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Summary: For the whole family...
Review: Willow is an original, visceral odyssey to be enjoyed by young and old alike. The amazing worlds created for this epic movie are as real as our own. The Elwins and the Brownies both have unique and individual lifestyles and personality types. It's a pure joy, every time I watch it. Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis have a great kinship, and the laughs never stop.This DVD version has wonderful behind the scenes photography and a special "making of" documentary. It is well worth the price of admission, to be able to watch the magic again and again.
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Summary: So what if it is a kids movie?
Review: This movie is just fun. I remember going to see thing thing when I was 10. I liked it then I like it now, good family movie.
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Summary: Great Fantasy Movie!!
Review: "Hello everybody, we have arrived!!" It's about time they released this for us to buy!! I have been looking for this for years in regular video shops & used bins, but haven't had any luck!! I saw this soon after it was first released on video around 1989. I wasn't much of a fantasy fan then, but then again as a pre-teen, I'm not sure what my favorite kind of movies were. I was reluctant in seeing it, but my best-friend made me watch it....& I'm so glad she did!! It immediately joined our list of movies to rotate & watch on the weekends, & shortly we had watched it so much we could quote many parts!! Even if there had been spells of not watching it for months or even years, we could still quote it & laugh fondly on the parts we loved so much. I particularly enjoyed it because of its mix of humor and fighting & fantasy. It has a good mix of light & dark moments, funny to serious, sentimental to non-sentimental, the list goes on. Many fantasy movies are great, but prefering comedy over most types of movies, this combination of moods & elements works best for me. No doubt, the technology has certainly come along since this movie was made, especially after seeing 'Lord of the Rings' recently, but it served its purpose at the time. I'll save you the plot summary [...]. The characters are memorable, & if you ask me, a little more realistic in ways than on many other adventure movies I've seen where the characters hardly say a word. The bickering between Willow & Madmartigan & the Brownies & Razelle has a mix of humor (esp. with the hilarious brownies, "I stole the baby!!"), sarcasm ("You're a great sorcerer...& I'm the king of Kashmere"), & realism to remind you that they are human & not just blindly tugging along on the long journey. The queen Bavmorda plays the typical bad guy out to destroy the baby, & a relative even remarked how similar she looks to the queen on Snow White. [...]. Great to watch with kids because there are hardly any uncomfortable moments, esp. if they've been exposed to other types of movies with more of an SLV nature. The swearing is pretty minimal, hardly sexually suggestive at all, & it just mostly has some violence, which isn't that gory either. Do yourself a favor & get this movie to watch over & over!!
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Summary: Willow
Review: This movie is better than Lord of the Rings, and shorter too. Willow is a little fellow who unwittingly stumbles upon THE baby destined to save the world. Not for kids under 7, there are some scary scenes, but a movie you will definitely watch over and over. Very exciting and full of adventure.
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Summary: The epic that wasn't
Review: Willow. This was the film that was supposed to redefine the sword and sorcery genre. Backed by a huge budget, George Lucas and Ron Howard were set to recapture the spirit of Star Wars. However, it wasn't meant to be. Instead, Willow was trounced by Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988. Viewing the film after all these years, I remember why. Willow failed because it committed a great sin: it was dull. And worse, it is relentlessly ordinary. There was so much room in this film for great fantasy moments and sights unseen, but instead we got flat and underwhelming actions scenes that failed to make-up for the films terribly slow pace; indeed, the sequence at the Daikini Crossroads NEVER seemed to end. Other moments were wasted potential: the rescue of a powerful sorceress, Fin Raziel, was far too easy. Where was the danger? The challenge? The monsters? The end of the film demanded an epic battle between the forces of good and evil waged between two mighty armies, but instead we got........pigs. If that wasn't bad enough, comic relief is provided by two Brownies who are so unfunny, they pull the viewer right out of the film. A disaster. What action and fantasy the film does provide not only struggles to overcome its borrowed origins, it lacks suspense or any sense of fun. A wagon chase? A barroom brawl? A giant snow ball? YAWN. Even the final duel between the Queen and Fin Raziel is totally hackneyed. Ice? Fire? Please! The acting is decent, however, with Kilmer offering a vivid performance as Madmartigan. Unfortunately, but not surprising with this film, it took far too long for Kilmer to pick up a sword. Surprisingly, the FX in Willow have not aged well. Compare them to Star Wars (1977!), and they look downright terrible. Shocking. For all the skill and money this production had, there was no excuse. Over the years Willow has built up a large cult following. Thankfully for the rest of us, we have been rewarded with Lord of the Rings.
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Summary: Willow Whoa!
Review: This great film will truly give any kid, and even adults a sense of adventure. I'm giving this film 5 stars for its sheer originality and great effects!
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Summary: a classic
Review: I remember watching this as a kid over and over on vhs. Now thats it on dvd im ecstatic....nough said. The greatest video of my childhood.
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Summary: Long Ago, In A Galaxy Perhaps Far Away...
Review: When Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon in 1969, the whole world paused; now such things are second nature to everyone, veritably taken for granted as more and more science fiction becomes reality every day. In 1977, when George Lucas made "Star Wars," it turned the cinematic universe on it's ear with it's scope and vision, offering things neither seen nor experienced by anyone before; now his accomplishments are virtually taken for granted, his vision dismissed by many with a shrug. But in this original story by Lucas, that vision is captured once again and proffered to the world via the magic of the movies, in "Willow," directed by Ron Howard. A long time ago, in a galaxy perhaps far, far away, a baby comes into the care of the elvish Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) and his wife, Kaiya (Julie Peters). The infant bears the birthmark of the one prophesied to come who will put an end to the tyrannical rule of the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). But the Queen, too, knows of the prophecy and is seeking the baby bearing the telltale mark. For the sake of his village, as well as the safety of the child, it falls to Willow to transport the baby to a safe haven beyond the boundaries of his land and the reach of Queen Bavmorda. So Willow sets out upon his journey, and along the way finds an ally-- maybe-- in the person of the self-proclaimed "World's greatest swordsman," Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), and together (sort of) they embark upon an adventure that will ultimately lead them to a final confrontation with the evil Queen herself. With some help from George Lucas, Ron Howard delivers this highly imaginative tale-- which bears that unmistakable Lucas touch-- with a touch of magic of his own. A showcase of special F/X-- it pioneered the "morphing" technique so vital to the success of films like "The Abyss" (filmed one year after this one) and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)-- it is nevertheless decidedly not a "special F/X" movie. The F/X, though a big part of the film, to be sure, do not supersede the story. And because of that, it makes that necessary emotional connection with the characters possible, and takes the whole film to a higher level. A big part of what has made Lucas and Howard so successful, in fact, is that innate ability of being able to tap into the humanity of any given story (With Lucas, for example, his "American Graffiti" and even "THX-1138," and Howard's "Parenthood," "Night Shift" and "Apollo 13") and knowing how to convey it to their audience. It's the difference between being a true filmmaker, and just someone to whom an opportunity is handed who simply hasn't the insight or sense of human nature to know what to do with it (Like Adam Shankman with "The Wedding Planner," Jeff Franklin's "Love Stinks," Nick Gomez with "Drowning Mona" or Peter Ho-sun Chan's "The Love Letter." All movies that suffered greatly because of their director's inability to do what Lucas and Howard do so proficiently and seemingly with facility). In the title role, Warwick Davis does a good job of bringing Willow to life, as does Val Kilmer in the flashier role of Madmartigan. Joanne Whalley does a decent turn as Sorsha, daughter of the evil Queen, but is overshadowed by the deliciously sinister rendering of Bavmorda by Jean Marsh, whose wickedness is shamefully delightful. In a supporting role, however-- and with extremely limited screen time-- it is Julie Peters who really captures the attention with a sincere and affecting performance as Kaiya. She has such a pure and natural manner that it's hard to believe this is an actor playing a part; the realism she achieves, in fact, can be compared to that of Harriet Andersson in any one of a number of Ingmar Bergman's films. Her ability is a true gift that endows her with a quality and a presence that would make her an asset to any film, as she certainly is here. And it's a shame she has apparently never been afforded the opportunity of plying her craft more-- "Willow" is her only feature film. It's a singular success, however, and one of which she can be proud. Her portrayal of Kaiya goes far in demonstrating the positive effect a supporting role can have on a film, especially when it's this well acted. The supporting cast includes Patricia Hayes (Fin Raziel), Billy Barty (High Aldwin), Pat Roach (General Kael), Gavan O'Herlihy (Airk), David Steinberg (Meegosh), Mark Northover (Burglekutt), Kevin Pollak (Rool), Rick Overton (Franjean) and Maria Holvoe (Cherlindrea). With an intelligent screenplay by Bob Dolman and original music by James Horner, "Willow" is an entertaining, enlightening film, rich in characterization and metaphor, with a subtle message and a moral that unobtrusively makes a statement about diversity and the value of an individual's contributions to the society of which he is a part; as well as the fact that one person can, indeed, make a difference. Visually stunning, too, it's a transporting experience truly filled with magic, and a journey definitely worth taking.
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Summary: So lame it makes Jurassic Park III look like a classic
Review: Anyone old enough to remember the world before Star Wars should avoid this movie.Although it contained state of the art FX (like JP III), it's script is one boring rip off of many classic fairy tales , retold badly.It's the primer for how not to use "Great FX" to stop the story from engaging the audience.If you are an FX fanantic and really want to check them out just fast foward through the un-"dramatic" dialogue.
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Summary: Fantasy - Supreme
Review: This movie was well done. A very good and rich fantasy story and something for the whole family. A fairy tale colorful told.
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