Willow

"Magic is the bloodstream of the universe. Forget all you know, or think you know. All that you require is your intuition." - High Aldwin

release year: 1988
genre: fantasy adventure
viewing setting: home Bluray 3/28/23 and home laserdisc 9/8/97

synopsis: A variety of characters endeavor to help a magical infant survive to fulfill her destiny and free the world from evil.

impressions: This is a great fantasy epic, with a wide range of both heroes and villains and a number of memorable scenes. One moral of its story: you don't have to be the biggest or strongest to be a hero. There are fight scenes, chase scenes, humor, romance...and it's all tied together by a simple mission: protect a baby from the evil forces that are spreading across the land.

acting: Warwick Davis shines as the small but brave hero Willow, and Val Kilmer also stands out as the wisecracking but inherently noble human warrior Madmartigan. Joanne Whalley is a warrior-woman, and Jean Marsh is her evil sorceress mother. Kevin Pollak and Rick Overton are the two tiny but boisterous brownies. Gavan O'Herlihy (who was the main punk in Death Wish 3 a few years before this movie) is a general fighting a losing battle against the evil forces.

final word: It's got everything: action, an epic quest, great evil, neat heroes, magic...a good tale for kids of all ages.

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