The NeverEnding Story

“The NeverEnding Story” has it all. It’s a film made for the kid in all of us, but that you really come to appreciate upon reaching adulthood. The story is intelligent, the characters charming and the imagination contained within is boundless.

A young boy named Bastian (Noah Hathaway) is struggling to recover from his mother’s recent death. To escape his pain, he picks “The NeverEnding Story”. The book chronicles the magical world of Fantasia and its inhabitants, from the towering Rock Biters all the way down to tiny Engywook (Sydney Bromley) and his wife Urgl (Patricia Hayes) A young hero named Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) is chosen to find a way to defeat “The Nothing”, a void that threatens to consume all of Fantasia. As Bastian reads on, he learns that there is much more to this enchanting world than just a simple fairytale.

For a film made 30 years ago, “The NeverEnding Story” has aged remarkably well. The protagonist’s chagrin over his mother, finding solace in stories and books, the craving for an escape from his day-to-day pain is relatable regardless of your age. Part of the charm is that all of the characters present in this story are so unique and memorable. The best creation is without a doubt Falkor, the luck dragon, a cross between a giant dog and a lizard who flies through the skies. The joy Bastian experiences discovering these characters is palpable. You too fall in love with them. Top-notch make-up, puppetry and animatronics bring the world of Fantasia to life. These practical effects mostly hold up - there are only a few moments here and there where you will notice the seams.

It’s the story of an adventure that contains many twists and turns and, thankfully, takes its audience seriously. There are some genuinely frightening moments in "The NeverEnding Story". It’s nothing your children won’t be able to handle (as long as the littlest ones are there with an adult) and honestly, I’ll take that over stupid pop culture jokes, innuendos thrown in for the parents watching, or moments when the action is sugarcoated to pretend like what's happening here isn't life-threatening. It’s a stimulating, thrilling tale of good versus evil and the fantastic adventures in between, with a friend in the form of Bastian to help us through the journey.

My absolute favourite thing about the movie has to be the overall message that it teaches. I realize it’s a bit strange for a movie to be talking about reading (don’t we usually watch movies so we don’t have to read the book? ) but here, it works. Bastian is a young boy that loves books and learns something by plunging himself into their pages. In a time where children spend all of their free time texting on their cellphones, playing video games or watching television, this is a story that encourages people to read and (most importantly) to make up their own adventures.

You do not have to be a kid to enjoy “The NeverEnding Story” and that’s what makes for a great family film. Sometimes it's intense but you will fall in love with Fantasia and look forward to passing it on to the next batch of viewers. Different age groups will enjoy it for different reasons, but there’s something in “The NeverEnding Story” for everyone. (On DVD, January 2014)