Why such a change in tone and character to what came before?

"Neverending Story" stands on its merits as such a great and classic movie.

Part 2 unfortunately is naturally (with most sequels) a much lesser affair, but at least they tried to keep things in line with its predecessor and roots!

HOWEVER with part 3 we find the producers taking such a HUGE leap in tone and approach. It's like the first two films were made with kids, teenagers and us (young at heart) adults in mind, but they decided to make the third installment for INFANTS! It's also like finding the whole thing overtly Disney-fied and us fans of the series expected to accept that, despite we knowing better!

I find some fun in the silliness of this film, but it's just such a drastic, unwanted and unnecessary change to what came before which it should, but doesn't in any way respect! I love the Jim Henson workshop and their work, but everything (especially Falcor) is cute-ified beyond recognition and overall there's a ludicrous "dumbing-down" of things which is so way-off-the-mark of what people love and loved about the film and series of which this film therefore falsely claims to stake its part.