CNN
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Disney’s press materials refer to the original 1988 film “Willow” as a “beloved one,” although to its admirers it feels like a nostalgic bloat of a rather generic fantasy masterminded by George Lucas for Ron Howard early directorial showcase. All that aside, the Disney+ revival series isn’t without its charm, bringing back Warwick Davis in a more modern narrative while focusing on the next generation.
The series begins by recounting the events of the film, with Davis’s simple farmer Willow transformed into a wizard and joining a fierce battle to protect a baby who carries the fate of the kingdom on his shoulders, and in the shadow of the swordsman Madema. Overcome the ancient evil and (eventually) Princess Sosha with the help of Teagan. The latter were played by Val Kilmer and Joanne Wiley respectively, and as an off-screen bonus, they got married after the film.
Kilmer remains out of the picture amid her battle with cancer, but Whaley returns as a now-queen and mother of two wayward adult children who take on roles in a mythical mission that requires a journey across a dangerous land. to thwart the evil old woman.
As for the aforementioned baby Elora Danan, she was raised with anonymity a la Sleeping Beauty to protect her, though her identity (undisclosed spoilers) soon Just be known. The mission includes a colorful band with plenty of young relationship issues, including Princess Kit (Ruby Cruz), who has a crush on the knight tasked with training her (Erin Kellyman, whose credits include Lou Cass Film’s Solo: A Star Wars Story); Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel) is an irreverent brawler in the Madmartigan mold.
Jonathan Kasdan (who also worked on Solo) serves as showrunner, working with four directors, each of whom oversees the series on an ongoing basis. In its construction, “Willow” draws heavily from the original while incorporating gorgeous elements reminiscent of the “Lord of the Rings” films, including plenty of sweeping green countryside and rich, occasionally quite violent action.
As is the case with the ever-growing sub-genre of extended series sequels, this Willow feels like it’s spinning its wheels at times, spending a lot of time guiding the now older Elora into mastering her powers, as he did in ” Willow” played a role. While Kilmer’s absence left a sizable hole, Kasdan and company did a pretty good job of filling it, including the late arrival of another Knight (Christian Slater), Madmartigan shared some history with him.
In addition to the modern-sounding dialogue and scenes, the story does feature a lot of fun irreverence and humor in the action sequences and well-choreographed fantasy production design. The latter in particular shows that this revival is no small thing, and to its credit, the money finally seems to be making its way onto the screen.
While this combination doesn’t make “Willow” any more worthy of the “lovable” label than its late ’80s predecessor, it’s easy to like.
“Willow” will premiere on Disney+ on November 30.
