Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The NeverEnding Story 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 2, 2025

Wolfgang Petersen's "The NeverEnding Story" (1984) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic and author Paul M. Sammon; archival audio commentary by Wolfgang Petersen; numerous exclusive new and archival interviews; promotional materials; Lisa Downs' documentary "Life After The NeverEnding Story"; and much more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The One

Even the most loyal fans of The NeverEnding Story tend to acknowledge that Wolfgang Petersen’s take on the original material from Michael Ende’s novel is, to put it mildly, very, very loose. In the novel, Atreyu’s journey is longer and more treacherous, populated with richer characters, and far more complex, forcing the reader to ponder grand themes that define what it means to exist. This is why Atreyu’s journey rather quickly becomes a very personal endeavor that is difficult to forget.

In The NeverEnding Story, Petersen alters the journey. Here, it has a clear starting point and ending, and while it is in progress, the viewer is continuously asked the same question: Do You Believe? In Fantasia, where Atreyu’s (Noah Hathaway) journey takes place, not in something bigger. It is a nifty trick that allows Petersen to plug into a hidden place where every viewer has stored precious memories from years past, but it also keeps the mind focused on Fantasia. Ende’s novel does not. It effectively pushes the mind to reach far beyond it.

The NeverEnding Story is easier to praise if this crucial difference is recognized. Indeed, it is very much a product of its time, crafted with great imagination and the proper financial support to dazzle as best as then-cutting-edge technology allowed. It prioritizes grand visuals over great characters, inevitable resolutions over timeless dilemmas. It ensures a happy ending that all cinematic fairy tales like it deliver to please their audiences, too.

But just like the powerful force behind The Nothing slowly dismantles Fantasia, the grand visuals slowly erode the integrity of The NeverEnding Story. For example, after Bastian (Barret Oliver) accidentally discovers the magic novel and his mind enters Fantasia, it becomes awfully difficult to brush aside the feeling that Petersen does not always know when the right time is to transition from the real world to Fantasia and back. Indeed, there are many abrupt cuts, affecting the continuity between important overlapping ideas that are supposed to provide Atreyu’s journey with a structure, and the more time passes, the clearer it becomes that the efficacy of the grand visuals overrides everything. It is an ironic development because it is precisely what The Nothing does in Fantasia. It overrides everything, causing it to collapse.

The finale has the weakest material. It attempts to legitimize the connection between Atreyu and Bastian in the least original way possible, and while it does it needlessly drags, almost as if to ensure that no one misses its flaws. Considering how much more is altered elsewhere, the resolution where the Empress (Tami Stronach) is engaged should have been part of a much more exciting material. As it is, the finale brings proper closure, but it is instantly forgettable.

When The NeverEnding Story was greenlighted in the early 1980s, it was one of the most ambitious European cinematic projects. It was the biggest-ever German cinematic project. Initially, Ende was closely involved with its development, but later, after it became obvious that Petersen and his team were not planning on producing a faithful adaptation of his novel, he distanced himself.

The NeverEnding Story can be seen in two versions. The original U.S. Theatrical Cut of it, which most viewers have seen, is approximately 94 minutes long. There is a slightly longer German Extended Version of it, which is approximately 102 minutes long. The different material from the latter does not alter in any meaningful way the progression of Atreyu’s journey or the nature of any crucial relationships in it. However, the two versions of The NeverEnding Story utilize music in drastically different ways. For example, the U.S. Theatrical Version incorposates music from Giorgio Moroder (Midnight Express) and frequently has a completely different vibe because of it.

The NeverEnding Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Imprint Films' release of The NeverEnding Story is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. All fives 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray discs are Region-Free.

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-26 are from the U.S. Theatrical Cut on the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #29-32 are taken from the U.S. Theatrical Cut on the 4K Blu-ray.

In native 4K, both cuts of the film can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view the U.S. Theatrical Cut with Dolby Vision and later spent time with the German Extended Version, as well as the 1080p presentation of the former.

The overall quality of the visuals is good. Delineation, clarity, and depth are pleasing and in some areas very good. However, you need to keep in mind that this film has a lot of special effects that introduce obvious fluctuations, some of which are rather big. Obviously, they are part of the original cinematography. Image stability is outstanding. The surface of the visuals is clean, very healthy, too. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. All primary and supporting nuances are stable. I think that color balance is fine, but it is not as accurate as it could have been. For example, in several areas primary blue and blue nuances are altered, plus a whiff of teal is easy to spot in a lot of places. Because the film plays with such a diverse range of colors and produces visuals with equally diverse exotic qualities, it is perhaps easy to ignore some or most of the color inconsistencies, but trained will easily recognize that the current presentation does not have an all-around solid and proper 1980s appearance. For this reason, Warner's North American Blu-ray release has more than a few areas with visuals whose dynamic range is superior.

I went back and forth between various sections on the native 4K and 1080p presentations of the U.S. Theatrical Cut to see how the Dolby Vision grade handles diverse material. I think that it is fine. I did not see any areas where darker material, for instance, could have looked more convincing. Also, I definitely like the overall color balance of the native 4K presentation. In 1080p, the shifts in primary blue and yellow are more pronounced. All in all, I think that the native 4K presentation is fine, but it is not as accurate as it could have been.

The NeverEnding Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I used the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and thought that it was outstanding. But I expected it to be this good because The NeverEnding Story has a tremendous sound design. Indeed, there isn't a single sequence where even the smallest opportunities to impress are overlooked. The music, which has a huge role, sounds fantastic, too. All exchanges are crystal clear, sharp, and very easy to follow. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The NeverEnding Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC ONE - U.S. THEATRICAL CUT

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Wolfgang Petersen. The commentary is full of recollections about the theatrical reception of The NeverEnding Story in America, the film's two versions, bigger and smaller changes that were made when Michael Ende's novel was adapted (some particular comments about different characters), the visual style and identity of the film. The commentary was recorded for the film's 30th anniversary.

• Commentary Two - in this exclusive new audio commentary, "Future Noir" author Paul M. Sammon share plenty of factual information about the two versions of The NeverEnding Story and what makes them different, Michael Ende's novel and all the drama that materialized between him and the film's producers (with some very interesting observations about darker themes that fueled the drama), the visual style of the film and its reception, etc. It is a good commentary, with fair comments, so if you enjoy The NeverEnding Story, find the time to listen to it in its entirety.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. theatrical trailer for The NeverEnding Story. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

4K BLU-RAY DISC TWO - GERMAN EXTENDED VERSION

• Storyboard Comparison - presented here is a storyboard comparison featuring restored footage. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - U.S. THEATRICAL CUT

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Wolfgang Petersen. The commentary is full of recollections about the theatrical reception of The NeverEnding Story in America, the film's two versions, bigger and smaller changes that were made when Michael Ende's novel was adapted (some particular comments about different characters), the visual style and identity of the film. The commentary was recorded for the film's 30th anniversary.

• Commentary Two - in this exclusive new audio commentary, "Future Noir" author Paul M. Sammon share plenty of factual information about the two versions of The NeverEnding Story and what makes them different, Michael Ende's novel and all the drama that materialized between him and the film's producers (with some very interesting observations about darker themes that fueled the drama), the visual style of the film and its reception, etc. It is a good commentary, with fair comments, so if you enjoy The NeverEnding Story, find the time to listen to it in its entirety.

• Finding Fantasia: Adapting The NeverEnding Story - in this exclusive new program, producer/director Lisa Downs, who shares some of her experiences while working on the documentary Life After the NeverEnding Story, which is included as a bonus feature on this release. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Flights of Fantasy: Inside the Scores of "The NeverEnding Story" - in this exclusive new program, film music historian Daniel Schweiger discusses the different scores that were utilized in the two versions of The NeverEnding Story. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Reimagining "The NeverEnding Story" - this archival program takes a closer look at the conception, production, and reception of The NeverEnding Story. The drama surrounding the adaptation of Michael Ende's novel is addressed as well. Included in it are clips from interviews with actress Wolfgang Petersen, Tami Stronach, cinematographer Jost Vacano, and screenwriter Herman Weigel, among others. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• The Making of "The NeverEnding Story" - this archival program takes a closer look at the production of The NeverEnding Story in Bavaria Studios in Munich in 1984. Included in it are clips from interviews with screenwriter Herman Weigel, producer Gunter Rohrbach, production executive Anna Gross, and Wolfgang Petersen, among others. In German and English, with English subtitles where necessary. (18 min).

• A World of Fantasies - this archival program examines the production of The NeverEnding Story and the many challenges its creators faced while crafting Fantasia. In German and English, with English subtitles. (57 min).

• Music Video - presented here is Limahl's original music video for "Never Ending Story", which is heard multiple times in The NeverEnding Story. (4 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. theatrical trailer for The NeverEnding Story. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - GERMAN EXTENDED VERSION

• Storyboard Comparison - presented here is a storyboard comparison featuring restored footage. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC THREE - LIFE AFTER THE NEVERENDING STORY

• Life After The NeverEnding Story - Lisa Downs' documentary celebrates gathers content with many of the stars and people behind the camera that were associated with The NeverEnding Story, which, despite being rejected by Michael Ende, became a box office hit. In English and German, with optional English and German subtitles. (91 min).

• Additional Content/Bonus Features -
  
  1. Official Trailer
  2. Director Interview
  3. Alan "The Ham" Oppenheimer
  4. Alan Oppenheimer's Early Years
  5. Bobby Porter: That's Filmmaking
  6. Colin Arthur's Mould Process
  7. Colin Arthur and His Lucky Scissors
  8. Fairy Queen
  9. Film History with Jason James Richter
  10. Gmork
  11. Herman Weigel's Deleted Character
  12. Je M'appelle Limahl
  13. Keith Coogan on the Coogan Law
  14. Liverpool Comic Con: Extended Scene
  15. Munich: Alternative Edit
  16. Tami's Make Up Challenge
  17. That80sDude: The Neverending Yoda
  18. The Screenplay Saga
  19. The Sphinx Folklore
  20. Timmy Gibson Backtothe1980Z
  21. Wesley's Movie Props Extended
  22. "Once Upon a Time in ... Treviso"
  23. "Life After Flash: Trailer
  24. "Life After The Navigator": Trailer

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Press Kit - an A4 reproduction of the original 1984 Press Kit.

• Poster - a full-color matte laminated 27″ x 40″ folded print of the original film poster.

• Lobby Cards - reprints of the original eight lobby cards on 11″ x 14″ card stock, housed in a glossy display folder.

• Packaging - a 3D lenticular hardcase housing all five discs.

The NeverEnding Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is immediately obvious that this massive -- and I mean massive -- ultra-deluxe combo pack release of The NeverEnding Story was a labor of love. The people that prepared it clearly wanted to do everything they possibly could to impress the fans of the film, and I think they succeeded. I have some reservations about the technical presentation of the film, but there are hours and hours of exclusive new and archival bonus features that make the combo pack unmissable. If you are a fan of The NeverEnding Story and can afford it, go for it, because it will almost certainly become the biggest jewel of your collection. All five discs in it are Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.