Day 43- Movie 38. The NeverEnding Story (1984)

I absolutely loved this movie as a kid- it's one of my favorite movies from my childhood. I also haven't seen this movie in over 15 years. That is a long, long time and there was no guarantee it would be as good as I remembered. Has anyone noticed that movies from your childhood are oftentimes not nearly as good as you thought they were? That's about as disappointing as it gets.

Luckily, this movie was every bit as a good as I remembered. In fact, in some ways, I appreciated it even more. This movie holds up even today as a pretty amazing fantasy adventure. There's just so much here- rock eaters, giant turtles, a deadly wolf monster, a flying luck dragon, and the nothingness that threatens to destroy it all. I was swept away to that fantastic world, just like I was so  many years ago.

I love the story of a young boy reading a book and being transported to that world. Isn't that what all good books do? You forget yourself for a while- your troubles, your worries, your concerns. For just that short amount of time, you're sharing someone else's life. That is amazing. It is especially powerful as a child- whole new worlds and concepts are opened up to you. This movie accurately captures that feeling, which is unforgettable. I love that this movie entertains while also conveys the message that books are wonderful tools for the imagination. I wish more young people would take the message of this film and read more.

I want to mention Barret Oliver- he did a fantastic job in this film. I'm sad that he no longer acts. Think about it- 90% of his screen time involves reading a book. He has to make reading a book interesting for us to watch. That is a monumental task, and yet, he pulls it off flawlessly. His book reading scenes are equally as thrilling as anything we see in Fantasia. That is amazing to me. I looked forward to his scenes to see how he would react. His wide-eyed wonder was contagious, and really made the movie great.

I also love how the film broke down the fourth wall. Last time I watched this movie, I was too young to fully appreciate what was being done. If you don't remember what I'm talking about, I recommend rewatching the film. It was mind blowing to think about the characters trying to interact with the reader, while also mentioning the audience watching the reader, who was reading about the characters! That was certainly unique, and one of my favorite parts of the entire film. It was subtle, but very interesting to think about. Not too many movies can break the fourth wall so well.

I was nervous going into this film, but I loved it as much as I did when I was younger. This is one of the best fantasy films ever made, and one of the best films of the 80s. I would give this film an 8/10.

So here's the question- best fantasy film from the '80s? Labyrinth? The Dark Crystal?