Say what you like about the sequels to The Neverending Story, but at least they do something that most movie sequels utterly fail to do. They dare to continue the story started in the original, rather than simply repeat the first story ad nauseum. This is to be expected to a degree, because the source material was a very long book, of which the first movie covered only the first half. The second movie, therefore, had material to work with without having to repeat the formula (though it was only very loosely based on the original source material). The third movie was another question, because the source material had been used up. This is why I did not have high hopes for this movie.
All the same, I waited over twenty-five years to see The Neverending Story III, because the first two movies were a major part of my childhood, as they were for many people. Upon finally sitting down to watch it today, and having heard all the reviews everywhere about how awful it was, I was surprised at how much better it was than I anticipated.
The movie is at its best when it is telling the story set in the real world about Bastian adjusting to his new family, and there are quite a few wonderful moments of truth in his relationship with his new sister. It tells a story that many kids that come from blended families can relate to, and I think they can also relate to wanting to escape into a magical book, as Bastian does throughout the series.
That said, I found much of the humor unfunny and labored. This is the film's weak spot, but overall I liked it better than the second movie. Though I loved it as a kid, the second movie did not age as well for me because the acting seems subpar in retrospect, especially Bastian and Atreyu (who is absent entirely from this second sequel). However, Bastian in this movie echoed the Bastian from the original, and very much seems like the same character, but older-unlike in the middle sequel, where he largely seems like a different person altogether.
Purists and people who grew up with the original movie will likely be disappointed, but I have a philosophy of walking into every movie with an open mind, and therefore, I tend to enjoy most movies more than the average critic-a characteristic that is sadly missing from most reviewers (and which should be a requirement).
All the same, I waited over twenty-five years to see The Neverending Story III, because the first two movies were a major part of my childhood, as they were for many people. Upon finally sitting down to watch it today, and having heard all the reviews everywhere about how awful it was, I was surprised at how much better it was than I anticipated.
The movie is at its best when it is telling the story set in the real world about Bastian adjusting to his new family, and there are quite a few wonderful moments of truth in his relationship with his new sister. It tells a story that many kids that come from blended families can relate to, and I think they can also relate to wanting to escape into a magical book, as Bastian does throughout the series.
That said, I found much of the humor unfunny and labored. This is the film's weak spot, but overall I liked it better than the second movie. Though I loved it as a kid, the second movie did not age as well for me because the acting seems subpar in retrospect, especially Bastian and Atreyu (who is absent entirely from this second sequel). However, Bastian in this movie echoed the Bastian from the original, and very much seems like the same character, but older-unlike in the middle sequel, where he largely seems like a different person altogether.
Purists and people who grew up with the original movie will likely be disappointed, but I have a philosophy of walking into every movie with an open mind, and therefore, I tend to enjoy most movies more than the average critic-a characteristic that is sadly missing from most reviewers (and which should be a requirement).