The NeverEnding Story Review

The NeverEnding Story

Release Date: 26th December 1984 - Australia

Production Companies

Neue Constantin Film Produktion
GmbH

Producers Sales Organisation

(presents)

WDR

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Family/Fantasy

Rating: G

Runtime: 107 minutes (original)
                 90 minutes
                 (international)


Budget: $27,000,000

Box Office Gross: $100,126,176 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A meek young boy named Bastian finds a mysterious book that takes him into a fantasy world of creatures, giant forests and massive oceans amid the harsh reality of his everyday life. It is there this enchanting world is to be decayed when its existence gets threatened by a force of darkness known as The Nothing!

Cast

Barrett Oliver - Bastian Bux

Noah Hathaway - Atreyu

Tami Stronach - The

Childlike Empress

Alan Opponheimer - Gmork/

Falkor/The Rock Biter/Narrator

(Voices)

Moses Gunn - Cairon

Thomas Hill - Carl Conrad

Coreander

Deep Roy - Teeny Weeny

Tilo Prückner - Nighthob

Sydney Bromley - Engywook

Patricia Hayes - Urgl

Chris Eastman - 1st Bully

Darryl Cooksey - 2nd Bully

Nicholas Gilbert - 3rd Bully

Robert Easton - Morla the Ancient One (Voice) (Uncredited)

Wolfgang Petersen - Man Who Drops Milk (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Bernd Eichinger - Man Next to Man Who Drops Milk (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Screenplay/Director -
Wolfgang Petersen

Based on the Novel "The Neverending Story" - Michael Ende

Screenplay - Herman Weigel

Additional Dialogue/

Dialogue Coach - Robert Easton

Associate Producer - Klaus Kahler
Executive Producers - Mark Damon and John W. Hyde

Co-Producer - Gunter Rohrbach
Producers - Bernd Eichinger, Bernd Schaefers and Dieter Geissler

Production Designer/Set

Decorator - Rolf Zehetbauer

Conceptual Artist/Scenery/

Creature/Costume Designer -

Ul De Rico

Art Directors - Johann Kott,

Herbert Stradel and Götz Weidner

Set Decorator - Rolf Zehetbauer

Costume Designer - Diemut Remy

Special Effects Makeup & Sculpture Supervisor -

Colin Arthur

Director of Photography - Jost Vacano

Production Executive - Anna Gross

Second Unit Director - Hannes Nikel

Stunt Coordinator - Tony Smart

Special Effects Supervisor: Main Unit -

Phil Knowles

Special Effects Engineering Supervisor -

Ron Hone

Director of Special and Visual Effects -

Brian Johnson

Motion Control Unit Supervisor - Dennis Lowe

Matte Painting Supervisor - Michael Pangrazio

Supervising Matte Photography: ILM - Craig Barron

Matte Photography Assistants: ILM -

David Fincher and Deborah Morgan

Optical Supervisor - Bruce Nicholson

Optical Cameraman: Motion Control Unit -

Keith Holland

Film Editor - Jane Seitz

Sound Effects - Mike Le Mare
Music - Giorgio Moroder and
Klaus Doldinger

Lyrics: The NeverEnding Story - Keith Forsey

Singer: The NeverEnding Story - Limahl

Music Editor - Robert Hathaway

Review

It's one of the well-known fantasy movies that made me feel so good. Everything I have watched in my childhood memories is Star Wars and Indiana Jones. And this one can be regarded as absolutely equal in its spirituality with adventure and fantasy. I watched THE NEVERENDING STORY a long time ago. It drew me to think about these lifelike images. It's been years after the film's premiere, and this dark fantasy tale, THE NEVERENDING STORY, still makes the young audience look amazed, haunted and traumatised. Remember, it's from the 80s pop culture, and it may look dated to some, but it never loses its appeal for the newly-obsessed fans.

The film's main factors made it wholesome and aged well today. The performances of the child actors are full of energy and talent. Barrett Oliver and Noah Hathaway were once so young as Bastian and Atreyu that their characters barely interact in each scene. I could think of nothing more scary and lifelike than the fantasy creatures created by pre-digital puppetry and other techniques, which started to freak me out as a child when I had not seen the movie yet and did not know what to expect.

It's too bad the sequels could not sustain the original's standards or the ambiguity. That is why the predecessor holds greater esteem from people who have seen it, even kids and teens. I invite fans to leave their comments and feedback on this review. I would love to hear the public opinions on this fantasy epic.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

Back to Home