Quartile rating: 4.5/10 · 1 rating
A young boy must restore order when a group of bullies steal the magical book that acts as a portal between Earth and the imaginary world of Fantasia.
The NeverEnding Story III is widely regarded as a significant step down from its predecessors. The plot reduces the rich mythology of Fantasia to a shallow, generic kids-vs-bullies story with little imagination or coherence. The acting is passable at best, with Jack Black's early appearance as the bully leader being a minor curiosity but not enough to elevate things. Cinematography is functional but cheap-looking, lacking the visual wonder of the original. Novelty is very low — the film is a formulaic, by-the-numbers sequel that strips away what made the source material distinctive and replaces it with tired 1990s comedy tropes. The ending resolves things predictably and without emotional payoff.