You have not seen a children’s fantasy film until you have seen “The Neverending Story.” And, after you’ve seen it, you’ll agree right along with me that all the other films pale in comparison and should probably just go home.
Bastian’s mother has been dead for a while, and he has buried his sorrows in the reading of fantasy books. His father (Gerald McRaney) is deeply concerned about his son, but doesn’t know how to express it, and so he tells him to keep his feet on the ground, anxious for Bastian to move forward with his life. Bastian (Barret Oliver) promises to try.
On his way to school, Bastian is accosted by the neighborhood bullies, who have made it their morning routine to pick on him. They usually chase him down an alley until he ends up hiding in a garbage dumpster to escape them, but on this particular morning, he ducks into a used bookstore to wait them out. Inside he finds a crotchety old man reading a mysterious book with a beautiful symbol on the front. The man refuses to give Bastian any service, stating his belief that children don’t read anymore and that there’s nothing in the store Bastian could want. Bastian defends himself, rattling off a list of all the books he’s read, and then asks about the book the man is holding.
Through a slight bit of trickery on both their parts, Bastian ends up leaving the store with the book, and takes it to school with him. He’s now late for class, and decides to hide out in the attic until later in the day. Opening up the book, he begins to read, and we as the viewer see what he’s reading.
The land of Fantasia is dying. A dark Nothing is taking over, wiping out what once was beautiful and replacing it with a mist. The Childlike Empress, the only one who is wise enough to know what to do, is sick because of the decay in her land, and a council is held to determine what must be done. Atrayu of the Plains People vows to go on a quest to find the answer to the problem – an Earthling child must be found and brought to visit the Empress. Bastian gets sucked into the story as he reads, forgetting his promise to keep his feet on the ground, and amazing things happen as a result.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story because I really want you to see it for yourself, but I must tell you that this movie has some of the most beautiful spiritual themes in it. The importance of believing in yourself, of not being afraid to stand up for what you know is right, the power of dreaming – it’s all here, encapsulated in a way that adults and children both can understand and appreciate. Fantasy, adventure, and uplifting themes – you’ll find them all in “The Neverending Story.”
As far as the sequels go, don’t concern yourself about those. I’m not even going to waste time blogging on why they just can’t measure up to the original.
This movie is rated PG.
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