Review of Willow (1988) by Jon T — 23 Mar 2013

When a mysterious baby drifts toward his village, aspiring dwarf sorcerer Willow finds himself on a wild adventure as he strives to protect the child from an evil queen. WILLOW has been unfairly attacked by critics, declaring it to be a rip-off of STAR WARS and J.

R.R. Tolkien (part of this being that this movie was helmed by George Lucas). While there are some elements of derivativeness at various points (although to harp on such "similarities" would almost take away the film's entertainment value), WILLOW exudes a charm of its own, thanks to some expertly directed action-scenes, deliciously campy humor (provided by two miniature size "brownies"), and fine performances, particularly from Val Kilmer as the swaggering swordsman Madmartigan and Warwick Davis as Willow himself.

James Horner's music is also a plus. The special effects by ILM are variable in places, but hold up fairly well for the most part. There are a couple of scary scenes that may be too intense for youngsters: a fight with a two-headed beast and a frightening bit where an entire army is turned into pigs, but for the most part this is a film that anyone of any age can enjoy.

WILLOW deserved a far better fate than what it was accorded for in 1988, so it's refreshing to see that it has its legions of fans. As an escapist fantasy, it's no LORD OF THE RINGS, but it's great fun.