Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
The NeverEnding Story
Metascore
46 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 3 out of 10
view
per page
  1. Variety
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    90
    Wolfgang Petersen's The NeverEnding Story is a marvelously realized flight of pure fantasy.
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    88
    Director Wolfgang Petersen combines the elements into a charming film that is excellent for children and won't put any adults to sleep, either.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Michael Blowen
    88
    The Neverending Story, Wolfgang Petersen's sophisticated fantasy film, is so wonderfully appropriate to children that it seems to have been made by kids. But there is enough artistic merit in the tale to enchant adults equally. [20 Jul 1984, p.1]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    The idea of the story within a story is one of the nice touches in The NeverEnding Story. Another one is the idea of a child's faith being able to change the course of fate. Maybe not since the kids in the audience were asked to save Tinker Bell in Peter Pan has the outcome of a story been left so clearly up to a child's willingness to believe.
  5. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    75
    Petersen seems to be holding back, telling us about the liberating power of the imagination but never really showing us. Of course, to show us would be to spoon feed the audience, thereby blunting the message and defeating the point. [20 Jul 1984, p.E9]
    All this critic's reviews
  6. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Julie Salamon
    70
    This fairy tale is a weirdly enchanting mixture of old-fashioned whimsy and up-to-the-minute special effects. It brings back the early excitement of reading as a child, when the act of turning pages took on a magical quality. [19 Jul 1984, pg.1]
    All this critic's reviews
  7. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ian Nathan
    40
    This was sweet and charming at the time but now it just lacks either the comedy or sophistication of kids' fantasy film that we've all become accustomed to.
  8. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Dave Kehr
    30
    Despite the sophistication of the source material, this 1984 film isn't particularly successful: Petersen insists on forcing the superficial moral lessons, and the half hour removed from the film by its American distributors leaves it with a harsh, choppy rhythm.
  9. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Corliss
    20
    A lot of it's real pretty, the colors and creatures and all, but these days, you know, every movie is pretty pretty. I guess the only thing that kept me glued to my seat was the gum somebody'd stuck on the upholstery. [16 July 1984, p.71]
    All this critic's reviews
  10. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Vincent Canby
    10
    The Neverending Story is a graceless, humorless fantasy for children, combining live actors and animated creatures in mostly imaginary settings.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
4.6 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. lasttimeisaw
    4
    I am genuinely underwhelmed by this film, and to tell the truth many adventurous family fantasy films from past decades nearly live up to their fame, the most notorious one is THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987), and now TNS is another competent contender (the first three STAR WARS are the scarce exceptions). The film is Petersen’s exacting project after the tremendous triumph of DAS BOOT (1981), but the slender skeleton of the story (a 90 minutes running time which only covers half of the original novel by Michael Ende) could not even ignite any thrill after 28 years of its release. The only redeeming feature is the onerous special effects which are yet behind the times. Maybe the ugly truth is that I have become so immune to all these childish fairy tales, thus I feel frustrated by the wide-eyed storytelling without any visual tenability, it seems that my commitment of the film is null and void, which just leaves me the only option is to find fault with the film’s sumptuous but jejune storytelling, if Fantasia is so insipid, it may not worth any fantasies there. I also wonder whether or not films like THE LORD OF THE RING TRILOGY, HARRY POTTER franchise or AVATAR (2009), our nowadays favorites will receive the same mishaps several decades later? Time will tell, but save for an indomitable technique renovation, it is the sole sincerity towards his demographic viewers that any filmmaker should bravely undertake before let their works ravage the market and become a cash-bagging vicious circle, which is verifiable throughout the entire march progress of film industry.… Full Review »
  2. MovieLonely94
    10
    this fantasy adventure movie kicks a**. it has great character development, awesome visual effects, and beautiful music. Rating: 10/10
  3. JC
    8
    A great fantasy tale that left a lasting impression. It may pale in comparison to children's movies today, but it was way ahead of its time back in 1984.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »