What do you get when you have George Lucas AND Ron Howard, both famous for their work in the movie-making industry, producing and directing this movie? You've got it, a fantastic, rollicking fantasy-adventure!The evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) has for years been searching for the baby who, according to an ancient prophecy, will end her reign of terror. Taking all the pregnant women, she searches each and every baby when one day, the sacred girl is born. But before Bavmorda could kill her, a faithful midwife takes the child away from the castle. When she realizes she is being pursued, she lets the baby drift away on a river. The abandoned girl is found by a Nelwyn named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis). But Willow quickly finds out that the baby is being tracked down Bavmorda's armies, including her daughter Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) and General Kael (Pat Roach). Willow sets out to the crossroads to give the baby back to the Daikini, or the big humans. He finds out though through the magical Cherlindrea (Maria Holvoe) about the baby, Elora Danan (played by both Ruth and Kate Greenfield) and the prophecy about her. Willow, with the companionship of swordsman and warrior Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and Brownies Rool and Franjean (Kevin Pollak & Rick Overton), they go to seek help from sorceress Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes).
A totally charming movie, "Willow" will be one of my favorite movies to watch for a long time. Though people must be warned that though it is rated PG, it's more like PG-13 in some areas and I strongly suggest that adults watch before their children do.
Everything is wonderful about the movie, from the directing, the acting by the whole cast, an enchanting plot, pretty good special effects, and plenty of humor and action. There's humor that is witty, sarcastic, and laugh-out-loud funny. Val Kilmer as Madmartigan and the two Brownies gets plenty of great lines. Yet at the same time the movie is pretty serious with all of the battles against good and evil, and Val Kilmer is a great swash-buckling swordfighter and handles the sword pretty well.
And this DVD isn't called "Special Edition" for no reason. Though it may not have as many special features as many recent movie special editions, "Willow" will satisfy you. 1) Commentary by Warwick Davis, 2) Willow: Making of an Adventure Featurette, 3) Featurette: Morf to Morphing, 4) Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery, 5) Theatrical Teasers and Trailers, 6) 8 TV Spots, and a few more. One thing you must watch is the 'Making of an Adventure Featurette'. Looking at an older Ron Howard with his mustache certainly was a little shock to me after seeing him play Opie on the "Andy Griffith Show" and acting in "Happy Days". One part that was fun about it is when they were talking about the love scenes in the movie. Val Kilmer admits that whenever he had to kiss Joanne Whalley, afterwards he always forgot his lines and no matter how many times they had to do it, he never got it right. They were married after making the movie but unfortunately, they were divorced later on.
So if you are thinking about getting "Willow", I strongly recommend that you watch it! Enjoyable for the whole family, if your children are old enough to handle some parts of the film. And if you have a chance to check out the quotes and trivia page on Amazon, I suggest you do because you can find out all sorts of things.
Buy Willow (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1988) Now
Many claim 'Willow' bears uncanny resemblances to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars (Madmartigan is Han Solo with a sword instead of a gun, and the short, pastorial, innocent Nelwyns are highly reminisent of the Shire-dwelling Hobbits). Though this is true, both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are good books/movies thus reason dictates that 'Willow' is too! People of all ages should enjoy this movie, centred on the universal theme that just one person can make a difference, and filled with adventure, romance, comedy, danger and intrigue.The story is centred around a baby rather than a Ring, and the infant is not to be destroyed, but saved at all costs. The reason is that this child Elora Danan is prophesied to bring about the downfall of the tyrannical Queen Bavmorda (played to great effect by Jean Marsh). Through a series of fortunate events, Elora escapes the clutches of the Queen and comes to the Nelwyn village, a small community of tiny woodland folk, and the guardianship of the sorcerer wannabe Willow Ufgood (played by Warwick Davis in perhaps the best role of his career for once he's not hidden behind a mask or facial prosthetics!) Because the presence of the baby puts the community at risk, Willow is chosen to take the baby far away, into the care of the Dakini (or human) race. On the way, Willow has (inevitably) many amazing adventures with a series of diverse characters, learning not only of Elora's true destiny, but that even someone as small as he can have an impact on the world.
The story, on the whole, hangs together well, although there is some back-and-forth travelling between the characters, and some logic flaws (ie. there's no way even a magical baby could survive even half the things that Elora does, and Sorsha is accepted without question into the ranks of the 'good guys').
The movie makes up for these faults by presenting a wide range of interesting and well-portrayed characters that fit perfectly into the fanasty genre no one should be disappointed by the variety, whether it be from the shape-changing enchantress Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes), to the skeleton-masked Kael (Pat Roach), the etheral faerie Cherlindrea (Maria Holvoe) to the comic relief the brownies Rool (Kevin Pollack) and Franjean (Rick Overton). Likewise, the scenery and sets are beautiful (Lord of the Rings wasn't the first to discover New Zealand!) and most of the special effects hold up reasonably well against today's technology. Furthermore, the musical score is lovely both poignant and heroic, and the costumes are colourful but realistic.
Although the love/hate romance between the stars of the movie (Val Kilmer as Madmortigan and Joanne Whalley as Bavmorda's daughter Sorsha) is a nice twist on the typical fairytale treatment, it could of been handled better, especially since the two actors fell in love on set (although they did later divorce...). Oh well, this is only a minor gripe, and by no means ruins the story.
The major dampener is nothing to do with the movie, but with the DVD, as it does not include the vast majority of deleted scenes that were filmed but never shown. If you're interested, they include: scenes that deepen the friendship between Willow and Meegosh, and gives a legitimate reason as to why Meegosh would leave his friend (he breaks his arm when falling down the brownie pit); a run-in with a sea-monster when Willow rows out to Raziel's island; important background information on Sorsha, explaining that her father was the ruler of Tir Asleen and once in love with Raziel until Bavmorda placed him under a love spell before turning him to stone along with the rest of his kingdom; a large battle sequence between Airk and Kael's troops; banter between Kael and a captured Madmortigan; Sorsha calling Willow into her tent to tend for Elora where they discuss Madmortigan; Airk questioning Sorsha's sudden change from evil to good; and Sorsha actually *using* the quiver of arrows she carries around on her back for the entire movie.
These deleted scenes could have made up a substantial part of the DVD and heightened it's collectibility considerably. Perhaps before buying this DVD we should wait a bit longer and see if they are released on another edition in the future.
If you like the Willow movie and are interested in 'what happens next' try tracking down the trilogy of books that are set after the events in 'Willow' Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn and Shadow Star.
Read Best Reviews of Willow (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1988) Here
"Willow" is a mixed bag of different movie venues and audience reactions, ranging from originality to predictability, from exciting to downright weird. It lacks the ingenuity and spirit of such child-oriented movies as "The Neverending Story" and "The Goonies," but for the most part, it pays off, and you may be surprised to find yourself enjoying different sections of the film.The beginning is wonderful, a highly suspenseful opening in which an evil queen brings all pregnant mothers in her kingdom before her in hopes of locating and destroying the one chosen to bring her reign of terror to an end. A midwife smuggles the child out of the castle, and before she is set upon by wildebeests, she sends the child floating down the river, where it comes to the attention of the Nelywn community.
In the world of "Willow," there are two sets of people: the Nelwyns, a community of short, midget people, and the Daikinis, regular-sized humans. The baby is a Daikini, and so Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) is called upon to return the baby to its original habitat. Setting out on the dangerous journey, he soon meets adventurous Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), and the two pair up to take the baby to its destination, which changes almost every minute as they encounter such beings as a forest fairy, and a sorceress who comes in the form of a rat, a bird, a goat, etc.
The movie isn't really interested in setting a straight course for itself. The constant changing of setting, pace, and destination are all a reminder that a movie such as this is more of a device for action and humor rather than logical plot. Because this movie is aimed at children, and has a childlike quality of its own, it gets away with such a tactic.
Having said that, the film is exceptionally entertaining. It's full of humor and yes, even a little bit of suspense, likeable characters, who are sometimes so goofy and cumbersome that you'll laugh until you cry, and a story that is the stuff dreams are made of. Kilmer's character is a throwback of sorts to the swashbuckling heroes of yesteryear, while Davis is a hero as well, and the one we all come out rooting for.
The action sequences are mindless good fun, ranging from a high-speed horse chase to some showdowns at various castles throughout the land. These scenes all give Lucas and director Ron Howard a chance to showcase some of the finer set pieces in a children's movie, from knights in armor and beautiful yet foreboding vistas, to dark, gothic castles and otherworldly creatures conjured out of magical powers.
Watching the movie as an adult proves to be far different than from seeing it in my childhood. As a child, I remembered the excitement of such scenes, and looking back on them, I find that it is unfair to dismiss the movie on its logic. I do find that some scenes are somewhat disturbing for younger children, at whom the movie is aimed, such as the sequence in which a two-headed dragon rises out of a river; they seem a bit too daring for a children's movie.
The fantasy land created in "Willow" lives up to the expectations of the genre, and even goes a bit further. The story is a bit befuddled, but paying attention to its flaws takes away from the fun and excitement it has in spinning its tale. The special effects are dazzling without being jaw-dropping, and the action is intense without being gratuitous. As a children's movie, "Willow" is pure, nonsensical satisfaction.
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WILLOW is a terrific movie, one of my favorites of all time. Val Kilmer, who can often seem a little too "weird" or simply annoyed to be there in some of his other roles, is the perfect reluctant hero. Joanne Whaley (Kilmer) is the best female fantasy character ever filmed. She's neither too vulnerable nor too testosteroned. The only other "princess" that can even hold a candle to her is Buttercup from THE PRINCESS BRIDE, but as much as I love TPB, I feel that Sorsha is a cooler heroine. Warwick Davis puts in an excellent central performance and is the heart of the film. The special effects were terrific, the story is simple yet rich, so that the film stands up to repeated viewings. Simply put, this was the last great fantasy film, and certainly one of the best of all time.Now if only they would release it on DVD. My VHS copy long ago went the way of the socks in the dryer (i.e. lost between moves). I know Lucas invested $$ in Laserdisc, but it's time for him to give it up and release STAR WARS, RAIDERS, and WILLOW on DVD. Pretty please George?
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