The Neverending Story (1984)

86% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(344,354 ratings)

Wolfgang Petersen adapted Michael Ende's children's story for this charming fantasy film that spawned several sequels. Bastian (Barret Oliver) is dealing with his mother's recent death. His father (Gerald McRaney) is an imperious sort who continually lambastes Bastian for daydreaming and falling… More Wolfgang Petersen adapted Michael Ende's children's story for this charming fantasy film that spawned several sequels. Bastian (Barret Oliver) is dealing with his mother's recent death. His father (Gerald McRaney) is an imperious sort who continually lambastes Bastian for daydreaming and falling behind in school. On top of his father's badgering, he has to contend with a bunch of school bullies waiting for him in the schoolyard. One day he decides to play hooky and walks into a strange bookstore, where in the attic, he discovers a book called "The Neverending Story". As Bastian reads the book, he's enveloped in the unfolding tale. A sickly child-like empress (Tami Stronach) from a land called Fantasia is concerned about who will take over the land if she dies. She decides it is best for Fantasia if she remains alive, so she dispatches a young warrior named Atreju (Noah Hathaway) to find a cure for the empress's malady. It turns out the land is consumed with a plague called The Nothing, generated by blighted dreams and hopeless fantasies. As Atreju continues onward to search for a cure for The Nothing, he encounters an assortment of strange creatures. Bastian is so consumed with the tale that he finds himself catapulted into the land of Fantasia himself. Atreju realizes that the only way to save the land from its blight is with the help of this strange earth boy, Bastian. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Wolfgang Petersen
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Jul 20, 1984 Wide
On DVD: Sep 4, 2001
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Mark Pfeiffer, Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema
As a testament to the power of books, the often gloomy The Neverending Story comes off as a Reading Rainbow episode covering existentialism.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
It's very hard not to give in to The Neverending Story's heart-in-the-right-place charms amidst an increasingly anti-literate society. [Blu-ray]
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...it will no doubt continue to work its charms on kids and nostalgic adults. (Blu-ray Edition)
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...has enough charm, delight, and wonder going for it to entertain most youngsters, and that's all that matters.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Magical storytelling targeted at children still fascinates.
Kevin A. Ranson, MovieCrypt.com
Even better if you never see the sequels.
Gregory Weinkauf, New Times
An enjoyable departure from both Das Boot and Kajagoogoo.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An above-average children's flick with interesting characters and an imaginative premise.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
The 'NeverEnding' part of the title is certainly accurate.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Nowhere near as good as the book, but not bad for the kids.
Fred Topel, About.com
Classic fantasy, full of wonderful creatures and characters.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Robert C

The title says it all. I saw it years ago and didn't think much of it. Gave it another try and it is still mostly a bore. It's like SId & Marty Kroft meets Jim Henson without all the fun.
Chris W

Let me start off by saying that I've never read the source material, and that I never had seen this before. That's right, this was not some film I have a nostalgic attachment to. As a result, I must say that while I can appreciate some of this, it didn't really win me… More
Let me start off by saying that I've never read the source material, and that I never had seen this before. That's right, this was not some film I have a nostalgic attachment to. As a result, I must say that while I can appreciate some of this, it didn't really win me over all that much. I know it's a fantasy film, but even then, it just seems a little silly, and kind of like the filmmakers automatically assumed you'd have an emotional investment from the start. A good example of this is the swamo scene with Artax. I don't have ice in my veins, but it was hard for me to care about things. It felt shallow and I wasn't really all that moved by what happens. I like the fact that this is a film made when animatronics and puppetry were king, though. Practical just almost always seems better to me. The film does look good, and the direction is nice, but some of the performances are a little iffy for me, mostly because these aren't exactly the best child actors. They're not terrible though. Hate me if you want, but I can't help it that this didn't win me over as being some kind of masterpiece. I'm glad I finally saw it, but it's just not really my thing.
AJ V

One of my absolute favourite fantasy movies in the world. This is an 80s classic, and if you like fantasy films, you should see this one.
Justin Y

Wolfgang Peterson's adaptation of Michael Ende's novel, or part of it anyway, by the same name is pure fantasy enjoyment.The NeverEnding Story is not a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean the 90 minutes are complete rubbish. The story is… More
Wolfgang Peterson's adaptation of Michael Ende's novel, or part of it anyway, by the same name is pure fantasy enjoyment.The NeverEnding Story is not a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean the 90 minutes are complete rubbish. The story is engulfing enough as the protagonist moves from location to location attempting to save the world, all while delivering a good message behind it all.The visual effects are a mixed bag, as there are obvious green screen scenarios; however the creature and makeup effects are good enough to offset that. Overall, the look and feel of the film is a plus.The film is held together by its young stars. Noah Hathaway and Barret Oliver are enjoyable leads and so is Tami Stronach. Stronach doesn't have a whole lot of airtime, but her role is relevant to the story. The voice work for the fantasy creatures are also fitting.The NeverEnding Story is a film to easily get lost in the fantasy and that isn't a bad thing. Put on Limahl's great theme song and give it a go.
Ken S

Really really really bad. Sorry nostalgia, you can't save this stinker.
Michael E

this film is strange but clever and for the 80s the effects are fantastic to look at, the rockbiter at the beginning is amazing to watch and i still wonder how they do it. This film isn't the best film in the fantasy genre but when you compare it to the second film with the… More
this film is strange but clever and for the 80s the effects are fantastic to look at, the rockbiter at the beginning is amazing to watch and i still wonder how they do it. This film isn't the best film in the fantasy genre but when you compare it to the second film with the swapped cast and plot holes this film is God
Dead A

I remember watching this when I was young. This was watchable.
Richard C

C
Jani H

"In the beginning, it is always dark." 'The Neverending Story' is a fantasy film based on Michael Ende's same titled German novel from 1979. There aren't that many books that have been transferred to the big screen as fast as this one. The novel was a… More
"In the beginning, it is always dark." 'The Neverending Story' is a fantasy film based on Michael Ende's same titled German novel from 1979. There aren't that many books that have been transferred to the big screen as fast as this one. The novel was a success and Wolfgang Petersen ('Das Boot', 'In the Line of Fire','Troy') directed the film that was at the time the most expensive film made in Europe. Bastian is a young boy, who lives with his father. His mother has recently died and his father isn't so close to him. On his way to school, Bastian is bullied by three kids. He escapes them in to a book store, where he gets his hands on a book that "is not safe", as the store owner says. Bastian gets to school but rather than going to classes, he goes to the attic where he starts reading the book called The Neverending Story. He does not realize that he is becoming a part of the book, as he reads it.. 'The Neverending Story' is a wonderful movie. One of my closest memories from my early moviebuff years. I was approx 10 years old when I saw the film for a first time. And since, have seen it many times. Later on, I got a copy of the novel. It clearly differs fom the movie, as the movie basically tells the story that is the first half of the novel. Some minor changes have been made but in my opinion, the filmmakers have done a good job on capturing the magic of the book. The visual image of the film was probably groundbreaking at the time of the films release, back in 1984. The film has aged well but the effects are not that amazing as they may have been years ago. I still remembered several key scenes (and effects) and some of 'em still excited me. For example the Rockbiter's entrance,the Luckdragon, the Ivory Tower etc. 'The Neverending Story' is not for the smallest of children. The film has severel unsettling and brutal images that may cause nightmares. I know what I'm talking about 'cause I've had 'em myself. The world of Fantasia is dark and almost hopeless. Why? This is explained in the book and the movie. Just don't be waiting for some cheerful story of love and understanding. 'The Neverending Story' is a rugged, engrossing fantasy that is worth seeing. I'm pretty sure that many people of my age and under have not seen it (or just forgotten). It is a mature tale of hope and imagination that many kids seem to have lack of (especially the later). I'm sure that you will not regret it if you choose to let your imagination take you to the world of Fantasia.
Conner R

An extremely unwarranted adventure into madness, yet I still love it and it's a complete classic. Unlike most family movies, this is demented and filled with death and horror. As such, Falcor the flying pink luck dragon makes everything even out. I love the visuals, they beat Jim… More
An extremely unwarranted adventure into madness, yet I still love it and it's a complete classic. Unlike most family movies, this is demented and filled with death and horror. As such, Falcor the flying pink luck dragon makes everything even out. I love the visuals, they beat Jim Henson's any day of the week, and it's an interesting way of telling a story. The child actors are great and make the characters believable and iconic. I still don't know how they achieved the look of the nothing, it's one of the greatest villains of all time. There's just nothing I don't love about this movie, I've seen it countless times and it still holds up when I was younger.
familiar s

I had reservations about this one since it seemed to be a movie for kids only, but I'm glad that I took the risk of checking it out. Course its meant for kids, but its not exclusively for kids. That, or maybe there's still a kid in me, lol. The movie uses metaphors to… More
I had reservations about this one since it seemed to be a movie for kids only, but I'm glad that I took the risk of checking it out. Course its meant for kids, but its not exclusively for kids. That, or maybe there's still a kid in me, lol. The movie uses metaphors to convey the message. Generally, I don't like movies that involves metaphors & what not, but this one's an exception. I feel that its the execution (which often plays a crucial role in my ratings) that makes it an exception. It is executed in a quite simplistic manner, such that it doesn't fucl< with your mind, like most metaphorical movies do. While that (simple execution), on the other hand, does make things predictable, it nevertheless doesn't let it lose its grip. "Fantasystic" is the word I'll use to describe this movie. However, I'd strongly recommend you to be a part of The NeverEnding Story (if you already aren't)!!! Not that it matters, but I'm not sure whether or not I'm gonna check out the sequel. Most of the reviews I've read so far make it (the sequel) sound terrible. Well, that's another story anyway.
Jennifer D

Another childhood classic. Awful, but you never retain that as a kid.
Wahida K

Timeless Fairy Tale.
Jason O

"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… More
"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! NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. The heights of fantasy films of the time for sure, and still way up there!
Thomas B

one of my favourites as a child. breathtaking scenes (check out atreyu on artax's back when they're knee deep in fog. gorgeous) and an incredible fantasy story, this world will suck you in, regardless of your age. and i want my own luckdragon. or racing snail.
Tim S

Come on...you've seen it.
Keysha H

This was a great movie! Nuff said.
Dean !

A great family adventure film with an array of great characters and creatures.
Lafe F

The NeverEnding Story has become a timeless children's fantasy movie. The synthesized musical score by Giorgio Moroder is simply stunning to hear. The realization of the beautiful Fantasia world setting is huge and detailed, with many types of terrain and vast expanses. The… More
The NeverEnding Story has become a timeless children's fantasy movie. The synthesized musical score by Giorgio Moroder is simply stunning to hear. The realization of the beautiful Fantasia world setting is huge and detailed, with many types of terrain and vast expanses. The creatures inhabiting the world are expertly done; it's almost like this movie wasn't shot on Earth. They've made it all believable; a place you'd want to visit. It will always be a favorite in my book. Favorite Scenes: the revealing of the ivory tower, and the creepy scene when the wolf reveals the true nature of the Neverending Story.
Candy R

Fascinated by this moive as a kid. Full of magical characters and adventure.