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JF's Story on Total Lymphatic Radiotherapy for stage III follicular NH lymphomation.org | Madeline's Story | Breast Cancer Survivor Story - Hereditary Ovarian... reachglobal.org |
The NeverEnding Story III (German: Die unendliche Geschichte III – Rettung aus Phantasien) (1994) is the second sequel to the fantasy film The NeverEnding Story. It was directed by Peter MacDonald and starred Jason James Richter as Bastian Bux, Ryan Bollman, Julie Cox as the Childlike Empress, Melody Kay as Nicole, Tony Robinson as Engywook, and then little-known Jack Black as Slip. In the U.S., the film was called The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia. The movie arrived late and had a very limited release in U.S. theaters in 1996 and arrived on VHS there the same year. The soundtrack, also, was not released in the U.S., but only in Japan on CD, and in limited quantities.
[edit] PlotThe mountain of destiny looms before us as we overhear the Old Man of Wandering Mountain reading from a large book. Using a writing stylus he begins to record a prophecy of a day when 'The Nasty' will arrive in Fantasia. He goes on to describe the savior of "Extraordinary Courage". Bastian Balthazar Bux has begun a new chapter in his life. His father has re-married, and now Bastian has a new step mother, a woman named Jane, whose daughter Nicole is displeased at having a new family. Bastian has also started high school, where he has become victim to the Nasties, a quintet of bullies led by Slip (Jack Black). He manages to get them expelled by the janitor after they trap him in the boiler room. He flees to the library where he is surprised to find Mr. Coreander and The Neverending Story. The Nasties locate him, but he uses the book to escape to Fantasia. Bastian arrives in Fantasia, where he is reunited with old friends Falkor and the gnomes Engywook and Urgl. However, the Nasties find the Neverending Story and use their cruelty to bombard the land with fireballs and a storm. Meeting a talking tree-like creature named Bark Troll, Bastian and the group of his friends head for the Wandering Mountains to speak with the Childlike Empress. She asks Bastian to find the Neverending Story with the Auryn. Falkor, Barky, the gnomes and the Rock Biter's son, Junior, help him; a "wish overload" causes the group to scatter across Earth. Barky ends up in a conifer forest somewhere; Falkor saves Junior from falling to his death near Mount Rushmore; and the gnomes end up ironically in Nome, Alaska. Bastian locates Falkor and Junior. Falkor flies off to find the others while Junior stays at Bastian's house. Rock Biter sadly informs his wife that Junior is gone and the effects of the Nasties cause them to fall out. Nicole takes the Auryn from Bastian's room, discovers its wishing abilities, and takes it for a shopping trip to the local mall. Bark Troll arrives at Bastian's house disguised as a garden plant, while the Gnomes are mailed in a box. The reunited group go to the mall to find Nicole so they can get the Auryn back. The Nasties find it first, whereupon giant crustacean creatures appear in Fantasia to kill the Empress and her advisors. Everyone in the mall begins to turn to evil, including Mr. Coreander and Bastian's parents. Nicole runs away and reveals to Bastian outside that her father was abusive and eventually divorced Jane. Bastian is struck by lightning, and begins to succumb to the cruel effects of the Nasties, but Nicole saves him. The two rush back to the mall where all the Fantasians are being held captive by the Nasties. Bastian manages to retrieve both the Auryn and the book and defeats the Nasties with a range of fighting moves he wished for. The Fantasians are sent back to Fantasia, which is restored to its former magnificence. Bastian and Nicole manage to keep their parents from divorcing, while Junior is reunited with his parents. Nicole and Bastian return to school the next day and find Bastian turned the Nasties into friendly school students. Bastian returns the Neverending Story to Mr. Coreander, who tells him that the story is not over yet. [edit] Criticisms
Many fans of the original novel and the 1984 film of the same name have regarded this film as the weakest installment of its series. A factor in this condemnation is the fact that the overall plot of the film is unrelated to Michael Ende's work, with the Old Man of Wandering Mountain (and the mountain itself), representing the only material from the novel to be used. Many of the characters have undergone substantial changes from the original novel and movies to this one, which has been criticized by fans of the former. One of the main characters of the book, Atreyu, no longer exists in this movie - in his place is Bark Troll, a character more associated with the animated series. Engywook and Urgl reprise their roles - acting, however, more as comic relief. Falkor, once the intelligent motivator, was now being portrayed as a cowardly simpleton; Rock Biter returned 3/4 the size with a full family and motorcycle. Perhaps the most drastic change, however, was in the character of the Childlike Empress. While she is depicted in the book and original movie as representing childlike innocence, with a strong heart, this film portrays her as a young woman in her 20's with a shopping addiction. Some critics go as far as regarding this film as the biggest failure of any fantasy film in history, and compare Dieter Geissler, its producer, to Uwe Boll. He has been involved as a producer on all filmed productions since The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter, and has been criticized for "dumbing down" the source material in order to appeal to children. [edit] Sources[edit] External links
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