annevejb
For me, it is important to consider 'Tales' as a television series for kids rather than as a set of feature films. It is a matter of expectations and at that level I consider it to be successful. This is way above the level of many series for kids, in some ways near the level of the best series.Wiki, November 2012, mentioned it as a set of four two hours episodes, USA television and DVD, and 13 one hour episodes, UK television. This is based on a quoted internet reference that no longer exists. My region 2 DVDs are around 90 minutes each, so the 2 hours might have included a lot of advertising time. UK as likely to be approx 30 minute episodes of kids television.The titles of the set of four as Tales From The Neverending Story, 1 The Beginning, 2 The Gift Of The Name, 3 Badge Of Courage and 4 Resurrection. The DVDs are available in regions 1 and 2. I do not know about other regions.Several of the reviews at IMDb appeared to be from people who had come at this from the book, Michael Ende's The Neverending Story (1979), or from a cinema grade feature film, The Neverending Story (1984). As such there tends to be a predictable disappointment, but a lot of positive response despite that.I purchased the disks because of Mona The Vampire. A cartoon series with Emma (Taylor-) Isherwood as the voice of the main part. Those were 1999 and 2001, who is this Emma-Mona? This is another television series for kids, made around the same time, Emma has one of the many supporting roles and is more than just the voice for cartoons.Emma Mona plays Olano and her slightly younger sister, Sally, plays Yonie. Two of the nice guys of the woodland village. Their pictures are on the back cover of my DVDs for episodes 1 and 4. Little sister Sally-Yonie has the red face paint around her eyes and Emma-Mona-Olano has a red line under her eyes that crosses her nose and goes down her nose as well.In episode 4 I only notice Yonie, which is strange. This is a story where history and such can change, reality is not fixed. At the end of episode 3 the remnant of the village was under attack by Big Bad, but appeared to face that successfully, no losses. At the start of episode 4 Big Bad had a new recruit, young and female, mind blank, played by Alexina Cowan, and she was given the name of Gemma. As she is a captive of big bad, Gemma has to go to Bastian's world to do some bad guy stuff. Emma-Mona-Olano now Alexina-Gemma?, with all the appearances of being a really bad guy for most of her part of the story. Emma and Alexina both appear in the end credits of 3 and 4, but the end credits are the biggest imperfection in this series.So I go to this series for the sake of fan stuff re Mona The Vampire, I should expect unreality. But I experience this as very okay in its own right. Ditto, Blake Holsey High, but that is not on DVD.I have not read the book yet, must do that. Meantime I now have a DVD of the 1984 feature and I personally find the storyline to be weak in comparison to this series. Surprise, surprise, I did see the series first. So, the effects are amazing quality for 1984, a big year for this sort of story to appear on the screen.
wv_rivers
This movie is an utter perversion of Ende's Fantastica. I'm just glad that he didn't live to see this piece of horrible junk. I, unfortunately got this as a gift and after about ten minutes of watching it I was ticked off. The people who made this show, obviously, never even looked at the book. The fans of the book and the movies already went through enough with the creation of The Neverending Story III so we didn't need this blow to the gut. I don't know who in the world thought that doing this show would be a good idea. And I can't fathom how some people like this. Read the book people and you'll see my point. My advice to everyone is beware this show, DO NOT watch it. This show gets an F-.
lisa-vega
It's not exactly like the movie but it's a pleasant t.v series for kids.The nothing is never really explained and i must say i much prefer the movie version where it just sucks everything up. I was a little disturbed by the death of the mother. It was a little much, but after episode one it picks up. Love the little boy with the buck teeth in the tribe. A flying machine replacing the luck dragon is clever.Though the ease in which everyone learns to fly it is far fetched.In all, i prefer the original movie (hated the sequel) but who wouldn't.
RangerSaga
I recently purchased the four disc complete box set of Tales from the NeverEnding Story, and I must admit that while it's not a clean transition from Micheal Ende's novel, it's fun on it's own. We have to remember that this was never meant to be a remake of the book, or the movies from the 80's. It was a television series, and in order to make it entertaining, they incorporated some of who are now my favorite characters.Twelve year old Bastian Bux had lost the wonderful imagination he had as a child somewhere between growing older, watching TV, and going to school. But when his mother dies suddenly, his imagination resurfaces. Bastian comes across "The Neverending Story" in a curious little bookstore. In this magical book, Bastian discovers an enchanted world called Fantasia, inhabited by dragons, dark knights, assorted heroes, and villains.The great adventure begins when Bastian follows his alter ego, Atreyu into a battle against the sinister force of the Nothing. It threatens to destroy Fantasia and its ruler, the Childlike Empress. Only Atreyu, a woodland boy, can save her.Along on the journey, Atreyu meets the independent Fly Girl, who is on personal mission to restore dreams to Fantasians with her grandfather's machine, designed to look like the mythical Luck Dragon, Falcore, who hasn't been seen in ages. As there emotions intertwine, the two develop feelings for each other. Although the series leaves off on a large cliff hanger, it was still an interesting watch, but with the series now cancelled, it's pretty easy to decide what happens, but of course, the tale of Fantasia never ends.