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Willow (1988)
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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
Reviews for Willow
It works better as a portfolio for ILM techies than an example of such hoary entertainment standards as acting, screenwriting, plotting, and direction.
Although the dragon is a fantastic early computer generated creation and must have cost a bundle to design, the film itself is too long, too slowly paced, and not very intelligent.
The big budget can't conceal the fact that this fiction is fallow, more rootbound than spellbound.
...high production values, elaborate sets, and gorgeous cinematography make it worth seeing at least once. Yet, I found in it no compelling reasons for a revisit.
Though children will mostly be enthralled by the spectacles, even they might notice the weak story protruding through the industrial magic.
A sloppy and intermittently goofy flick, but it still holds enough charm, excitement and good humor to please quest fans.
It isn't without significant flaws, but overall an effective and memorable fantasy spectacle.
This is how I always figured the project got started: ILM called Ron, and said 'Ronnnnnnn, we're BORED.'
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