This film is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Michael Ende, one of the first serious ones I read in my life and one of the ones that marked my childhood. I have strong emotions and great respect for this novel, and therefore it is difficult for me to watch the film impartially. The novel tells the story of a boy who miraculously connects with the main character of the book he reads and with whom he experiences countless adventures in a world made up of children's imagination. Essentially, this is a story about child psychology and the gradual extinction of the imagination that goes hand in hand with growing up. The film is, for its time, technically very nicely done and, viewed independently of the book, it is quite fun and pleasant to watch, but it butchered the original material in ways that I cannot forgive. And the dragon is, without any competition, the most moronic dragon I had the misfortune to encounter in my forty years. The dragon is one of the main characters in the book and should represent the embodiment of luck and happiness, but when I was a child it was so creepy to me that I had nightmares, while now it just looks catastrophically bad and stupid to me. The author of the novel himself was so disappointed with the film that he demanded that the title must be changed and that his name be left out of the credits. When his request was denied, he initiated court proceedings in order to distance himself and his novel from this film. All in all, drop the film and read the book, regardless of age and genre preferences, because in my opinion, "The NeverEnding Story" belongs to the domain of general culture. You won't regret it.
6/10
6/10