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Willow (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
20 May 1988 (USA) moreTagline:
Adventure doesn't come any bigger than this. morePlot:
A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 9 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(9 articles)
Great New Promo Spot for Ron Howard's Angels and Demons (From FirstShowing.net. 12 April 2009, 7:38 PM, PDT)
Discuss: Ron Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and 'Gung Ho'
(From Cinematical. 26 March 2009, 4:15 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A very well done fantasy flick moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Val Kilmer | ... | Madmartigan | |
| Joanne Whalley | ... | Sorsha | |
| Warwick Davis | ... | Willow Ufgood | |
| Jean Marsh | ... | Queen Bavmorda | |
| Patricia Hayes | ... | Fin Raziel | |
| Billy Barty | ... | High Aldwin | |
| Pat Roach | ... | Gen. Kael | |
| Gavan O'Herlihy | ... | Airk Thaughbaer | |
| David Steinberg | ... | Meegosh | |
| Phil Fondacaro | ... | Vohnkar | |
| Tony Cox | ... | Vohnkar warrior | |
| Robert Gillibrand | ... | Vohnkar warrior | |
| Mark Northover | ... | Burglekutt | |
| Kevin Pollak | ... | Rool | |
| Rick Overton | ... | Franjean |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
126 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Rankcolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 moreCertification:
Ireland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:All | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Brazil:LivreFun Stuff
Trivia:
WILHELM SCREAM: Heard twice. As the soldiers' chariot crashes during the chase scene and he is sent flying. And when the Brownies trigger the large spear shooter that hits several soldiers. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Two of the devil dogs attack the Nelwyn village, one is cornered and killed by the Vohnkar warriors. At the counsel shortly after, Burglekutt states, "One beast we can kill." Since it seems uncharacteristic of these creatures to abandon their quarry, what happened to the other one? moreQuotes:
Madmartigan: [crying] I guess I am gonna die here. Who cares?Willow: [offers him a cup of water] Here.
Madmartigan: [Immediately recovering] Thanks, friend.
Willow: What's that?
[Sees a mass of soldiers on horses approaching]
Madmartigan: I'd say two or three hundred horses, five or six wagons... and about a thousand fools.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Freddy's Nightmares: The Light at the End of the Tunnel (#1.20)" (1989) moreFAQ
I have heard several people say that willow was really a tall person (6'1"), but through the magic of film, he was reduced down to 3'1". Is this true, or is this just another tall tale (pun intended)?more
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Being a university history major, trained to examine documents and videos for hidden meanings, and imbued with a skeptical and analytical mind, one might expect that someone like me wouldn't appreciate this kind of film. It's one dimensional, it plays on typical fantasy stereotypes, and it doesn't really have anything that previous fantasy films didn't except for... style.
Yes, I consider this a stylish film. Mostly because even after 'growing up', I can still watch this film and be as wrapped up in the story and characters as I was when I was a little boy. It's formulaic plot and generally one-dimensional characters are a large part of that reason - the film makes no pretensions of being something it isn't. It's honest, a quality lacking in so very many films these days which seem to be produced only to suit the latest fashion.
The characters are all well acted - there's no ham acting to be found here in my opinion. Clearly, the actors had fun with the roles and gave them as much life as they could. Madmartigan is man with a dark past, clearly an anti-hero redeemed by the end of the film. Airk, the 'good' general is everything one expects in a 'knight in shining armor' - chivalrous, dedicated, brave. Bavmorda is the quintessential 'wicked witch', scheming, maniacal, obsessed with power. It is these characters that play so well into the average person's conception of fantasy fare that is precisely what makes the film a success - it entertains us because it knows what we like, and what we expect to see, and then delivers it with action and a bombastic musical score.
Critics panned it for being unoriginal, but being original wasn't the point of this movie. The point was to entertain, to make us thrill to a tale of high adventure of dragons, of far away lands, of swords and sorcery. On this account, no other fantasy film (with the possible exception of Conan the Barbarian) has ever done this so exceedingly well.