs - they are appalling. Trust me on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best fantasy movie of all time!
Review: "The Neverending Story" is a great fantasy movie from the 80s about a boy named Bastian (Barret Oliver) picturing a story unfold as he reads it from a book called "The Neverending Story." In this fantasy-filled story, a great land called Fantasia is being destroyed by a terrible enemy called the Nothing. It's up to a boy named Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) to find The Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach) and help her before Fantasia and all its habitants get wiped away completely. Atreyu is the only one that has a chance of rescuing Fantasia because he's a warrior and he doesn't know it yet, but he will make many new friends along the way, including one very special friend named Falkor that happens to be a dragon that looks kind of like a dog. I'll leave it up to you to watch "The Neverending Story" and find out what happens, but I don't recommend watching it. I recommend buying it instead. A lot of people probably think that "The Neverending Story" is a movie that is only suit for kids, but they're wrong. I used to watch this movie with my mom all the time when I was a kid, and now I'm 21, and I still enjoy the movie just as much now, if not more than I did when I was a kid. When you or your kids first watch "The Neverending Story," neither of you will probably remember everything about the movie, but what you will remember are the spectacular special effects and the entertaining characters such as Falkor the dragon, a HUGE rock creature, the mean wolf, a giant turtle that has a face that resembles that of E.T., and many other interesting creatures. But trust me, whoever you are, you will want to watch this movie over and over again for years to come and you will learn new things about it every time you watch it. "The Neverending Story" not only has its special effects and plot working full force for it, it also has great acting and an unforgettable and catchy soundtrack. "The Neverending Story" is in my opinion one of the best movies that a kid can watch for many reasons, but it's a great movie for ANYBODY of any age to watch, especially if you're a kid at heart. When I say that a movie is probably the best ever made in its genre, I don't exaggerate any, I compare it to all the others that I've seen of its type. Therefore, you know that I really do like "The Neverending Story" a lot! Purchase "The Neverending Story" for yourself or for someone you care about as soon as you can. You won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: The Neverending Nostalgia
Review: I would agree with a lot of the reviewers thus far about this movie. If you didn't see it when it first came out (and if you weren't between the ages of 5-10) then the magic will be difficult to grasp. Which is the irony of the movie. It's about imagination disappearing, and people forgetting to dream and remember what it was like to be a kid. Nevertheless, it is a good movie. The wolf might scare the kids, I remember it being rather spooky when I saw it at the age of 8. And of course, the effects are. . . ohhh, slightly dated, but they hold up. The only thing that simply STINKS about this DVD release is the lack of extras, (I guess we could call it the Nothing). Because it has none. Big disappointment. Where is the cast and crew? Why didn't the director put in some time with this movie and give us a commentary, or behind the scenes, or even cut scenes? Wasn't this a classic. . . ? As far as I know the director hasn't been up to too much lately. It's a shame, it's a classic for those who grew up in the 80's, it did leave it's mark culturally, and I'm surpised nobody from the cast/crew decided to do anything for it when it released. It may have DVD quality, but not the quantity. I only paid 10 bucks for it, so, in the long run it was worth it. In the meantime, if you want just a movie purely for imagination, then buy it for your kids. It sure beats all the slop the movie industry has kicked out recently for "childrens entertainment".
Rating:
Summary: Never give up
Review: I don't know if I have the words to express the way this movie has inpired my life. When I was young, I watched it several times a day until I knew every line, could sing every note of the opening theme song ~ even still to this day. The Never Ending Story has two heroes and two villains. The first hero and villain are outside the book, high above the fantasy. Bastian is a young kid that is blessed with a great imagination (He gets in trouble for drawing unicorns in his math book.) He lacks courage and is always being beaten up by bullies and stuffed into dumpsters. While running away from these bullies, he hides in a bookstore. When in there, he makes off with a book that has the snake-twisted orrin on the cover...you guessed it...the neverending story. "The Nothing", is the first ultra-villain. It's reason for existence is a secret that I don't want to spoil. It is destroying fantasia for its own means(Brought to life by the guys that invisioned The Empire Strikes Back!) The Nothing is becoming rampant, and the ruler, the Empress is dying. The people of fantasia, the world in which all fantasy resides, seek help from a great warrior Atreau. The ultimate second villain, A massive wolf with Glowing green eyes, takes flight through the forests to stop Atreau on his quest. There is so much to the story! It is the type of movie you'll want to watch over and over until your player starts steaming. It will soon be on DVD in September, so wait until then if your a crazed dvd loony like me. I have a feeling its gonna be awesome! Hope this review helped!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, though the book's much better.
Review: This movie is a great film from the 80's. I enjoyed the fantasy-like, imaginative plot of the movie and the characters. Though it might make you laugh for all the wrong reasons, (poor acting, ancient special effects, etc.) it is a sweet movie that has that special touch to it. To newer audiences, it may be a bit boring, old, and stale. As with a lot of movies based on books, it doesn't have all the thrill in comparison to the book in my opinion. It is a classic. Even if you hate it you should watch it (sort of like how don't like certain subjects in school, but learn about them anyway,) because it's a cultural icon.
Rating:
Summary: NeverEnding Nostalgia...
Review: If there was ever a work of art that personified the imagination of childhood- all the joys, the fears, the dreams and sheer wonder of life and all its possibilities - one would need to look no further than "The NeverEnding Story." Looking at this film through older, more cynical, world-weary eyes, it's easy to discount it and point out its many faults. YES, the acting is unbearable at times. YES, the last twenty minutes are overly preachy. And YES the narrative progresses aimlessly with no rhyme or reason. But you know what? I don't care. I even found myself getting teary-eyed at some points, something I rarely do. I agree with the other reviewers. If you didn't see and love this film as a kid, you won't enjoy it now. I watched the DVD with my (now ex) girlfriend, who yawned and groaned and rolled her eyes throughout the whole thing. A shame, really. I felt like she missed the boat. If this movie captured you as a kid, you owe it to yourself to let it capture you again.
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