German director Wolfgang Petersen is now perhaps best known for action-packed blockbusters like Air Force One and Troy. Here, in his first English-language movie, he proves to be equally at home in the world of fantasy. In the first and best of the series, Barret Oliver plays Bastian, the young boy drawn by a magical book into a wondrous alternative world that is threatened by evil forces. The story is a touch simplistic, but Petersen's direction is assured and children will be dazzled by the imaginative effects and stunning sets.

While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.