TNES
The Neverending Story – I had never seen this innocent child’s tale, probably because it came out in 1984 when I was 15 and a little too old for this sort of thing. Fine. But I was always curious, since it has become such a huge cultural institution, especially in Europe. Now that I have a 10-year-old, it was really the right time to see it and I’m glad that I did when I did – Zen loved it!
The story follows that strange CD Lewis trope of meshing the fantasy world with the real world (The Princess Bride did it again a few years later), with an intro of a young boy on the run from bullies who comes across a mystical book shop with a mystical book that draws him into a faraway land of adventure. Nice.
The weird thing about the book is that there is no enemy, as a vast nothingness is appearing across the land. It is not a hole. “A hole would be something. No, it was nothing. And it got bigger and bigger.” Funny scene as the giant bat sleeps while flying. The rock biter and the weird elves, and also the fairy court of four-faced creatures (they re-appear in the Spy Kids story, somehow), only appear at the first part of the story, when Atreyu takes over. There is reference to all sorts of atavistic, esoteric creatures – Artax, Gmork, Auryn. “It’s getting more interesting by the minute.” Cryptic wise-folk answering questions with deep answers like “not that it matters, but… yes!” We meet Falkor, the luck dragon, who seems more like a dog (or more like an oriental dragon) than a dragon we’d know of. And then:
Why is it so dark?
In the beginning it is always dark.
Nice little tale, looking forward to learning more about the never-ending story (haven’t heard much about it recently – is it really “never-ending”?).
TNEST:TNC
The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter – Another chapter with a different Bastian, a different Atreyu, but more interaction between Bastian and his dad. Bastian enters Fantasia, sees more mystic creatures than last time – Tri-face, the evil attaacker No Face. Falkor is slightly less fake-looking in this version. Wicked over-acting by Bastian and Atreyu both. Weird betrayer bird called Nimbly (highly annoying, highly similar to Hoggle in Labyrinth). The emptiness is coming, and the evil witch Xayide tricks Bastian into frittering away his magic wishes on frivolous things, causing him to lose one memory with each wish (Bastian isn’t aware of the terms and conditions of his magic potion, it seems).
Bastian goes power mad and battles Atreyu, accidentally killing him (?!?!?!). But it all works out well in the end when Bastian learns to use his wishes wisely, and causes the destruction of the evil Xayide. Yay!
Gimme five!
Five what?