Why You Need To Need To Rewatch The Neverending Story After That Stranger Things Finale

The Neverending Story remains a preference among both those who grew up while in the '80s and anyone lucky enough to have discovered it years right after its release 35 years back. It's an instantly recognizable relic of the time, a veritable classic that's usually listed alongside imaginative crowd-pleasers like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal as some of the perfect fantasy epics to come out of the decade.

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So it should come as no surprise that it procured a very special tribute in the final episode of Stranger Things Season 3, a show whose creators go to good lengths to make sure its '80s authenticity.

For younger viewers, it's entirely possible that the novelty of Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) and girlfriend Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) singing a duet of The Neverending Story's iconic theme song of the same name was fully lost. It's not a film often cited in modern popular culture, however for those who have experienced its magic, it was likely a warm, welcome Easter egg — and potentially a reference that launched a million Google searches. What is The Neverending Story about, anyway, and is it worth watching? Is the rest of the movie as awesome and memorable as that endlessly catchy theme song? We've got all of the specifics you have got to know about this masterful '80s fantasy flick, as well three reasons you have got to dive into it following that gorgeous Stranger Things singalong.

What is The Neverending Story?

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The Neverending Story is based on German author Michael Ende's 1979 book of the same name, which follows a boy named Bastian Balthazar Bux. He's having some issues dealing with his mother's passing and finds solace in a mysterious bookstore owned by one Carl Conrad Coreander, whose old shop houses a book called The Neverending Story. Bastian steals the book and hides in his school's attic, where he finds himself getting lost in a bizarre tale about the magical land of Fantasia (called Fantastica in the book).

Fantasia is ruled by the sweet Childlike Empress, appearing as a young girl, who's fielding requests by her constituents to make some group kind of defense against a terrifying entity referred to because the Nothing." The Empress is dying, although, and has enlisted a hero in the form of a boy named Atreyu to help save her life and cast away the terrible nothingness.

Atreyu is charged with saving Fantasia from The Nothing, and he's given a powerful medallion named Auryn to keep him from harm while working to do just that. On his way to seek out a cure for the Childlike Empress's ailment, Atreyu comes upon a huge furry serpent called a luckdragon named Falkor who becomes his companion and friend while in the last of the film. The pair are forced to face off against dangerous enemies and situations in a bid to seal away the Nothing and help the Childlike Empress.

As Bastian reads further in the book and the trials and tribulations of Fantasia unfold, he unearths a bizarre secret about the book: It repeats itself over and over again up until certain conditions are met... Meaning he'll have to be a mobile participant in some of the story's most harrowing situations if he wants to reach true resolution. What does this mean? Well, you'll have to watch and see.

It's a masterclass in fantasy storytelling.

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Not only is The Neverending Story a nostalgic affair for several viewers, although it's a classic example of how thought-provoking and amusing fantasy stories can actually be. It's got everything a usual story from the trope needs: a mysterious artifact, a mythical journey, fantastical creatures, plus a hero you can't help although root for. Bastian is sort of an outcast who gets bullied at school and gets to live vicariously by means of the hero Atreyu, which is the ultimate fantasy. Viewers come along for the ride, hopping aboard a mythical dragon and saving an entire civilization from certain destruction. Who wouldn't desire to be a segment of all that?

Although it's more than that, also. For the span of its runtime, it fully transports you to a believable storyland where, just for a hour and then some change, you could fully lose yourself. This is a concept some modern films are still having difficulty with, and with limited practical effects and '80s filmmaking standards, it's still a believable trip to a faraway land that you'll truly become invested in, even if you're momentarily put off by its dated effects. It'll be hard to put Atreyu, Falkor, and the rest of the citizens of Fantasia out of your mind.

It's more emotional than most Hollywood blockbusters.

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Hear me right now, readers. In the event you watch The Neverending Story, you will cry. That is fact. From the terrifying, heartbreaking fate of Atreyu's faithful equine companion Artax to the gloomy Swamp of Sadness to realizing the horror of "The Nothing" is really just the threat of being swept away into literal non-existence, this fantasy tale is happy to force you into unsettling predicaments where you're unsure what's going to happen next or perhaps who you must root for. How come so several bad things continue happening to Fantasia? And you could feel something, needless to say.

There's something innately natural about the way The Neverending Story treats tragedy and its audience. Though it's certainly a story for children in each sense of the word, it never assumes viewers are also young to stage name its more mature concepts. Yes, people still perish in this fantasy world. Bullying — and even a little bit of verbal abuse at parental hands — is very real. Rather than skirting around these real-world problems, The Neverending Story faces them head on, and challenges its viewers to do the same.

It's got the most joyful song you've ever heard.

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=2WN0T-Ee3q4

Let's face it. We know why you're really here. You heard the dulcet tones of Dustin and Suzie crooning with each other over a HAM radio and had to know more. Yeah, the movie's cool and all, nevertheless what about that song? If the initial time you ever let it wash over you was once you heard it on Stranger Things, you're overdue for another listen.

you (or might not directly) know Limahl, who sings "The Neverending Story," from the '80s pop outfit Kajagoogoo. Right after breaking off for a somewhat successful solo career, he reached peak success with the debut of the movie's gleeful theme song. And it's pop perfection with a soaring chorus, overwhelming positivity, and lyrics that instantly put a smile on your face. If there's one huge reason why the movie became segment of our cultural lexicon, this is it — and one of the reasons you'll fall in love with it also. Its message of hopefulness can break through even your darkest clouds.

Or you'll just keep humming it, constantly. Either way, it's a cute segment of music and just as integral to film because the furry Falkor or the tale itself.