The NeverEnding Story Parent Guide

Grieving the death of his mother, unable to talk to his father, and taunted by his peers, young Bastian (Barrett Oliver) finds refuge from the storms of life in the world of novels. This is literally true one morning when he avoids a group of bullies by hiding in a bookstore.

Although the grumpy proprietor (Thomas Hill) tries to shoo him away, an antique volume on the old man’s cluttered desk intrigues the avid reader. Taking advantage of a moment of distraction, Bastian decides to “borrow” the book despite the vendor’s curious warnings about its magical powers.

Skipping class, the boy sneaks his treasure into the school’s eerie attic, and cracks the pages of The Neverending Story where he is introduced to the mythical inhabitants of the endangered land of Fantasia. Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), a warrior about the same age as Bastian, is the doomed kingdom’s only hope. Receiving his commission at the Empress’s Ivory Tower, the hero embarks on a journey that will forced him to find inner confidence, summon unknown courage, and keep enough hope alive to prevent drowning in the “Swamps of Sadness.” But as the story progresses it becomes apparent that fantasy and reality are somehow intertwined, and Bastian has begun a parallel quest.

Unfortunately, the story only skims many of these deeper themes, focusing instead on populating the film with numerous visually impressive characters. While most of them are endearing (such as the rock biter, luck dragon, and little elves), others look so bizarre that they may be disturbing to young viewers. Parents will also want to note the loss of a faithful animal, the depiction of a bloody battle with a wild beast, two talking stone sphinxes that display topless female nudity, and an endorsement for resorting to revenge.

Although too intense for little children and too juvenile for older teens, The Neverending Story’s message of using literature to explore real life issues coupled with a discussion about the balance between a growing imagination and keeping one’s feet an the ground, could make this movie more than just the ultimate in escape fiction for ‘tweens.