Search - Tales from the NeverEnding Story - The Gift on DVD

This must end!

A. Jarrells | VA United States | 01/10/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"*This also refers to part one of the series*
How about a new film in theatres..."The Neverending Story IV:Escape From The Tragic Canadian TV Series"?
I cannot believe that even one person would stick up for this tripe. It saddens me. Deep down, it saddens me to think that people would obligingly lower their standards and say, "Well, it's okay. It could have been worse." Could have been worse? Anything could always be worse! I'm giving it one star because they spelled the title correctly. There will be no further argument...YES, this is as bad as we say it is. NO, it's not the worst thing ever, but we aren't comparing here. We are rating this particular series, not the series in light of Harry Potter or Galidor or whatever has taken the spotlight these days. This particular series should be ashamed to have the title "The Neverending Story" attached to it, although, as I mentioned, they did spell it correctly. You don't have to stick to it word for word, but I refuse to endorse inventing asinine characters, events, plotlines and props simply to keep a new generation of kids glued to the television. That's not a new spin, it's a sinister gimmick. Sticking to the original storyline and utilizing the new technological capabilities would have produced far better results. So, please, I'm begging you, if you watch this series, be familiar with the book. Do not go into the breach unarmed."

Tales From the Neverending Story: The Beginning

William A. Christmas | IRONTON, MO United States | 12/17/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"From the outset, this DVD was somewhat disappointing, despite some fantastic graphics and special effects. It appears to have been a hastily edited and heavily cut compilation of a series which was made for Canadian TV, with some disturbingly short and choppy segues from scene to scene, implying there was much extra material removed to edit this down to a film length feature. For continuity, I wish that the editors had allowed the original series to be transposed onto several DVDs and sold them as a complete set - it would have made more sense as a story, and allowed the original intent of the screenwriter and director to come through. Overall, though, it was a good try. Wait for the whole thing to be released, though - the bonus features hint at an amazing and entertaining multidisk story."

I LIKED THIS ONE, TOO!

William A. Christmas | 12/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're looking for blood and guts and a bunch of senseless action, this movie is not for you. This is the story of Bastian, still dealing with the death of his mother, dealing with living once more with a father who had been seprated from his mother before she died, and discovering a book his mother encouraged him to read. Other reviewers feel that this series is far below the original. Personally, I didn't care for them. They were dark, cryptic and left me wondering what the heck was going on and why. This edition answers a question my son and I both were baffled by: What name did Bastian call out to give the Child Like Empress? You'll have to watch this movie to find out. And just who was Mr. Coriander? The answer to that gave a whole new light to the story.While the original series pretty much left out details about Bastian's mother, she is very much a part of this one (she is also responsible for The Child Like Empress' new name). Did you know she was an artist and wrote children's books? Did you know that Bastian was very much a part of that? And you thought you knew it all from the original series. There is so much more the original films didn't tell!I happened to find both "Tales" in a sale bin at a local drugstore, and I am so glad that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. The Gift also has a very interesting behind the scenes segment on the DVD that my son and I enjoyed very much.In fact, we enjoyed them both so much that I'm going to pay full price for the 3rd chapter when it's available."