Review of Neverending Story

This film adaptation was depressing. I am not sure what the screenwriters were thinking--did they even read Michael Ende's fabulous story? If you watch "Behind the Scenes" on the first installment of this painfully cheesy and uninspired series, you'll hear the writers and actors waxing philosophical about how this movie is all about imagination, the struggle of good vs. evil, and how we can use the power of great stories to help us work through our own real life difficulties. And yes, that is what the book was about. But the book told a story that was truly creative without heavy handed moralizing. Watching this film was like being battered with the heavy club of self-righteous anti-modernity: Smash that game boy and read a book! I like computer games too, but come on. We *get* it--reading is good; OK, stop shouting at us through your filmaking. Oh, lest I forget--the most frightening thing about the book and the old movie-- The Nothing: a powerful, disintigrating force that dissolves all life and matter, that grows in virility as lies and disinterest spread-- is recreated as this weird green stuff that comes out of a jar and sucks all the color out of your face. Michael Ende found a cool, truly scary was of talking about apathy and dishonesty; this movie goes and twists that into some lousy B-movie green goop.

Even if you've never read Ende's book or seen the iconic 1984 version, this new film adaptation is just stupid. The effects suck, the acting is awful, and the plot is beleaguered with confusing side stories that make no sense, even if you have read the book.

I could go on and on... I guess the most important thing to say is that I bought this disk for $2.50 at Kmart. I should have known better.

Be forewarned! See the 1984 version, or better yet, read the book.