Review: ‘The Neverending Story’ on Blu-ray
Many ComicMix readers no doubt have struggled form time to time telling fantasy from reality. We want to let our minds wander, explore strange new worlds, and avoid the harsh and unpleasant realities that await us in the mundane world. The clash between fantasy and reality fuels the 1983 Michael Ende novel The Neverending Story and presented an interesting dramatic opportunity for the inevitable film adaptation, but Wolfgang Peterson, in his follow up to the acclaimed [[[Das Boot]]], botched the chance.
The movie was released in 1984 and despite glowing reviews, failed to perform at the box office and its sequels and related adaptations have all gone wanting. The film has been dusted off for Blu-ray, being released tomorrow by Warner Home Video. This appears to be the same version as was released on DVD in 2001 complete with the utter lack of extras. The print looks terrific and sharp while the upgraded 5.1 audio is the only compelling reason to buy this version.
The movie adapts just half the novel and made enough alterations to annoy Ende. Bastian is a terrific reader with a strong imagination, a place he retreats after his mother’s death and constant bullying from classmates. His father tries to convince him to live in the real world and begin adjusting to their new reality. A chance encounter at a used bookstore leaves the boy with a copy of [[[The Neverending Story]]] which he reads in one sitting, hidden in an unused attic at his school. By the end of the book, he is shocked to discover he has become a pivotal character in the tale and holds the key for the realm of Fantasia’s survival.
Much of the film, though, takes place in the fantasy realm and the creature designs and characterizations are imaginatively done. The production designers have done a nice job in creating a wondrous place with magical creatures, talismans, castles, and races that all get along. Yes, they look like puppets but done right, it can work—look at the recent Where the Wild Things Are. If anything disappoints its some of the rear projection and blue screen work which is glaringly obvious on Blu-ray.
The movie fails, though, to make us care. These are fantastic creatures but none have personality nor do our twin heroes – Bastian or Atreyu. In fact, Bastian is conflicted throughout reading the book because he just talked with his dad about living in the world yet his imagination can save a different world. It can be a strong them but is barely handled. At film’s end, when Bastian emerges from the school, there’s no resolution, no bookend to complement the opening. In fact, Bastian’s absence is ignored by teachers and father and there are no consequences for his actions.
The book, which remains a beloved volume, has many more imaginative characters and settings than is seen here. Yes, not everything could be replicated and such a large book needed modifying for the screen. No question. But the lingering shots of Atreyu on his journey could easily have been set against more interesting visuals.
While the film has endured as a bit of a holiday time cable staple, it’s really a tedious adventure failing to come close to the magic contained within the source material.
"The movie fails, though, to make us care."I cared. I cared a gigantic mountain of a lot. I absolutely loved this movie when I was a kid.If there were massive differences from the book, okay. If people who read the book enjoyed it less than me, that's valid. However, I really loved the movie and loved the characters you didn't like.
Of course Ende was pissed off. By adapting only half the book, the filmmakers gutted the book and missed the point; I understand why they did, because it would have been an unattractive point to most audiences. By ending the movie where they did, it's got a "nerd makes good" message. But the point of the book is exactly the opposite: Bastian utterly FAILS as a hero–given the opportunity, he becomes a power-hungry ass and loses all the qualities that made us like him. And that's why the book's so great, because Bastian's behavior is painful, but utterly believable.Frankly, I think the movie's painful to watch whether or not you know the source material (ideally, the hardcover with the red and green type); but if you have read it, it's infinitely worse.The Princess Bride is proof that you can adapt source material to make it more appealing to movie audiences, while still maintaining many of the things that made people love the book. The novel's message was that "Life Isn't Fair," and Buttercup was utterly dim. But the movie works anyway. Of course, it's an unfair example, because Goldman is an accomplished screenwriter who adapted his own novel. (On the flipside, you have Dahl adapting his own novel, and gutting the point of it: Charlie SHOULD not have drunk the soda. But that's an argument for another time.)
Classic example of a film that adapts only half (well, two-thirds) of the source novel, works quite well as a film … and still disappoints readers of the original book: "The Last Detail".By ending where it does, it ends on an up note. And won an Oscar.Had it used the Rather Depressing book ending – who knows? (Depressing or not, it's still an excellent novel about the Navy mindset.)SPOILER ALERTThe book, ends on a definite (but appropriate) down note, with Billy dead, Moon a prisoner, and the Chief MAA telling some other sailor "You got chaser duty – you're taking the Badass home."
Agggh. "Mule", not "Moon".
i just loved this movie!!!!! i dont know anything about the book but still i loved the film version!!!