Having never read the book (yet being aware that it only adapted half of the source material in case you're wondering), I can say that this's a good story anyone can enjoy, and one that you can return to again and again (unlike the sequels).
The world is very unique. Strange humanoids and other creatures inhabit this domain contained within the titular book. Our main character's Bastion, a smart, yet lonely kid who takes refuge in one of the rooms in his school to escape from some bullies earlier. Along the way, he snags a mysterious book from a book store, despite the owner's warning.
From there, things begin to get strange as the further he reads the more intertwined his world and the book's becomes. The hero in the book is Atreyu. A young warrior sent on a quest to find a way to repel the evil entity, the nothing. As if that's not enough, he has to stay a step ahead of its wolf-like minion. The journey obviously isn't easy, but through trials and tribulations he success and gets closer to his goal.
The movie's interesting in that as fantasies go, it's less about swords and magic and more about , dialogue, believing in oneself, confidence, and perseverance through tough times. It's ridiculous Atreyu had to leave behind his weapons at the start, but maybe that was the point: the greatest tool to succeed is yourself. This couldn't be proven better than his interactions with some of the characters. Many of whom are "wise", yet show indifference or even lack of knowledge to his plight and the current situation.
The two boys are likable and easy to get behind. Bastion doesn't want to be bullied, Atreyu wants to save his world, they both want to say things through at the end. Totally believable. I also feel bad how little the formers father understands him. He's clearly successful, yet so wrapped up in his work that he doesn't really see his son at his level. It's sad when you think about it.
The effects are very hot or miss. Some of the customers and practical effects still look pretty good. They provide the necessary surreal feel to the world. The inhabitants themselves are pretty strange. The characters at the beginning, you'd think they'd play a bigger role, even join our heroes on their quest, but nope. After they provide exposition, they're pretty much thrown away. They're not seen again until the end.
On the other hand, some of them are pretty laughable. Valcor, the wish dragon, not only looks goofy when he flies, but is also just creepy in general. He does save the little warrior and tends to his wounds, making him a great friend, I just found his demeanor often rubbed me the wrong way (at least he helps bastion get revenge on the bullies in the end). Some of the animatronics are pretty stiff. Particularly the beast Atreyu kills while exploring the ruins.
I also like when Bastion's shocked as he realizes more and more that the story now depends on him. The scene where he finally meets the empress and helps restore the land was really powerful. I also liked when he saw the main characters while flying on Valcor. It would've been cool if he interacted with them more, though.
Even with these nitpicks, The Neverending Story is an engaging film I think anyone can enjoy. It has great dialogue, cinematography, interesting characters, and a pretty deep story. Even if you grew up watching this, I highly recommend you check it out again. It's a shame the author never liked the movie, though, understandable as it may be, it still stands on its own well.
The world is very unique. Strange humanoids and other creatures inhabit this domain contained within the titular book. Our main character's Bastion, a smart, yet lonely kid who takes refuge in one of the rooms in his school to escape from some bullies earlier. Along the way, he snags a mysterious book from a book store, despite the owner's warning.
From there, things begin to get strange as the further he reads the more intertwined his world and the book's becomes. The hero in the book is Atreyu. A young warrior sent on a quest to find a way to repel the evil entity, the nothing. As if that's not enough, he has to stay a step ahead of its wolf-like minion. The journey obviously isn't easy, but through trials and tribulations he success and gets closer to his goal.
The movie's interesting in that as fantasies go, it's less about swords and magic and more about , dialogue, believing in oneself, confidence, and perseverance through tough times. It's ridiculous Atreyu had to leave behind his weapons at the start, but maybe that was the point: the greatest tool to succeed is yourself. This couldn't be proven better than his interactions with some of the characters. Many of whom are "wise", yet show indifference or even lack of knowledge to his plight and the current situation.
The two boys are likable and easy to get behind. Bastion doesn't want to be bullied, Atreyu wants to save his world, they both want to say things through at the end. Totally believable. I also feel bad how little the formers father understands him. He's clearly successful, yet so wrapped up in his work that he doesn't really see his son at his level. It's sad when you think about it.
The effects are very hot or miss. Some of the customers and practical effects still look pretty good. They provide the necessary surreal feel to the world. The inhabitants themselves are pretty strange. The characters at the beginning, you'd think they'd play a bigger role, even join our heroes on their quest, but nope. After they provide exposition, they're pretty much thrown away. They're not seen again until the end.
On the other hand, some of them are pretty laughable. Valcor, the wish dragon, not only looks goofy when he flies, but is also just creepy in general. He does save the little warrior and tends to his wounds, making him a great friend, I just found his demeanor often rubbed me the wrong way (at least he helps bastion get revenge on the bullies in the end). Some of the animatronics are pretty stiff. Particularly the beast Atreyu kills while exploring the ruins.
I also like when Bastion's shocked as he realizes more and more that the story now depends on him. The scene where he finally meets the empress and helps restore the land was really powerful. I also liked when he saw the main characters while flying on Valcor. It would've been cool if he interacted with them more, though.
Even with these nitpicks, The Neverending Story is an engaging film I think anyone can enjoy. It has great dialogue, cinematography, interesting characters, and a pretty deep story. Even if you grew up watching this, I highly recommend you check it out again. It's a shame the author never liked the movie, though, understandable as it may be, it still stands on its own well.