When I was a kid, I heard so many great things about this movie. When I saw the second Neverending Story, I was thrilled to find it and rented it. After watching it and thinking about how terrible the movie was, I returned it and gave up on the series. I was surprised when a third came out and I wondered why they would make another movie if the series was so crappy. I basically turned my back on the series without never, ever seeing the first one because of the second. This year, I sat down to one of my favorite critics online and watched him gut Neverending Story 2 and 3 while saying the first was one of the most beautiful children movies he's ever seen. I finally gave in and looked up the first on Youtube because of his praise. After watching it, my only thought was: "Dear Lord, what the hell did I miss?" The story is amazing, with a plot that intertwines itself perfectly inside the book and inside the readers point of view without imposing neither on the watcher. Bastian, a lonely boy who's lost himself into books after his mothers death. Which it doesn't tell you how or when she died, but that he's just deeply affected by her death has been doing bad in school with a father that either isn't coping with his wife's death well or is struggling into the position of a single father by shoving all these expectations on Bastian with him doing well in school, and also not joining the swim team. He's also massively bullied by kids on the way to school and flees to a bookstore where he takes a book from the bookstore owner after he tells him not to. Reading the book, you go to a world called Fantasia that is under attack by the Nothing. An entity for a better description that is making Fantasia disappear or no longer exist. In the hopes of saving their world, everyone goes to the Ivory Tower to try to get help from their leader: The Empress. Unfortunatly, The Empress has fallen ill and has sent for someone to save Fantasia from imminent destruction. A young boy named Atreyu who journeys on his horse Artax for answers. This is an amazing setting, the characters are well made, the music I still listen to with fond memories. The situations and emotions go from heart-wrenching, to joy, to fear, to everything else in the map as both Bastian and Atreyu journey through to save Fantasia from the Nothing. Bastian from reading the book, Atreyu from doing the journey itself. I won't go further because of spoilers and the emotions I think someone has to see for themselves. But I would recommend it to anyone.
Ah yes, I remember the first title, I caught the ending on TV and never got it's name sadly but late ron, my mother brings a VHS tape and lo and behold, the Neverending Story I, the characters were really fantastic, but I did have a favourite character through it all. Falkner - The Luck Dragon, I just loved that thing. But there were some sad moments but that's what it unique and I did see the two other sequels.
Yes, the Nostalgia Critic. He says Neverending Story I was the best children's movie he's ever seen. I have to agree with him, maybe the Lion King comes close, but the way they made the first one makes even an adult forget that it's supposed to be a movie. Very rarely, as an adult watching a children's movie, do I find this. The name is Falcor, btw. Or Falkor, in the Original German series.
The first was definitely a classic, it's still one of the few movies from my childhood I'll willingly watch as an adult. I only recently watched the second and third after Critic mentioned them, and both sequels felt like slaps in the face compared to the original. There was also a cartoon apparently, as I discovered browsing f.y.e a week ago.
First one was a instant classic for me as well, the second one was crap but at lease it was not as terrible as NES 3 which I agree is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
