Monday, January 11, 2021

Re:tro Re:view - NeverEnding Story!

The NeverEnding Story (1984) is a charming fantasy that can be appreciated by any audience!  At this time, we need to escape in fantasy more than ever, and The NeverEnding Story may be the answer!  The NeverEnding Story (Die unendliche Geschichte) was a 1979 novel by Michael Ende.  It was published in English in 1983.  The story has inspired both this film and two sequels of diminishing returns; The NeverEndingStory II: The Next Chapter (1991), it adapted the second half of the book, and The NeverEnding Story III: Return to Fantasia (1996).  Ende was disappointed about the film, but I think it captured enough of the appeal of the novel and its world.  There was also an animated series in 1995 and a live action series, Tales from the Neverending Story, in 2002.  The film is directed and co-written by Wolfgang Petersen, well known for directing Das Boot (1981) and later the sci fi film, Enemy Mine (1985).  It was co-written by Herman Weigel, a writer and producer of German films.  Steven Spielberg helped with US edit of the film.  


The opening has clouds in fantastic shapes, pure fantasy in this case, while we hear Limahl’s “Neverending Story.”  Christopher Hamill was the lead singer of the group, Kajagoogo, they had dropped him, and he went on to solo success with this song.  The song of course was featured in the season 3 finale of Stranger Things.  Awakening from his sleep is Bastian (Barret Oliver), in the novel his full name is Balthazar Bux.  Oliver was later in the sci fi film, Cocoon (1985).  He puts away the book he was reading and later he is in the kitchen struggling to open a jar of jam.  This is a good way of showing that Bastian is not strong, but his strength is in his imagination.  His father (Gerald McRaney) easily opens it.  McRaney was known for playing Rick Simon part of the detective duo with his brother in Simon & Simon.  Bastian tells his father he had dreamed about his mother and is told they have to move on.  A sad moment with the loss of a parent.  


Bastian's father mentions the phone call from his math teacher about drawing horses in his book.  He wants Bastian to stop dreaming and focus on his work.  Strange, a traumatic event and there is no school counselor checking on Bastian.  His father leaves for work and we have Bastian walking to school.  He is interrupted by three bullies, they want to take money from the “weirdo”, they toss him into a dumpster.  Bastian walks out and then is chased by the bullies.  He manages to hide at a book store.  The owner, Carl Conrad Coreander (Thomas Hill), checks on him.  His book based named is in the credits, but only his last name is mentioned in the film.  Hill later played Father Andrew Doyle in the V: The Final Battle (1984) mini-series.  Bastian proves what he has read including Lord of the Rings and admits he was running from bullies. 


He then wonders about the bookseller’s book that he is reading.  Coreander says that it is “special” and that Bastian’s books are “safe” since they are just stories.  He goes to answer a phone call, Bastian uncovers the book, it has a decoration on the cover, a bronze mass of two snakes intertwining.  Also, the title, The Neverending Story.  Bastian runs off with the book and Coreander smiles.  At school, Bastian finds that his class has a math test, so he takes the attic key into the dusty attic of discarded items.  Bastian pulls over a mattress and then takes out the book.  He reads about the dark, Howling Forest, this is a perfect narrative device where we have the kid as narrator.  The purpose of Neverending Story is reading and imagination that we find so important in young readers.  



Then we see two friends, the giant racing snail of Teeny Weeny (Deep Roy), a messenger, and the giant bat of the Night Hob (Tilo Prückner) called Vooshvazool in the book.  Roy was in many genre projects including Droopy McCool in Return of the Jedi (1983).  Prückner is a German actor and later he was in the sci fi comedy, Iron Sky (2012).  They hear the rumbling of a massive stone wheel part of a bicycle operated by Rockbiter (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer).  He was the Chief Supervisor in Westworld (1973) and also known for voicing Skeletor in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.  Rockbiter asks to join them and snacks on a limestone rock.  He explains he came from the north and tells the others that the land is being swallowed by nothing.  Teeny Weeny says it also happening in the west and Night Hob it is the same in the south.  Their world of Fantasia is being destroyed, in the novel it is Fantastica.   


They all agree to head to the Ivory Tower to ask the Childlike Empress for help.  Rockbiter is left behind as the Nothing tears apart the land. They reach the Ivory Tower at sunset, a beautiful tower emerging from what looks like flower petals and a glowing light.  At the top of the tower are three circular platforms and the tip of the tower is like a flowery stigma.   The Night Hob looks into the tower to see the tall, representative of the Empress, Cairon (Moses Gunn).  He is bearded with a ridge on his head, but in the novel he is a centaur.  Gunn was also in the horror adaptation Firestarter (1984).  There is just a menagerie of creatures, an elephant headed man like Max Rebo, a large headed creature, others with three faces.  It is such a diverse gathering that feels international and fantastic.   


Cairon says that the Nothing is destroying Fantasia and that the Childlike Empress has an illness connected to it!  He says there only hope is from the Plainspeople, a warrior named Atreyu.  Bastian pauses from reading wondering at the name of the hero.  The person who appears at the palace is a young boy played by Noah Hathaway.  He played Boxey in the original Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) series. Cairon apologizes for scoffing at the warrior and gives Atreyu a quest.  The quest is to save Fantasia and the Childlike Empress (we later see her played by Tami Stronach).  He agrees and puts aside his weapons.  Cairon gives him the Auryn, the symbol on the cover of Neverending Story.  Bastian checks the book to see the Auryn.  He is ready to follow Atreyu’s adventure.


Atreyu rides from the Ivory Tower on his white horse, Artax, passing Teeny Weeny, the Night Hob, and Rockbiter.  Bastian notes that another has taken a quest, under a fierce lightning storm, the massive wolf, Gmork, with pale, green eyes chases after Atreyu.  The warrior has been searching for a week, by a stream, he decides to eat which Bastian also joins in taking a bite from his sandwhich, but saves it for the rest of the book.  Atreyu rides past mountains, a desert, and a road of crystals, when Gmork reaches his stream resting place.  Finally, Atreyu has reached the Swamps of Sadness to find Morla, the Ancient One.  Atreyu leads Artax by his bridle through the swamp, but he finds Artax has given up hope and Atreyu pleads for him to !  This is extremely tragic to anyone including Bastian!  


Atreyu finds Shell Mountain, when he calls for Morla, he is thrown off and finds that Morla is massive turtle creature.  Bastian screams and he is heard by Morla and Atreyu.  Morla is uncaring about world matters, but allergic to young people!  Atreyu has to continue his quest to find the Southern Oracle while Bastian is interrupted by the bells signaling the end of school. A storm covers the school, but Bastian reads on inspired by Atreyu, a wolf’s head falls towards him!  Atreyu slogs through the swamp, Gmork is racing after him, but out of the sky, a luck dragon flies towards him!  


Falkor (also voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) is the dragon, a long, white dragon like out of Chinese myth, with scales and fur and a head like a puppy with a long snout.  His ability is just to be there at the right time, in this case to spare Atreyu from Gmork, and fly him incredible distances. The end of the film ends at chapter 11 and the book itself runs to chapter 26.  It shifts over with Bastian as the hero, but the film has fun with Bastian and Falkor.  The scenery, creature, and costume designer was Ul De Rico, one of the best with the fantastic beasts in this film, he also was in the art department of Flash Gordon (1980).  The incredible matte paintings were by Michael Pangrazio who worked on Empire Strikes Back (1980).  If you need a little magic, storytelling, and adventure don’t miss The Neverending Story!  


Five Auryns out of Five! 


#NeverEndingStory, #WolfgangPetersen, #BarretOliver, #NoahHathaway, #AlanOppenheimer

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