Absolute favourite film of all time. Val nearly manages to steal the show with his rugged good looks and lovable comic relief. However I will always be a loyal fan of the ever genuine and talented Warwick Davis.

Some would call it wannabe Lord of the Rings. Not really though, just because it has wizards, trolls and a quest. Not like they are throwing the baby off mount doom lol.
I always loved it due to the action, fantasy, cast and of course the score by James Horner. Critics called it disappointing due to expecting more from George Lucas and Ron Howard.
If only they had a time machine. It’s definitely a better George Lucas written movie than Phantom Menace and Crystal Skull. A lot less disappointing as well.
The deleted scenes shown in the bonus features should have been kept in the movie though. Sorsha really needed that backstory to why she suddenly becomes good.

Watched it because Dan from game grumps recommended it, not disappointed and not amazed, better than a great deal of the fantasy movies out there.

Never seen this movie since recently. Can't believe I never heard about it until recently!!

Solid world building and storytelling! Movie really holds up even now and sets the tone for the entire series. Warwick Davis we love you!

I remember my 1988 boyfriend enjoying this much more than I did at the time. I’ve just rewatched this because I want to give the 2022 series a go… oh dear. This is even worse than I remember. My favorite parts as an adult, watching alone without a boyfriend pawing me in the dark… er… ah… hmm. Jean Marsh, now who I know who she was. More evil queen Bavmorda, please. That wizard’s duel turned into a physical brawl- worth a giggle. But this film is both darker than I remember and much less charming, with little to redeem it. Should I even bother with the series?

Fantastic cinema of elves and fairies.

:heart:x6
So - I figured I should probably rewatch this movie as a new Willow series is coming out soon.
Sadly, this movie might actually be a little worse than I remembered it to be.
This felt like a B-movie (at best) trying its darndest to imitate a blockbuster movie.
The comedy felt out of place and lacking. The dialogue was simple. The story itself was average at best. The music felt completely out of place. James Horner (composer) seemed to be channeling Star Wars, Star Trek, and Indiana Jones themes, and it all just felt off.

I have higher hopes for the new Willow series coming out. Hopefully, it will have deeper, richer characters and storyline.

How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!

A pretty good story, full of action and adventures! And a brilliant soundtrack.

I don't remember watching this movie in my childhood, but I assume the F/X were top notch at the time. Sure they look extremely aged now... but so do I :zany_face:

The acting, however... specially in the fighting scenes, oh my. It looks like a highschool play rather than a Hollywood movie :joy:

I hadn't seen this in almost twenty years, and that's probably for the best. Since it's very clearly postured as a children's movie, I can't dock too many points if it's overly silly, hokey and naïve, but I do suddenly feel quite sorry for dragging my folks out to see it all those summers ago. Simply put, it's not one of those kid's movies that parents will be surprised to enjoy just as much as their little ones.

Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis have a strange sort of charm that manages to shine through the wooden dialog and dated special effects, and the plot has the optimistic, adventurous core of a classic fairy tale, so it's not like there's a total lack of positives. But it also borrows heavily from Tolkien, paling badly by comparison, and it pushes the limits of suspended disbelief too far on more than one occasion. George Lucas's influence is all over the screen, too, from the excessively playful tone to the heavy-handed wipe transitions and stiff, overly proper reparteé. If you've ever wondered what a Hobbit might look like on Endor, this is your ticket.

From George Lucas and Ron Howard comes the beloved fantasy classic, Willow. The tale follows an aspiring sorcerer named Willow Ufgood who embarks on a quest to save a child of prophecy from the evil Queen Bavmorda. Warwick Davis, Val Kilmar, and Joanne Whalley all give good performances; especially Davis, for whom this would become a seminal role. The story is pretty derivative (especially of Star Wars) but the characters are quite interesting and a lot of fun. However, the special effects are rather dated, which weakens the film somewhat. But, James Horner’s whimsical score keeps the film moving and gives it a strong fantasy theme. Willow is an epic, magical adventure that’s fun for all ages.

I loved this movie as a kid, then went on to make fun of it for the rest of the years that followed. That's unfair, as this is a solid fantasy film. Light, fun, engaging, with a good sense of adventure, even if it kind of feels like Lord of the Rings light. The effects are crazy impressive, especially for an 80s film.

Somehow I've never gotten around to seeing this epic fantasy film from my childhood. I guess I just haven't heard enough positive talk about it, other than from one person who loves it. Well that person was sorta right, it is an entertaining watch. Not exactly an amazing film, but the goofiness and interesting effects are certainly fun with a group of people at the viewing. I wouldn't tell you to spend a lonely night with it, but if you're into light hearted fantasy then round up a group and begin your magical expedition.

Oh, and the baby is the best actor in this film. Hands down.

Best Fantasy Movie of My Childhood

3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Willow’:

1. The story itself was whimsical, yet generally mediocre. Predictable fantasy fare. But Warwick Davis is a legend. It was nice seeing him at the forefront of a film.

2. The villainous queen could’ve used a little more backstory. What exactly made her a threat? Yeah, she was clearly a powerful, evil biotch, but we never learned her intentions. There were no defined stakes should she have won.

3. When Willow used magic on the first troll, that was absolutely and unexpectedly grotesque.

I enjoyed it, but I think there is an issue with the pacing, because it felt a lot longer than 2 hours.

For a kids adventure movie this gets most things right. The acting, locations, stunts, humour and score are impressive for the time it was made. I think its Achilles heel are the combat scenes. There's just no real flow to them and they look very staged. I loved it as a kid and I love it just as much 3 decades later.

Just rewatched for the first time in 20+ years as a refresh for the new series. It holds up! Loved it back then, still enjoyable now.

[Disney+] Recycling of classic adventure stories that leans on Tolkien to use numerous literary references, from "Gulliver's Travels" to biblical chronicles. An adventure film directed by Ron Howard, who is directed by George Lucas, which has lost now some of its original strength but none of his charm, with a charismatic Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer carrying the clone of Han Solo to ground closer to Errol Flynn and a thrillingly beautiful score by James Horner that sounds closer to Prokofiev than ever before.