The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)

A young boy with a distant father enters a world of make-believe and magic through a portal within an antique book.

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

Karin Howard (screenplay), Michael Ende (based on the novel "The Neverending Story" by)

Stars:

Jonathan Brandis, Kenny Morrison, Clarissa Burt

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonathan Brandis	...	Bastian
Kenny Morrison	...	Atreyu
Clarissa Burt	...	Xayide
John Wesley Shipp	...	Barney
Martin Umbach	...	Nimbly
Alexandra Johnes	...	Childlike Empress
Thomas Hill	...	Coreander
Helena Michell	...	Bastian's Mother
Christopher Burton	...	Tri Face (as Chris Burton)
Patricia Fugger	...	Instrument Spinster
Birge Schade	...	Windbride
Claudio Maniscalco	...	Lavaman
Andreas Borcherding	...	Mudwart
Ralf Weikinger	...	Mudwart
Colin Gilder	...	Rockbiter Junior

Storyline

Once again, Bastian is transported to the world of Fantasia which he recently managed to save from destruction. However, the land is now being destroyed by an evil sorceress, Xayide, so he must join up with Atreyu and face the Emptiness once more.

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Plot Keywords:

travel | book | reading | tower | empress | 

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Taglines:

Begin an all new adventure as a young boy returns to a world of wonder on the wings of his imagination.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,912,124, 10 February 1991

Gross USA:

$17,373,527

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,373,527

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Bavaria Film, Cinevox Filmproduktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sandahl Bergman was offered the role of Xayide, but she turned it down.

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Goofs

Mr. Koreander's name begins with a K in the credits as well as on the window of his bookstore, but as Bastian's father reads in the car, we see that it begins with a C within the text of The Neverending Story.

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Quotes

[after Bastian accidentally killed Atreyu, Bastian goes back to the Xobile and sees the machine and all the memories he had lost, Bastian had realized Atreyu was telling him the truth]
Nimbly: [remorsefully] You've only two wishes to go.
Xayide: [as Bastian storms out] But, my lord...
Bastian Bux: [sees Falkor soaring in the dark skies carrying Atreyu's lifeless body] Atreyu, I didn't mean it! Falkor! ATREYU, I'M SORRY!

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Crazy Credits

As usual, in the opening credits, the names are written in a bigger font than the jobs and in capital letters only. However, Michael Ende's name is written next to "Based on the novel by" and "THE NEVERENDING STORY" appears where his name should be.

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Connections

Referenced in FanboyFlicks, Bad Movies!: The Neverending Story 3 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Charge!
(uncredited)

User Reviews

Better than it's given credit for.

I'm a bit surprised at the heavy criticism this film received. It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that this sequel didn't live up to its predecessor. However, it's not nearly as bad as it's made out to be.

Before I continue, I should note that I have not yet read Micheal Ende's novel, so I can only judge this film as just that, a film. Not as an adaptation.

Many have complained that the personality of the characters from the original movie were contradicted and the film had little continuity. I disagree. In this film, Bastian is older and wiser, yet still has a lot to learn. That is not a flaw. He is *supposed* to be this way. As for his father, we didn't get to know him well enough in the first film to understand his personality, so the audience needs to give him the benefit of the doubt as well. Kenny Morrison was a fine Atreyu replacement for Noah Hathaway and Xayade is a villain that you'll love to hate.

This film goes the "Temple of Doom" route by offering a darker tale than before. In fact, some of the scenes might be a bit frightening for anyone at pre-school age or younger. I know that those giants used to scare me when I first saw this film at the age of eight. There are some humorous moments regarding the clash of cultures as Bastian and Atreyu often find it difficult to understand each other's vocabulary. A few thrilling moments, a dramatic twist mid-way through, and some nice visual effects round out a solid film.

On the negative side, some of the humor seemed a bit forced at times. *Cough* Spray can. *Cough* And while the dialogue was passable, it often sounded too plain without any real motivation behind it.

On a final note, and this is overlooked by the earlier reviews, Robert Folk's musical score is spectacular. It's a shame that it'll probably never be released in the mainstream ever again. The score alone makes the film worth watching.

All in all, this is an underrated film that needs to be viewed with an open mind instead of a quest to find as many flaws as possible. It's no fun using the latter way. It may not be the best sequel one could hope for, but it certainly could have been a lot worse. Just watch Neverending Story III to find out how.