Quintessentially 80s fantasy in every sense, from the bold use of blue screens, child actors and puppetry to the histrionic, synth-soaked pop soundtrack that's bound to be ricocheting around the back of my skull for the rest of the month. It tries really hard, despite the somewhat rudimentary special effects available at the time, and nostalgia still carries it an awfully long way. There's an air of wholesome, youthful naivete at the core of many films from this genre/era, a fleeting moment in which the power of imagination could still gloss over a theme park-grade animatronic dragon or two. Honestly, with most of the live cast saddled by bad overdubs of their own, those out-of-sync moments could be dismissed as an awkward eccentricity.

On a conceptual level, The Neverending Story is quite strong, drawn from literary roots (though it was disowned by the author for taking liberties) and stuffing the world with all manner of unique landscapes, creatures, gods and wonders. We even get a surprisingly successful meta-reveal during the climax, which is no small accomplishment. Hammy acting, awkward edits and dated monster effects aside, this one's still got some legs.