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Movies / On DVD / Willow
Willow

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Willow (1988)

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48 %
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Reviews Counted:25

Fresh:12

Rotten:13

Average Rating:5.6/10

Consensus: Good production value and decent special effects, but the story is too insipid and slowly paced.

Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: Based on a story by STAR WARS creator George Lucas, WILLOW is director Ron Howard's fantasy world of medieval adventure. WILLOW stars Val Kilmer as Madmartigan, a swashbuckling warrior, and Warwick... Based on a story by STAR WARS creator George Lucas, WILLOW is director Ron Howard's fantasy world of medieval adventure. WILLOW stars Val Kilmer as Madmartigan, a swashbuckling warrior, and Warwick Davis as the title character. In a mythical kingdom, the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) plots to kill all infants so that the newborn princess, Elora, will never take over the throne. But a midwife sets the baby adrift in a river, and she is rescued by Willow, a farmer in Nelwyn, a peaceful village of trolls, fairies, and little folk. Willow and Madmartigan begin a quest to deliver the baby from evil while being chased by Queen Bavmorda's daughter, Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), sent to bring the baby back to Nockmaar. Director Howard benefited from his affiliation with George Lucas on the film--Lucas's company, Industrial Light and Magic, contributed the Oscar-nominated special effects. Lucas, the executive producer of WILLOW, went on to create a series of books based on the world of WILLOW, the SHADOW WAR series. [More]

Starring: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Billy Barty, Jean Marsh

Starring: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Billy Barty, Jean Marsh, Joanne Whalley, Patricia Hayes, Pat Roach, Gavan O'Herlihy, Kevin Pollak, Rick Overton

Director: Ron Howard

Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Bob Dolman
Story: George Lucas
Producer: Nigel Wooll
Composer: James Horner

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Willow

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Nice fantasy adventure, looking pretty dated now, but ably helmed by Ron Howard.

comment Comment
01/10/09
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

Magic-filled fantasy adventure for tweens and up.

Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | comment Comment
10/22/07
Pam Gelman
Pam Gelman
Common Sense Media

No review available.

comment Comment
06/10/06
Boyd van Hoeij
Boyd van Hoeij
european-films.net
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

As a movie, it's a hell of a video game

comment Comment
10/22/05
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat

No review available.

comment Comment
07/29/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
07/03/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/05/05
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

It isn't without significant flaws, but overall an effective and memorable fantasy spectacle.

comment Comment
10/21/04
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

No review available.

comment Comment
10/03/04
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

No review available.

comment Comment
02/08/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
11/14/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

This is how I always figured the project got started: ILM called Ron, and said 'Ronnnnnnn, we're BORED.'

comment Comment
09/23/03
Widgett Walls
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gad.

comment Comment
12/29/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
12/12/02
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/12/02
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
Showbizz.net
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
09/17/02
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

No review available.

comment Comment
07/31/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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