THE NEVERENDING STORY 3

Germany, 1994, 95 minutes, Colour.
Jason James Richter, Melody Kaye, Jack Black, Freddie Jones.
Directed by Peter Mac Donald.

The Neverending Story was a great success in the 1980s. A blend of fantasy and realism, it made a plea for literacy and imagination to combat the Nothingness. The young hero, Bastian, confronted the Nothingness with the aid of magical characters in Fantasia. The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen who went to Hollywood to make quite spectacular films including In the Line of Fire and Troy. The second film was directed by Australian George Miller (The Man from Snowy River) and continued the imaginative quest of the first film. The third film is much lower-budget, spends a lot of its time in the real world rather than in Fantasia.

Bastian still has to combat the lack of imagination, but he finds it in the Nasties who persecute him at school and in his stepsister, Nicole. In the world of Fantasia, he has to meet the princess who will give him the magic necklace to grant his wishes. This is taken by his greedy stepsister and she goes on a shopping spree, turning nasty, as does everyone in the shopping mall. Bastian has to confront the Nasties and does so, with the help of Nicole.

The film does have a range of imaginative characters, the talking tree, the rock monster, the luck dragon… However, the film is much less interesting and has less impact than the early films. Of interest, the villain leader of the Nasties is played by Jack Black who was to become famous at the end of the 90s in such films as Jesus’ Son, High Fidelity, Shallow Hal, School of Rock.

1. The popularity of the Neverending Story trilogy? Audiences identifying with Bastian. A children’s film, a film for parents? Imagination, literacy?

2. The real world, home, school, shopping mall…? The Nasties in this real world? The contrast with Fantasia, the world of the story book, its look, characters? A place for quests? The musical score?

3. The title, its reference to the imagination continuing, the threats of Nothingness and the loss of imagination? The human quest for creativity, literacy?

4. Bastian, his age, his father marrying, Nicole, her aloofness? Life at home and his not being happy? Life at school, the new school, the Nasties? The library, Mr Coreander, his having introduced Bastian to the Neverending Story? The support of Mr Coreander in the fantasy world against the Nasties?

5. Bastian in Fantasia, his meeting the two gnomes, a Nastiness in Fantasia itself? His going on a quest, the landscapes of Fantasia, the old friends, the talking tree, the baby rock monster, Falkor and his being able to fly? The visit to the empress, the ivory tower, her explanation of what was happening, her command to fight the Nasties in the real world? The gift of the Auryn, the necklace able to grant wishes? The journey back to the real world, the dispersion of the creatures, the search to find Bastian in order to get back to Fantasia?

6. The Nasties, their personalities, the head of the Nasties, Slip, and his command of the children? The tricks, the getting of the Neverending Story, reading, the controlling of events in Fantasia, in the real world? Their wanting to get the Auryn? Wanting to be all-powerful?

7. Bastian, the tricks of the Nasties, his search for his friends, Nicole finding the Auryn, her realising what it could do, the extravagance of her shopping spree, pursued by the Nasties, their getting of the Auryn?

8. The Nastiness in Fantasia, people cruel, selfish, the same in the real world, greedy, angry, Bastian’s parents?

9. Bastian, his gathering all his friends? The confrontation with Slip, the challenge to the fight? Combat, the battle? Nicole, her getting the book, her reading out loud? Her reading the victory, it happening in the real world?

10. Bastian and Nicole, reconciling their parents? The imaginary world and the real world and order restored? The Nasties and their change of heart? The storybook happy ending?