Tackling the list: the neverending story

My next film was the fantasy classic the NeverEnding story. Now I didn’t know much about the film when I started; I knew it was a classic, but I didn’t know what it was about. Due to this I didn’t know where my expectations were at, but I can say now that the film was better than I expected.

When it first started, I was intrigued, one of the main characters Bastian seemed sweet and I instantly felt sorry for him hearing about his mother’s death and watching him being bullied; although it seemed very run of the mill. It was the introduction to the actual book that began to pull me in. The conversation between the man in the bookstore and Bastian was relatively thought provoking; when you read a book you become a character, but you are always safe, what if the risks were real?

Once we start reading the book with Bastian, we are introduced to a variety of fantasy characters in a magical land named fantasia. Now this film was released in 1984, and knowing that, the effects are fantastic. Cinematically the movie is beautiful and very impressive for the time. “Fantasia feels like a fully-realized, self-supporting world, and the movie is telling a story that, while drawing on archetypes and classic mythological themes, still gives you something new.”

The story we follow is emotional and keeps you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns. The concept behind the story is also very deep and thought provoking. The idea that the story is NeverEnding because things are always happening to be retold is a great concept for a children’s movie.

The ending was satisfying for Bastian, but perhaps not for the audience, as we are left wanting to know more about what happens next in Fantasia; although this did open the film up for its sequels.

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this film, I think it was cinematically beautiful and the story was gripping. I would definitely recommend this classic as good watch.