Review of The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990) by Ben C — 24 Jun 2011

There are more than a few plot holes in The Neverending Story II, and some of them are gaping. Bastian returns to the land of Fantasia, this time with the Orin, an ornament that decorates the cover the The Neverending Story that, despite having no real power in the first film, can now somehow grant him wishes. But rather than wish that Fantasia be saved from destruction or that he can avoid dying himself at the hands of the evil Xayhide, Bastien wastes his wishes on cheap excuses to showcase 80s special effects or repetitive gimmicks. The sequel also retcons a lot of the material in the first film. Bastian wasn't shown to be bogged down by guilt so much in The Neverending Story; it seems unlikely, then, that he would spend an entire film lamenting her death. There's also shamefully little discussion of metanarrative in this movie, something that made the first movie so enchanting for me. There is a great moment where Bastian's father begins reading the story as his son writes it, but at no point do either of them interrogate the process or seem more than a little surprised by it.

This would all be terribly frustrating, but The Neverending Story II is a more successful movie than its shortcomings would suggest. What it lacks in plotting or intelligence, the movie more than makes up for in terms of action, suspense, and imagination. Jonathan Brandis is confident and charismatic in the film. He was an impressive young performer, and it's movies like this that make me wish his life and career had more longevity. He has a lot of charm as Bastian, more than his predecessor did, mostly I think because his predecessor wasn't allowed to go wandering through the world of Fantasia. George Miller's direction and his art department are also worth noting, because the creatures populating Fantasia are so much more magical this time around. The whole movie is exciting and entertaining, not at all bogged down by the implausibilities or the inconsistencies. As a result, The Neverending Story II is worth a watch. Just be sure to not be watching too closely.