A boy who needs a friend finds a world that needs a hero in a land beyond imagination!
While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.
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Character
Epic, earnest, grave and richly built.
- intimateepic
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- sparerichly built
- resolvedopen-ended
Who loves it, who doesn't
43 profiled raters. Loved most by The Comfort Seekers; disliked most by The Provocateurs.
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Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- r96skon TMDB · Aug 20249/10
A fantasy flick of real quality! I got to watch this at the cinema thanks to its release as part of its 40th anniversary, the second movie I've seen re-released on the big screen after <em>'Trainspotting'</em> back in May. That Danny Boyle flick from 1996 is great, as is this Wolfgang Petersen feature from 1984. I wasn't sure what to expect, I only knew of its genre and that famous theme song. One of the first things to note about <em>'The NeverEnding Story'</em> is how well it has aged, it looks awesome. The practical effects still look top quality and are super effective, I watched <em>'Big Trouble in Little China'</em> yesterday and that has aged rather poorly in the effects department - and was released two years after this! I really loved seeing the world come to life. The effects are a big reason for that, though this shows the importance of getting strong voice actors. Alan Oppenheimer is fantastic in the roles of Falkor, Gmork and Rockbiter, credit to Robert Easton as Morla too. As for the 'normal' actors, Sydney Bromley, Moses Gunn and Tilo Prückner are excellent in their respective roles. Younger actors Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway and Tami Stronach all do good work. I co
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jun 20236/10
I remember seeing this film when I was young - spurred on by the Limahl theme song that was in the charts at the time, and rather enjoying it. Based on just the first half of Michael Ende's original novel, it's a gentle fantasy tale of a young boy - "Bastian" (Barret Oliver) - who is being bullied by three classmates. When one day he seeks refuge in a bookshop, the owner shows him a mysterious book that he "borrows" and reads - introducing him to the magical, and dangerous, kingdom of "Fantastica" where he learns that it's benign, kindly young "Childlike Empress" is dying and that only he can help "Atreyu" (Noah Hathaway) save her and everyone from disaster at the hands of "The Nothing". The youngsters are strong with their performances, and Wolfgang Petersen's adaption of his own screenplay remains reasonably faithful to the delicate story with clever, engaging animation - a combination of intricate puppetry and blue-screen effects that is both charming and fun: the luck dragon ("Falkor") and the "Gmork" greatly add to the story of wishes and secrets as "Bastian" races against time to accomplish his task. Time has been quite kind to this film (apart from, maybe, the haircuts!) and
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Noah HathawayAtreyu
- Barret OliverBastian
- Tami StronachThe Childlike Empress
- Alan OppenheimerRockbiter / Falkor / G'mork / Narrator (voice)
- Sydney BromleyEngywook
- Patricia HayesUrgl
- Moses GunnCairon - Empress' Servant
- Frank LenartTeeny Weeny / Night Hob (voice)
- Robert JadahMorla the Ancient One (voice)
- Gerald McRaneyBastian's Father
Crew
- Wolfgang PetersenDirector
- Wolfgang PetersenScreenplay
- Herman WeigelScreenplay
- Michael EndeNovel
- Jost VacanoDirector of Photography
- Klaus DoldingerOriginal Music Composer
- Giorgio MoroderOriginal Music Composer
- Jane SeitzEditor
- Bernd SchaefersProducer
- Bernd EichingerProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
X-Men: Days of Future Past 201478% alikeBoth epic, earnest, grave.
Both epic, earnest, grave.
The Dark Crystal 198278% alikeBoth epic, earnest, grave.
Superman 197877% alikeBoth epic, earnest.
Mufasa: The Lion King 202477% alikeBoth epic, earnest, grave.
TRON: Legacy 201076% alikeBoth epic, grave.
The Empire Strikes Back 198075% alikeBoth epic, earnest.
Both epic, earnest.
Game · Both epic, earnest.
Norse Mythology 201677% alikeBook · Both epic.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
