Willow is out on Blu-ray, and this fantasy film directed by Ron Howard is still loved by many. Conceived by George Lucas who gave his treatments to Bob Dolman to turn into a script, Willow is the story of a reluctant hero, yet another twist in the classic “hero’s journey” mythology that George Lucas loves so much.
Released theatrically in 1988, the film made money but wasn’t the hit many expected. Critically it received a mixed reaction, but over the years more and more people seem to come out of the woodwork (so to speak) to offer up their own praises for the film in the form of their own enjoyment from “back then” either as a kid when the film was first shown in theaters or perhaps on cable or VHS.
Now a new generation of kids get to see the film, this time with their parents who presumably still regard the film fondly. Is that good feeling misplaced? Is the mixed critical reception something of a misguided skew on the film by some who didn’t understand it?
I don’t know. Here’s what I found when I placed the film in my player.
George Lucas can come up with a great story. As with The Empire Strikes Back and the Star Wars prequels, we know that having him write a script based on his own material is not a good idea. Here Bob Dolman writes the script based on Lucas’ treatment, and the result is a story that is populated with characters that feel real. Sure, it’s a fantasy with magic and such, but there is a grounding in reality that permeates through the characters the viewer can resonate with.
Another thing that struck me was how the story paralleled much of the original Star Wars. There’s the reluctant hero, a rogue who is only concerned for himself, a comic relief duo, a princess, a visit to a place that is similar to Mos Eisley, and other plot points. Plenty of differences to be sure, but you could tell this was a George Lucas story.
Plenty of special effects, and some are a bit dated, particularly those around Rick Overton and Kevin Pollak as miniscule Brownies when they are on the same screen as the more “human” sized characters. This is due to the limited screen technology of the time, and since almost all of the special effects are “practical” (created in front of the camera) Willow holds up better than some might imagine.
I was a little surprised at some of the scary images and some grown-up themes in Willow. For a “kid’s” movie there are some elements that are very much not necessarily kid-friendly. It’s a good film that is appropriate for families with older kids, say 6 or so. It definitely earns the “PG” rating.
Special features are decent with a few older pieces and some new stuff. There’s some deleted scenes, star Warwick Davis’ video diary, a look at the special effects, and a general “making of” featurette. All total there’s just over an hour’s worth of content. Missing is an audio commentary. Having Lucas and Howard in the booth would have been interesting, and perhaps some picture in picture with concept art and storyboards.
On Blu-ray the film looks great, much better than I remember it being. As a story it’s familiar but fun enough to watch. It’s not the best effort by all involved, but certainly worthwhile. It is entertaining enough for the adults and kids will certainly find it enjoyable.