The NeverEnding Story (PG, 1984)

THE NEVER ENDING STORY centers on young Bastian Bux, who escapes his troubled life in a dusty old bookstore. The store owner tells him not to look at the book The NeverEnding Story, but Bastian does anyway. He becomes engrossed in the story, in which boy warrior Atreyu seeks to save the land of Fantasia from becoming destroyed by a mythical force known as the Nothing. Atreyu also is charged with finding a cure for a dying girl known as the Childlike Empress. On his adventure, he meets a bumbling elderly scientist, a flying dragon, and a swamp monster, among other characters. After a near-deadly clash with one of the Nothing's servants, a wolf-like creature who informs Atreyu that the loss of hope is the worst offense of all, the warrior fears all of Fantasia to be destroyed. In the end, a young girl that literally draws Bastian into the book, calling for a child's imagination to save the empire from destruction.

Both children and adults will enjoy this film for its special effects, beautiful scenery, and colorful characters. Most of all, the message of daring to dream and soaring to new heights through books is a powerful one that kids of any age can relate to.