BLOGS
Here's the thing about the film The Neverending Story -- the effects are completely terrible by today's standards. The scenes of Atreyu riding on Falkor are so blue-screened it is ridiculous. However, this remains one of my favorite fantasy films. The puppets and the characters are believable (despite the low-budget nature), and it's just such a sweet story. It holds a special place in my heart, and after watching it in my adulthood, it actually holds up as a touching tale. Nice job, Wolfgang Petersen! (It makes me want to erase that whole Poseidon debacle from my mind.) While the film only covers half of the ground from Michael Ende's novel, it's to be expected when trying to condense this big story into a two-hour plot. However, there's someone out there who thinks they can remake this classic film, while incorporating more of the novel. Good luck.
While they could end up with something like the successful Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reboot (though I personally still like the original better, with non-digital Ooompa Loompas), they could also end up with something that looks as rotten as the new Race to Witch Mountain. And while it's been a while since I read The Neverending Story, I don't really see a big role Johnny Depp could play in this one, so they're going to have to work extra-hard to find a way to appeal to fans. But my real concern lies in the sheer amount of bad fantasy that has come out in theaters since Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings started raking in some cash. Here are some of the reasons we're nervous, based on our recent experiences.
The Arthur and the Minimoys/Arthur and the Invisibles Factor: Will they change the title from the book, to make it something more catchy for kids? Is "Neverending" not going to resonate with our ADHD environment? Will "Story" sound too bookish in this digital age? Would it become, like, "Bastian Meets the Badass Dragon" or "Arthur Stops At Nothing" (because you know that Atreyu is never going to fly) or just get straight to the point and say, "We've Got Princesses AND Dragons"?
The Bridge to Terabithia Factor: Will it take a captivating story about the power of imagination and then fill it with too much CGI? One of the best things about The Neverending Story is the Nothing. I fear for how they try to anthropomorphize that to give it a cute little face.
The Golden Compass Factor: Will a smart, layered and uniquely told tale get dumbed down to the lowest common denominator and basically ruined by too much Botox? Will they get Nicole Kidman to play The Empress? Her frozen face might actually work in this case. Hmm...
The TMNT Factor: This one is a stretch as far as fantasy goes, but seriously -- this remake took a cute cartoon about crime-fighting and turned it into a dark twisted version. We fear that Atreyu will become all buff, and the Empress is going to have to wear spandex. Or worse, they could take the title and try and abbreviated it. Coming to theaters in 2010: NES!
The Eragon Factor: We've seen the future of dragons. And its not looking pretty for our favorite little luckdragon.
The Chronicles of Narnia Factor: In general, this reboot could do worse than ending up like Narnia, but the great thing about the original Neverending Story is that the movie actually not neverending. It's just about an hour and a half, while the Narnia films clock in at nearly two and half hours. I'm hoping that by taking on more of the book, we don't get a big, old, bloated film in return.
And just how much do you bet they try and see if Daniel Radcliffe will play Atreyu?
Thoughts on this remake? Leave 'em below.
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