Release Year: 1984
Director: Wolfgang Peterson
*****
In the wake of the success of the original Star Wars trilogy, every producer in the world ran toward science fiction/fantasy films. Krull, Conan the Barbarian, Beastmaster. The list goes on and on. So it shouldn't be any shock that this film, released after 1983's Return of the Jedi is a fantasy film shamelessly riding the coattails of George Lucas' epic trilogy.
What The Neverending Story forgets is that Star Wars was foremost about character and only secondarily about the aliens. Plus, frankly, the story told in a galaxy far, far away actually had an ending that didn't make the audience want to throw their popcorn at the screen.
Bastian is a boy living in the modern world with modern problems: his mother is dead, his father doesn't quite know how to deal with his book-worm son, bullies pick on him. In short, he's the typical "nerd". But on the run from bullies one day, he enters an old bookstore and snags a copy of something called "The Neverending Story". The book then tells the tale of the world of Fantasia which is being overrun by the Nothing. It is up to a teen hero, Atreyu, to stop it.
Yes, this movie does bounce between the modern day and the world of Fantasia far more than it needs to. In fact, the "real world" portions aren't even needed. You see, Fantasia is populated by creatures of all shapes and sizes: a flying Qtip, a rock monster, a child empress, talking wolves with green eyes, talking bats, race snails...you get the idea. This is where the focus of the movie should have been. Leave Bastian's story alone; he's the worst part of the film. The child actor can't act to save his life. Worse, the audience is supposed to believe he is an integral part of "The Neverending Story".
This is above all else a quest movie. Atreyu's quest in which he has to sacrifice (a horse), make new friends, overcome obstacles and defeat the Big Bad Guy to save his world. Only he doesn't save his world in the end. The Nothing destroys Fantasia. In a climax ripped right out of the "oh brother" book, we all learn it is up to Bastian to give the empress a new name...which will somehow vanquish the Nothing. Huh? Why would it happen that way? No matter, for the plot anyway. It continues right on its merry way, asking the actors and audience to believe every hackneyed twist it throws at us. Of course, by giving the empress a name, Bastian is able to recreate Fantasia...or turn back time...or something so that everything that happen doesn't happen. Confused?
The flying Qtip even makes an appearance in the real world with Bastian to ward off the bullies at the end. Along with a pointless voiceover telling us it is the first of many adventures for Bastian in the world of Fantasia. Is that a promise or a threat?