The NeverEnding Story

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Amberly

Another favourite fantasy film from childhood and a great early work from Wolfgang Petersen. Every second of this is embedded in my brain somewhere. It has some great fantasy imagery, old school creature effects, very 80's score and some subtle 4th wall breakages. Okay, not that subtle, but more than most. I also like that they don't just let the kid from the real world fall into the fantasy relm, like every other kids film, his involvement in the story is much more intelligent than that.

What was neat watching it this time, and so close after watching Willow again, it was the first time I realised Urgl the Gnome and Fin Raziel the old sorceress are both played by Patricia Hayes. Trippy. Watching it on bluray was great too.

I don't know any girl who saw this at a young age that wasn't traumatised by Artex sinking into the Swamp. Unfortunately they have a much harder time conveying the ultimate villain of the story, which is somewhat of an abstract concept, the Nothing. It probably works really well on the page but to visualise it and make it menacing is tough.

Actually there are a lot of concepts in this film that would just go over kids heads as they look at the pretty visuals. Which makes it all the more satisfying to rediscover later in life. Check it out again, it's well worth it.