12. The NeverEnding Story
Warner Bros. PicturesAnother memorable fantasy film to come out of the 1980s was Wolfgang Petersen's The NeverEnding Story, adapted from the German children's book of the same name by Michael Ende. While perhaps not as good a film as The Princess Bride, what made it so special was the young bullied schoolboy in the central role, a character with whom younger audiences at the time could vicariously identify with. After a particularly unpleasant encounter with the aforementioned bullies, young boy Bastian hides out in a strange bookstore where he discovers the titular tome - upon reading it he is transported into the world of Fantasia, a place where the dark void of "The Nothing" threatens to engulf all of existence. From gigantic rock monsters to strange flying furry dragons, The NeverEnding Story is a visual delight, not to mention a great adventure which encapsulates childhood fantasy escapism. And anyone who tries to tell you they didn't cry during the scene with the sinking horse is either lying or heartless.