I was thrilled (to put it mildly) to be asked join the Tots100 Film Club, where 20 bloggers are set to review family friendly films every month. This is the first month and our first film, The Never Ending Story was an absolute cracker.
Young Bastian is bullied and on one escape from his tormentors he finds himself in a bookshop, whose owner warns him not to read one particularly old and beautiful book, for the reader will never be able to leave its world. Needless to say Bastian cannot resist and in the school attic he begins to read of the Empress, the warrior Atreyu and his mission to rid the world of 'the nothing'.
Fantasy films have gone down well with my boys in the past and they were enthralled by this one. Although only covering the first half of the original book, the story holds up well and has moments of humour and sadness as well as hold onto your seat stuff.
I have to say that I noticed the clunky special effects and wondered if it would be sacrilegious to remake the film, but the boys, despite their diet of Pixar wizardry, didn't notice at all. Personally I didn't find it as magical as my 10 year old self did, but the boys certainly did. I did like the gentleness of it, it wasn't as manic as some children's films can be and the story had some very powerful and touching moments.
Overall a definite YES from the Pants Household. We'll be watching it again.. and again.. and again.