Barnes & Noble

Forget about Hobbits and rings -- for rousing action, fantasy, and romance, you need look no further than Willow, an entrancing adventure that has all the attributes of first-rate swords-and-sorcery fare. Once upon a time, we’re told, there was an evil sorceress and queen (Jean Marsh), who ordered the deaths of all the kingdom’s infants to eliminate the royal-born successor to the throne. It falls to a diminutive sorcerer’s apprentice named Willow (Warwick Davis) to protect the baby girl who could someday be a princess. In defense of his tiny charge he enlists the aid of a roguish adventurer (Val Kilmer), and the oddball twosome ward off attacks led by the evil queen’s feisty daughter (Joanne Whalley). Directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13) and adapted from a story by George Lucas, Willow lacks for nothing in terms of production: Its sets, costumes, and special effects are all top-drawer, and its well-cast principal players enact their roles with panache. Most important, though, the film never betrays the condescension or cynicism that mars all too many fantasy movies -- and it’s this unsullied fairy-tale quality that makes Willow ideal family entertainment. The newly remastered version now available on DVD includes a commentary by Howard, an all-new documentary on the film’s making, a photo gallery, theatrical trailers, and TV spots. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Though Willow was one of director Ron Howard's few box-office disappointments, it definitely deserves a second look. At once an epic celebration and a gentle spoof of the sword-and-sorcery genre, the film concerns the efforts by little person Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) to protect a sacred infant from the machinations of a wicked queen (Jean Marsh). One source book has assessed the picture as a combination of The Ten Commandments and Snow White. This is true enough, except that neither one of those properties offered such offbeat casting choices as Billy Barty and Jean Marsh. Executive producer George Lucas has (through the conduit of screenwriter Bob Dolman) added elements of his own Star Wars saga to the stew. The results are generally satisfactory, though the film is sometimes weighed down by too much plot, and the action sequences may not be suitable for very young children. Incidentally, this is the film where co-star Val Kilmer met his future wife Joanne Whalley. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 024543026174
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, THX-Supervised Mastering
• Language: English, Español
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 2:06:00
• Sales Rank: 8,363

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