Review of The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990) by Jon T — 17 Aug 2012

Since the first NEVERENDING STORY "ended" on an unresolved note (it only covered the first half of the novel it was based on), one would naturally expect a sequel. Compared to the original, however, I'm afraid that NEVERENDING STORY II is weaker.

The biggest problem is that all the actors from the first film are replaced (save Koreander), causing for a clash of continuity issues. The acting isn't particularly outstanding either, although Clarissa Burt does make an appealingly tempting but nasty villainess in the evil sorceress Xayide.

The film does introduce some interesting concepts, such as a memory-draining machine, and a hand-shaped castle, but the sequel unfolds at a languid pace, eschewing the sense of adventure the original had.

The heart of the story is Bastian's growth and his relationships with his father and the warrior-boy Atreyu, but even this scenario has been done better. All in all, while not the total write-off that fans of the original declare it to be (there are some moments of genuine imagination and emotion--albeit the cheesy kind), this "chapter" doesn't recapture the magic of the original either.

Such is the syndrome of sequels. On its own, it's passable entertainment, but nowhere near great.