Overall Rating
  Awesome: 31.4%
Worth A Look: 43.02%
Average: 6.98%
Pretty Bad: 5.81%
Total Crap: 12.79%
4 reviews, 62 user ratings
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| Willow |
by Scott Weinberg
"Slipshod and derivative, but still lots of fun."
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There's a double-edged sword that shows up when your childhood favorites are released on DVD. On one hand, you can't wait to add it to your collection. On the other, the movie rarely measures up to your recollections. Willow is not nearly as magical as I remember it, but it's colorful and exciting enough to please fans of Tolkien-inspired quest flicks.A reluctant Nelwyn (small person) must set out on a perilous adventure to return a lost baby (very small person) to a Daikini (tall person). Not surprisingly, the quest turns out to be more trouble than expected, and the heroic Willow finds himself embroiled in a massive battle of good vs. evil. Sidekicks, monsters, pixies, wizards, warriors, magic spells and incredible escapes abound.
Willow is a casualty of the “I loved it when I was young” category of films. What seemed so entertaining and fun as a child now comes off mainly as silly and derivative. The special effects are beginning to look a bit antiquated, and the plot of Willow (now more than ever) seems like nothing more than a thinly-veiled take on Tolkein’s classic Lord of the Rings.
Willow could appeal only to those who love cheesy adventure movies. Like me. My DVD shelf has a special section that now holds Willow, The Princess Bride, Krull, Legend, The Beastmaster, and The Sword and the Sorcerer. Regardless of how familiar or unintentionally silly, I’ve always had a soft spot for the “quest flick”. Although Willow is certainly a sloppy and intermittently goofy flick, it still holds enough charm, excitement and good humor to please fans of this type of movie.
Diminutive actor Warwick Davis does a solid job playing the unlikely hero, and Val Kilmer (back before he turned into a miserable grump) has a whole lot of fun as a barbarian named Madmartigan. Director Ron Howard stages a few great chases and escapes, and there’s a cool dragon that shows up near the end. Some of the more entertaining moments are of the unintentional variety, particularly Jean Marsh’s scene-chewing turn as the evil Queen Bavmorda. All in all, Willow might not be a very good movie, but it’s often fun to watch...especially if you have a few kids in the house.
DVD Details:
Though it’s not a fully-loaded Special Edition, this DVD contains a handful of pretty cool goodies.
First up is a full-length audio commentary with actor Warwick Davis. Though Mr. Davis repeats a bit of information here and there, this is quite an entertaining track. Davis obviously has a lot of affection for this movie, and it makes for a commentary that’s full of informational tidbits and anecdotes.
Willow: The Making of an Adventure is a “behind the scenes” piece from 1988 that works as half “puff piece” and half on-set/interview segments. Fans of the movie may find some interesting nuggets, but this featurette isn’t as fascinating as Willow: Morf to Morphing, which briefly covers the early history of CGI technology. After seeing what went on with the FX crews of Willow, you’ll be impressed to learn that this movie was one of the first trailblazers in the area of modern movie magic.
Aside from the commentary and both featurettes, you’ll also find a stills gallery, two theatrical teasers, one trailer and eight TV spots.I’m not exactly sure why these mildly silly adventure flicks always seem to become “cult classics”, but it’s nice to see that the studios are listening to what the fans want to see. If you can still watch Willow with that intangible “gee whiz” feeling, then you should definitely pick this one up. Casual fans should give it a rent.
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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=918&reviewer=128
originally posted: 05/24/02 11:07:15
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USA
20-May-1988 (PG)
UK
N/A
Australia
02-Sep-1988
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