Willow! I watched this one solely because I wanted to watch the show and wow!!! This movie was so much fun! The set pieces, the imagination and the SCORE were all amazing and made for such a fun film!!!! Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)
Great reaction. I was fifteen when this came out and a fan of the LOTR books, Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy books. This was one of the rare big budget fantasy realm movies of the eighties. I crushed on Joanne Whalley as Sorsha and had a poster of her on my wall. Val Kilmer fell in love with her too and they were married for many years after.
I cannot get over the fact that Warwick Davis was all of *_17_*_ years old_ when he filmed this. He is so convincing as a husband and father; and he was in his TEENS.
I’m aging myself here but I had Willow and The Princess Bride on the same vhs tape when I was a kid. Talk about a charming fantasy movie double feature. Also, love your reaction to the “Madmartigan avalanche” moment. That always cracks me up
Love Warwick Davis (Willow) - his first movie was Return of the Jedi; he played the ewok that finds princess leia in the forest. Of course he's done much more since then. loved this movie as a 10 year old kid
The 2 headed creature at the end was called an Eborsisk, after 2 movie critics who gave somewhat negative reviews of an advance screening of the film. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.
Yes, this movie is somewhat derivative of Tolkien but it’s still a lot of fun. The woman who played Bavmorda is Jean Marsh, who was a prolific actress and creator. She co-created the series Upstairs, Downstairs, was one of the earlier companions on Dr Who, and also got to play the evil Princess Mombi in Return to Oz.
To be fair this film only exists because George Lucas couldn't get the rights to The Lord of the Rings and he'd already started production work on it so he made it into Willow instead.
Back in the 80s they made video games out of movies. Now they make tv shows out of movies. Warwick is a great actor. This was the first film he was in without a costume.
I believe Willow was not a flop, exactly, but definitely not as big a hit as had been hoped. I would say that PG children's movies did tend to get a lot darker in the '80s than what one sees now.
It looks like a Daikini baby. Willow is a classic that is wonderfully written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard. Great reaction! I’m looking forward to the sequel series.
Willow will always have a place in my heart. It's so simple but so charming, all the characters are fantastic and the score is amazing (James Horner baby!). Kevin Pollock as Rool is too funny, and I'm glad he's in the show (even if just for one scene). My only complaint about the upcoming show is that they waited so long. Val Kilmer's health will prevent him from being anything but a Madmartigan cameo ☹
@@asarishepard8171 I love that they went all out with two old ladies throwing each other around! 😂 It must have inspired Peter Jackson for Gandalf and Saruman's smackdown
This is one of the rare fantasy action/adventure movies that actually passes the Bechdel test. Loved this movie, saw it in the theater when I was 10 years old. I do think this would be rated PG-13 today.
Yeah, this movie is a perfect smorgasbord of REAL strong women. And I love that not all of them are perfect airbrushed models. The mom who gets killed at the beginning, and the midwife who escaped with the baby are both very brave and heroic, but both totally grungy looking, which makes sense given their circumstances.
Always appreciate the James Horner love. Happy to say that I met him a few times and even got an autograph. RIP James Horner. And yeah, I saw this movie a bunch of times when I was around 10 or 11 years old. Loved it and Val Kilmer is so good in everything.
Parents generally were a lot less concerned about age appropriateness of movies at the time. The helicoptering didn't pick up until the later nineties.
23:54 - Yeah, even way before the love potion, when they first met, there was a bit of chemistry going there ("You're... beautiful" / "And you're very strong"). And, Fun Fact: in REAL LIFE the two actors, who met on this set, ended up getting married!
My favorite movie of all time ♥️ I grew up watching this. Remembered wanting to go see this in theaters but we didn't have enough money to go see it. So my mom made it up to me buying it on VHS then taking me to go see Batman in 1989.
"What are you doing?" "I found some blackroot. She loves it." "Blackroot? I'm the father of two children, and you never, ever give a baby blackroot." "Well my mother raised us on it. It's good for you! It put's hair on your chest, right Sticks?" "Her name is not Sticks! She's Elora Danan, the future empress of Tir Asleen and the last thing she's gonna want is a hairy chest!" Fun Fact: George Lucas specifically wrote this film for Warwick Davis after meeting him on the set of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (1983). Basic Fantasy Training Fact: In preparation for the movie, Warwick Davis had to learn a modified accent, how to take care of a baby, how to ride a horse, how to sword fight, and how to perform magic. Baby Actress Fact: Because of slow production during filming, the babies outgrew the props and the baby carrier that Willow had on his back, so they needed a new baby quickly. The second assistant director, Gerry Toomey, recommended his new born niece, Rebecca Bearman, although she was never credited. The scene where the baby is sick on Burglekutt was not written into the script. Willow walked with a limp which gave Rebecca motion sickness. When she was lifted up, she threw up over his head, and it was so funny they kept it in the film.
Oliver, here are a few other fantasies which you may like: - Time Bandits (featuring a former James Bond in a prominent role) - The Neverending Story - Mio in the Land of Faraway (featuring a former Bond villain in a prominent role)
That you get some LOTR vibes makes perfect sense. Some of the locations were filmed in New Zealand! Just as LOTR was entirely. I have no idea if Lucas had any inspiration from Tolkien at all or it it's just pure luck the similarities are there, but one can not really enter the fantasy genre & not be inspired by Tolkien regardless.
Not luck. Lucas tried to get the rights to LORT and then didn't and specifically ripped off LOTR writing this. (Fine by me, frankly; zero shade. *Love* this flick deeply!)
I read once that George Lucas originally wanted to make Star Wars with Little People, but didn't see how he could do it, so Willow was his answer to that desire. I saw this in the movie theater and I thought it was AMAMZING! I'm so glad to see that it is still as enjoyable as it ever was and ages so well for other generations.
I'm so glad you like the Brownies! They have always been a highlight of the movie for me and it's been discouraging to learn so many dislike them. The shorter brownie is played by Kevin Pollack BTW (Hockney from The Usual Suspects).
It's funny that you say that no one can resist Val. The actress that plays Sorsha married him in real life after they filmed this film! It didn't last but they met & fell in love for real here so if you see they have chemistry it's because it was real!
This movie is one of my favorites from my childhood! I think even though the movie may not done as well as everyone thought it would in theaters, BUT it became much much more hugely popular when released to video and also on TV stations at the time and still holds up well 34 years later.
I really love this movie. I think it was the first fantasy movie I ever saw. And I only watched it because as a kid I had these audiobooks which were abridged versions of famous movies back then. I remember also having the books for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tron. There was also one for Star Wars (aka Episode IV) I believe and I think 2 others. And yes, the music is also so amazing. James Horner using his signature flute. In Wrath of Khan it was a piccolo and in this one I believe it's a shakuhachi. That two head fire spewing hydra looking thing? That's the ebersisk, named after Ebert and Siskel, two famous movie critics. Another fun fact, Joanne Whalley, who is Sorsha in this movie, later married and divorced Val Kilmer; during their marriage she was usually credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer. The movie definitely has LOTR vibes but that work was so defining that any fantasy after it will be compared to it. I would love to watch the Willow TV show but I don't really feel like signing up to yet another streaming service. Maybe sometime in the future I will though.
1. Fun movie! 2. That two headed critter is all kinds of cool!😎 3. When the evil queen goes down I think, "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy" 4. Trivia time: Warwick Davis' first gig was the lead Ewok when he was only 13 years old. 5. Val Kilmer will be 62 in December. Another movie with him in it not mentioned so far is: "The Doors" where he plays Jim Morrison and does all the singing in the movie. His(and my) love interest in the movie is Meg Ryan.😍 6. IRL Kilmer and Joanne Whalley fell in love making this movie and were briefly married. 7. The brownies remind me of Lenny and Squiggy from the old "Levern and Shirley" tv show. 8. GOOF: Kaya is seen in the ending celebration then shows up with the children and acts like it's the first time she sees him.
also, catch Ridley Scotts Legend from 1985, another great fantasy live action, and also has Billy Barty in it. (hes the elder wizard of willows village )
Love your shirt dude, Sunday Morning is my kids favorite song from my vinyl collection so we have that damn Warhol banana spinning at least once a week. Also, when I was a kid this and Big Trouble in Little China were my go tos in my dads enormous "I make a VHS copy of every movie I like" collection. Normally you could fit 3 movies per tape, I probably watched waaaaaay to many rated r movies when I was little lol.
"Interior footage took place at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England, while location shooting took place in Dinorwic quarry, Wales, and New Zealand." so yeah it was partly filmed in new Zealand.
This movie really takes me back. I can't wait for the new sequel show. You're wrong about it's success. Some may have expected it to be even a bigger blockbuster since it was Lucas, but it actually made 138 million against a budget of 34 million. It also won 2 Oscars and other awards for special effects. Back then kids were much tougher then you guys now and we had no problem watching it without being terrified. Since you liked this I would suggest the movie "The Beastmaster" with Mark Singer.
Welcome to being a kid in the 80’s. So many films for kids were scary! You’ve seen gremlins! That was for kids 😂, wait till you see Return to Oz and Dark Crystal. Messed up. Disney’s Black Cauldron, the secret of nimh, no wonder so many goth teens emerge in the 90’s dark fantasy was our fuel
One of my favorite films as a child. First film I ever saw twice in a theater. Loved Madmartigan and Sorsha and how their characters seemed to inspire Jon Snow and Yigrette on Game of Thrones.
Back in 1988, we had no concept that a goofy Australian director would someday film Lord of the Rings (all we had was Ralph Bakshi’s unfinished cartoon), and so you could SEE Lucas thinking, “Gee, maybe I’ll be the one to do it! 🤓” with his pseudo-Bilbo hero. That was just the start of our realizing that the once mighty Galactic Emperor had no creative clothes, and the Prequel Trilogy was still another decade away…. 😓
Willow did well enough, but not enough to get a sequel. It grossed $137.6 million worldwide against a $35 million budget, but was not considered a blockbuster. The thing about Willow; is the charm of the movie. Like you; many felt the same; where it was okay from the start, but by the end, the movie had a hold on you.These characters are beloved; because they are written, and acted so well! You truly believe in this world, and the people in it. I can't wait for the series to start; so I can go back, and relive this world
Return of the Jedi,Gremlins,and Willow, every line, cadence,note of music is etched into my head; I know what point of the movie we're at by listening to it 😆 Love this movie,I used to watch this on repeat when it came out 😀 Warwick Davis is the best! And Val Kilmer ❤️ Madmartigan,you ARE great!!
WILLOW (1988) a PG movie so its why parents escort their kids for the scary parts. Bear in mind kids in the 80's where sitting in a smoke filled cinema with the projector light casting a beam through the haze of parents ciggy smoke, a few mild jeopardy scenes where nothing . I will say the super imposed stop motion hydra does show its age, but the pacing is good, the world building is excellent. Finally the split tone you noticed is probably more to do with the writers trying to entertain the adults while the kids laugh at pixies and enjoy the strong good vs evil quest archetypes. I am looking forward to the new TV show coming this Autumn.
This movie was absolutely gorgeous in its initial run. I remember the dreamy THX sound, the James Horner score and the lovely storybook visuals on a giant screen. Sigh.
I know this is a year after your reaction, but the actor that played the old wizard in the Nelwyn village was none other than Billy Barty, one of the most renowned dwarf actors in Hollywood.
This is one of my favorite childhood films. I saw it in the theater with my grandma and watch it on a regular basis still to this day. I can’t wait to start the new series on Disney Plus. You’re correct in a lot of your remarks in the beginning. This film was definitely ahead of its time and I think was inspiration to a lot of fantasy films to come like the LOTR trilogy. I always hoped there was going to be a sequel so it has me so excited that there’s finally a continuing story happening on a streaming service at least.
This movie kind of laid the foundation for all of the fantasy/action films to come like Dungeons & Dragons and Lord of the rings. I have no doubt that Peter Jackson drew some inspiration to make TLOTR and morph it into it's own film from the army all the way to the halflings. It all started right here. George Lucas nailed the writing! Great review!
@@Paul_Waller The Hobbit came out in 1938, with Fellowship coming in 1954 and Towers and Return in 1955. I think the OP might've been referring to the movie aspect alone.
Great fantasy adventure movie!..... One of the opening scenes where they are all traveling together a scene was filmed in Northern California w/ the waterfalls in the background!
This was my favorite movie as a kid, We didn't have Harry Potter or LOTR yet so this was the movie that got me as a kid to fall in love with the fantasy genre.
I imagine movie makers in the 80's not putting such a strong divide between movies for grown ups and movies for kids, but rather making something that could be for the whole family. Think Gremlins, Beetlejuice, Who framed Roger Rabbit, Ghostbusters, et cetera. Even though there are scary parts in there, if you have your parents/grown ups with you, that can explain things afterwards, it would work well I think. Personally I saw Willow for the first time as a 12 year old, and it has been my favourite movie ever since.
Ollie,I always enjoy your movie reactions,but this one I very much enjoyed; this movie is very special and personal to me,and I legit cried a little seeing you enjoy it so much,and vibe to the epic music ❤️❤️
Definitely a nostalgic movie from the 80s. One thing I was thinking about was had Bavmorda simply just executed Elora right away, she might have had a long and terrifying reign. By having her abducted and then ritually trying to sacrifice her, she brought her own destruction to herself. She ultimately self-fufilled her own prophecy.
Yes parts were filmed here in NZ... The Island in the lake was in NZ and the mountain snow camp and village was in NZ. The 'Lemur' was a NZ possum. Saw this as a 10 year old in the theater on my Birthday with my younger brother and best friend from school the cinema was empty except for us 3 lol, so we had the pick of the seats and the seats were pretty swanky too, big and reclining. For a long time it was in my opinion the closest we had to a LotR movie. Interestingly after the film when we got picked up by the parents, my birthday presents were in the car... a real replica long sword and a folio of Starwars concept artwork prints lol... still have both presents 33 years latter (although the swords a little worse for wear). Nice to see someone able to appreciate the VFX in context with when it was made... alot of young reactors seem to poo poo em in older movies without being able to put their mind in the time frame.
Funny that you liked the brownies... I've never been able to stand them - even when I first watched this in cinemas when it came out. Yes, parts of it were filmed in New Zealand (It was a big deal in NZ at the time - well before Lord of the Rings filmed there!) Also, when kids movies came out in the 70's & 80's they had violence and death and weren't as sanitized and "safe" as they are today by a long shot!
Kevin Pollak (Hockney from The Usual Suspects and extra guy in A Few Good Men) was the bald brownie. Weirdly he does the _best_ impressions of both William Shatner and Chris Walken.
I was in my early 20s when this came out. Only saw it because a friend in our group saw it, really liked it, so dragged us to the theater to see it. I liked it so much I in turned dragged another friend to see it a week later who also liked it. The morphing scene where the sorceress is turned back to her human form was quite impressive. The first movie to use morphing, which then got overused in the early and mid 90s giving the public burn out on the effect.
I was 7yo when this movie came out (like I said before) ,, Never game me Nightmares.. but I will admit, If anything came close to scaring me... it was the trolls! LOL At 7,,, They were disturbing!!
I used to rent out this movie constantly. I love it. But, the scene that scared me the most was when Queen Bavmorda was conducting The Rital and drained her own blood during it and had the blood in grails and cups, hence why she looked so pale and ill. Still loved it.
George Lucas did write a direct continuation to Willow in the form of a novel. I think it was intended as part of a trilogy. Don't know if he ever completed the trilogy but he did complete the first sequel and I think there was a second one. Perhaps the film was included as the first part of that trilogy as there was a novelisation of the movie, which I do own. If you care to track it down, the sequel to Willow is called Shadow Moon and was published in 1995. Don't know if it is still in print.
When Willow was released in 1988, Fantasy films were on the way out. It was only in the EARLY 1980s that fantasy films were the thing to watch. Since you liked Willow, give these gems a go: Dragonslayer (1981), The Dark Crystal (1982), Krull (1983), Conan the Destroyer (1984), and Legend (1985). None of them are “Lord of the Rings-esque” and ALL of them have memorable scores..
Sheer magic. That's really the best way to sum it all up. George Lucas's writing shines through with the characters and the worldbuilding, the cinematography is the stuff of fantasy movie legend, and James Horner's score just imbues everything with the perfect energy needed to take off and soar. Yes you absolutely want to join these characters on their journey fighting the good fight! "Willow" is truly unforgettable, and it most definitely inspired key elements for future cinema epics including The Lord of the Rings. Also, it's not that it underperformed at the box office, it did quite well in fact. However, this was still at a time when fantasy was a very niche film genre. You really had to be a game-changing blockbuster hit (like Star Wars) to warrant a sequel getting greenlit.
I was 22 at the time it came out I loved it but not loved by many. George was trying to make his version of Lord of the Rings. Watch Cocoon directed by Ron Howard music by James Horner I think you will love it.
You may find the dichotomy of the tone strange but it was pretty standard for the 1980's. Even if you look at other George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg material, most of it is pretty consistent with Willow. The fantastical and whimsical often paired with scary imagery is present in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Goonies, Dragonslayer, Legend, Poltergeist, and Gremlins. Parents didn't really start clutching their pearls until the 1990s, but for context look at most of Disney's content prior to the Little Mermaid. Dark and scary was a common component of family entertainment for most of cinema's history. Is anything here any more shocking than Harry Potter? As for why this film didn't perform better? Audiences used to listen to critics more, but the main strike against it was than the fantasy genre had difficulty finding an audience back then. You we be hard pressed to name a fantasy film that blew the doors of the box office until Lord of the Rings.
Val Kilmer, the Lady Princess is Joann Wally Val’s married her in real life .❣️Blessings to Val Kilmer he is suffering from throat cancer and is with a throat device to speak have you checked out his movies THE DOORS and TOMBSTONE, he’s the best in both movies 👍🤩🤩🤩
I can't remember what this movie was originally rated as when it first came out. But I would've slabbed a PG-13 on it if I was the one in charge at the time. That being said, this was the earliest movie that I could remember asking my dad to rent out from the local video store around the time that it hit the shelves. Yeah I was real young at the time (something like 8 or 9) and I could understand some things in it that could've bothered some kids. But none of it really bothered me enough to have nightmares or anything like that. And all in all, I totally loved it.
Willow! I watched this one solely because I wanted to watch the show and wow!!! This movie was so much fun! The set pieces, the imagination and the SCORE were all amazing and made for such a fun film!!!!
Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)
Great reaction. I was fifteen when this came out and a fan of the LOTR books, Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy books. This was one of the rare big budget fantasy realm movies of the eighties. I crushed on Joanne Whalley as Sorsha and had a poster of her on my wall. Val Kilmer fell in love with her too and they were married for many years after.
Expertly directed by Ron Howard!
I cannot get over the fact that Warwick Davis was all of *_17_*_ years old_ when he filmed this. He is so convincing as a husband and father; and he was in his TEENS.
For that matter, just look at how convincing he was as an Ewok. Already great at an early age.
I’m aging myself here but I had Willow and The Princess Bride on the same vhs tape when I was a kid. Talk about a charming fantasy movie double feature.
Also, love your reaction to the “Madmartigan avalanche” moment. That always cracks me up
heheh also the same year for princess bride, ty for bringing that up :P
Love Warwick Davis (Willow) - his first movie was Return of the Jedi; he played the ewok that finds princess leia in the forest. Of course he's done much more since then. loved this movie as a 10 year old kid
Yub nub!!
If this type of fantasy is up your alley, don't overlook the dark Dragonslayer from 1981.
Dragonslayer is the greatest dragon movie ever made
The dragon in it is the best movie dragon ever.
@@itzakpoelzig330 Oh heck yeah! And Ladyhawk. It's got a bird.
The 2 headed creature at the end was called an Eborsisk, after 2 movie critics who gave somewhat negative reviews of an advance screening of the film. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.
it is so refreshing to see young people enjoying the films i had as a kid and seeing the awesome we grew up with :P enjoy the 80s!
I’ll never forget seeing this in theaters when I was a kid. It was a great experience! After the movie was over it stuck with me.
Yes, this movie is somewhat derivative of Tolkien but it’s still a lot of fun. The woman who played Bavmorda is Jean Marsh, who was a prolific actress and creator. She co-created the series Upstairs, Downstairs, was one of the earlier companions on Dr Who, and also got to play the evil Princess Mombi in Return to Oz.
To be fair this film only exists because George Lucas couldn't get the rights to The Lord of the Rings and he'd already started production work on it so he made it into Willow instead.
Also to be fair, much of this type of fantasy genre has been derivative of Tolkien to some degree for quite a while now.
This movie pioneered the morph effects. Raziel's transformation was groundbreaking at the time.
And kind of mind bending at the time
This movie had George Lucas and Industrial Light & Magic to help with its special effects.
Back in the 80s they made video games out of movies. Now they make tv shows out of movies. Warwick is a great actor. This was the first film he was in without a costume.
I believe Willow was not a flop, exactly, but definitely not as big a hit as had been hoped. I would say that PG children's movies did tend to get a lot darker in the '80s than what one sees now.
It looks like a Daikini baby. Willow is a classic that is wonderfully written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard. Great reaction! I’m looking forward to the sequel series.
Willow will always have a place in my heart. It's so simple but so charming, all the characters are fantastic and the score is amazing (James Horner baby!). Kevin Pollock as Rool is too funny, and I'm glad he's in the show (even if just for one scene).
My only complaint about the upcoming show is that they waited so long. Val Kilmer's health will prevent him from being anything but a Madmartigan cameo ☹
that epic wizards duel scared and fascinated me as a kid :P i still love it it holds up!!
@@asarishepard8171 I love that they went all out with two old ladies throwing each other around! 😂 It must have inspired Peter Jackson for Gandalf and Saruman's smackdown
@@vanyadolly i know right? ;)
One of my favorites as a kid! Another one was Legend (1985).
It was such a strange concoction of imagery and settings. I wish I had seen the European version first. IDK.
This is one of the rare fantasy action/adventure movies that actually passes the Bechdel test. Loved this movie, saw it in the theater when I was 10 years old. I do think this would be rated PG-13 today.
Yeah, this movie is a perfect smorgasbord of REAL strong women. And I love that not all of them are perfect airbrushed models. The mom who gets killed at the beginning, and the midwife who escaped with the baby are both very brave and heroic, but both totally grungy looking, which makes sense given their circumstances.
also Jean Marsh, who played Queen Bavmorda, played Princess Mombi in Return to Oz in 1985. check it out :P
Always appreciate the James Horner love. Happy to say that I met him a few times and even got an autograph. RIP James Horner.
And yeah, I saw this movie a bunch of times when I was around 10 or 11 years old. Loved it and Val Kilmer is so good in everything.
Parents generally were a lot less concerned about age appropriateness of movies at the time.
The helicoptering didn't pick up until the later nineties.
23:54 - Yeah, even way before the love potion, when they first met, there was a bit of chemistry going there ("You're... beautiful" / "And you're very strong"). And, Fun Fact: in REAL LIFE the two actors, who met on this set, ended up getting married!
My favorite movie of all time ♥️ I grew up watching this. Remembered wanting to go see this in theaters but we didn't have enough money to go see it. So my mom made it up to me buying it on VHS then taking me to go see Batman in 1989.
"What are you doing?"
"I found some blackroot. She loves it."
"Blackroot? I'm the father of two children, and you never, ever give a baby blackroot."
"Well my mother raised us on it. It's good for you! It put's hair on your chest, right Sticks?"
"Her name is not Sticks! She's Elora Danan, the future empress of Tir Asleen and the last thing she's gonna want is a hairy chest!"
Fun Fact: George Lucas specifically wrote this film for Warwick Davis after meeting him on the set of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (1983).
Basic Fantasy Training Fact: In preparation for the movie, Warwick Davis had to learn a modified accent, how to take care of a baby, how to ride a horse, how to sword fight, and how to perform magic.
Baby Actress Fact: Because of slow production during filming, the babies outgrew the props and the baby carrier that Willow had on his back, so they needed a new baby quickly. The second assistant director, Gerry Toomey, recommended his new born niece, Rebecca Bearman, although she was never credited. The scene where the baby is sick on Burglekutt was not written into the script. Willow walked with a limp which gave Rebecca motion sickness. When she was lifted up, she threw up over his head, and it was so funny they kept it in the film.
Oliver, here are a few other fantasies which you may like:
- Time Bandits (featuring a former James Bond in a prominent role)
- The Neverending Story
- Mio in the Land of Faraway (featuring a former Bond villain in a prominent role)
Can't go wrong with Neverending Story. I'm convinced that it was brilliant on some level.
That you get some LOTR vibes makes perfect sense. Some of the locations were filmed in New Zealand! Just as LOTR was entirely. I have no idea if Lucas had any inspiration from Tolkien at all or it it's just pure luck the similarities are there, but one can not really enter the fantasy genre & not be inspired by Tolkien regardless.
Not luck. Lucas tried to get the rights to LORT and then didn't and specifically ripped off LOTR writing this. (Fine by me, frankly; zero shade. *Love* this flick deeply!)
Yes!!! This is one of my favorite movies from my childhood ❤
I read once that George Lucas originally wanted to make Star Wars with Little People, but didn't see how he could do it, so Willow was his answer to that desire. I saw this in the movie theater and I thought it was AMAMZING! I'm so glad to see that it is still as enjoyable as it ever was and ages so well for other generations.
I'm so glad you like the Brownies! They have always been a highlight of the movie for me and it's been discouraging to learn so many dislike them. The shorter brownie is played by Kevin Pollack BTW (Hockney from The Usual Suspects).
It's funny that you say that no one can resist Val. The actress that plays Sorsha married him in real life after they filmed this film! It didn't last but they met & fell in love for real here so if you see they have chemistry it's because it was real!
This and Ladyhawke are very underrated fantasy movies of the 80s.
This movie is one of my favorites from my childhood! I think even though the movie may not done as well as everyone thought it would in theaters, BUT it became much much more hugely popular when released to video and also on TV stations at the time and still holds up well 34 years later.
Hell yes.. I was 7 yo when this movie came out.. I remember going to the Drive-In To see this ... Such a fun movie!!Can't wait for the series!!!!!!
I really love this movie. I think it was the first fantasy movie I ever saw. And I only watched it because as a kid I had these audiobooks which were abridged versions of famous movies back then. I remember also having the books for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tron. There was also one for Star Wars (aka Episode IV) I believe and I think 2 others. And yes, the music is also so amazing. James Horner using his signature flute. In Wrath of Khan it was a piccolo and in this one I believe it's a shakuhachi. That two head fire spewing hydra looking thing? That's the ebersisk, named after Ebert and Siskel, two famous movie critics. Another fun fact, Joanne Whalley, who is Sorsha in this movie, later married and divorced Val Kilmer; during their marriage she was usually credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer. The movie definitely has LOTR vibes but that work was so defining that any fantasy after it will be compared to it. I would love to watch the Willow TV show but I don't really feel like signing up to yet another streaming service. Maybe sometime in the future I will though.
1. Fun movie!
2. That two headed critter is all kinds of cool!😎
3. When the evil queen goes down I think, "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy"
4. Trivia time: Warwick Davis' first gig was the lead Ewok when he was only 13 years old.
5. Val Kilmer will be 62 in December. Another movie with him in it not mentioned so far is:
"The Doors" where he plays Jim Morrison and does all the singing in the movie. His(and my) love interest in the movie is Meg Ryan.😍
6. IRL Kilmer and Joanne Whalley fell in love making this movie and were briefly married.
7. The brownies remind me of Lenny and Squiggy from the old "Levern and Shirley" tv show.
8. GOOF: Kaya is seen in the ending celebration then shows up with the children and acts like it's the first time she sees him.
also, catch Ridley Scotts Legend from 1985, another great fantasy live action, and also has Billy Barty in it. (hes the elder wizard of willows village )
One of the best James Horner score.
That wasn't a lemur, that was a possum! A little touch of New Zealand that makes me smile every time I see it.
Love your shirt dude, Sunday Morning is my kids favorite song from my vinyl collection so we have that damn Warhol banana spinning at least once a week. Also, when I was a kid this and Big Trouble in Little China were my go tos in my dads enormous "I make a VHS copy of every movie I like" collection. Normally you could fit 3 movies per tape, I probably watched waaaaaay to many rated r movies when I was little lol.
"Interior footage took place at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England, while location shooting took place in Dinorwic quarry, Wales, and New Zealand." so yeah it was partly filmed in new Zealand.
This movie really takes me back. I can't wait for the new sequel show. You're wrong about it's success. Some may have expected it to be even a bigger blockbuster since it was Lucas, but it actually made 138 million against a budget of 34 million. It also won 2 Oscars and other awards for special effects. Back then kids were much tougher then you guys now and we had no problem watching it without being terrified. Since you liked this I would suggest the movie "The Beastmaster" with Mark Singer.
Willow came out the same year I graduated from High School. :D
Welcome to being a kid in the 80’s. So many films for kids were scary! You’ve seen gremlins! That was for kids 😂, wait till you see Return to Oz and Dark Crystal. Messed up. Disney’s Black Cauldron, the secret of nimh, no wonder so many goth teens emerge in the 90’s dark fantasy was our fuel
You know it!! 😂
One of my favorite films as a child. First film I ever saw twice in a theater. Loved Madmartigan and Sorsha and how their characters seemed to inspire Jon Snow and Yigrette on Game of Thrones.
Back in 1988, we had no concept that a goofy Australian director would someday film Lord of the Rings (all we had was Ralph Bakshi’s unfinished cartoon), and so you could SEE Lucas thinking, “Gee, maybe I’ll be the one to do it! 🤓” with his pseudo-Bilbo hero.
That was just the start of our realizing that the once mighty Galactic Emperor had no creative clothes, and the Prequel Trilogy was still another decade away…. 😓
Willow did well enough, but not enough to get a sequel. It grossed $137.6 million worldwide against a $35 million budget, but was not considered a blockbuster. The thing about Willow; is the charm of the movie. Like you; many felt the same; where it was okay from the start, but by the end, the movie had a hold on you.These characters are beloved; because they are written, and acted so well! You truly believe in this world, and the people in it. I can't wait for the series to start; so I can go back, and relive this world
Return of the Jedi,Gremlins,and Willow, every line, cadence,note of music is etched into my head; I know what point of the movie we're at by listening to it 😆
Love this movie,I used to watch this on repeat when it came out 😀 Warwick Davis is the best!
And Val Kilmer ❤️ Madmartigan,you ARE great!!
WILLOW (1988) a PG movie so its why parents escort their kids for the scary parts. Bear in mind kids in the 80's where sitting in a smoke filled cinema with the projector light casting a beam through the haze of parents ciggy smoke, a few mild jeopardy scenes where nothing . I will say the super imposed stop motion hydra does show its age, but the pacing is good, the world building is excellent. Finally the split tone you noticed is probably more to do with the writers trying to entertain the adults while the kids laugh at pixies and enjoy the strong good vs evil quest archetypes. I am looking forward to the new TV show coming this Autumn.
Thanks, Oliver! 🧌 #RolyPolyOllie #RonHoward #Willow1988 #Willow
This movie was absolutely gorgeous in its initial run. I remember the dreamy THX sound, the James Horner score and the lovely storybook visuals on a giant screen. Sigh.
Nice to see somebody truly appreciate this underappreciated film.
I know this is a year after your reaction, but the actor that played the old wizard in the Nelwyn village was none other than Billy Barty, one of the most renowned dwarf actors in Hollywood.
This is one of my favorite childhood films. I saw it in the theater with my grandma and watch it on a regular basis still to this day. I can’t wait to start the new series on Disney Plus.
You’re correct in a lot of your remarks in the beginning. This film was definitely ahead of its time and I think was inspiration to a lot of fantasy films to come like the LOTR trilogy. I always hoped there was going to be a sequel so it has me so excited that there’s finally a continuing story happening on a streaming service at least.
This movie kind of laid the foundation for all of the fantasy/action films to come like Dungeons & Dragons and Lord of the rings. I have no doubt that Peter Jackson drew some inspiration to make TLOTR and morph it into it's own film from the army all the way to the halflings. It all started right here. George Lucas nailed the writing! Great review!
The LotR books came out in the 1930s. So Peter Jackson is getting inspiration from a movie that got inspiration from the Lord of the Rings books...?
@@Paul_Waller The Hobbit came out in 1938, with Fellowship coming in 1954 and Towers and Return in 1955. I think the OP might've been referring to the movie aspect alone.
I've low-key had a crush on Kyah since childhood. She has beautiful eyes.
Also been low-key crushing on Bavmorda, don't know what that says about me.
This is a fun movie. Some of the special effects techniques used in the movie were dead ends only ever used in a few films before being abandoned.
Great fantasy adventure movie!.....
One of the opening scenes where they are all traveling together a scene was filmed in Northern California w/ the waterfalls in the background!
OH MY GOD, THIS IS MY SISTER'S FAVORITE MOVIE!!
The Disney+ series is coming this November!
This was my favorite movie as a kid, We didn't have Harry Potter or LOTR yet so this was the movie that got me as a kid to fall in love with the fantasy genre.
Wow what a surprise. Wilow is the best fantasy movie ever made better than Lord Of The Rings
I imagine movie makers in the 80's not putting such a strong divide between movies for grown ups and movies for kids, but rather making something that could be for the whole family. Think Gremlins, Beetlejuice, Who framed Roger Rabbit, Ghostbusters, et cetera. Even though there are scary parts in there, if you have your parents/grown ups with you, that can explain things afterwards, it would work well I think. Personally I saw Willow for the first time as a 12 year old, and it has been my favourite movie ever since.
Ollie,I always enjoy your movie reactions,but this one I very much enjoyed; this movie is very special and personal to me,and I legit cried a little seeing you enjoy it so much,and vibe to the epic music ❤️❤️
The costumes were fantastic! Helmets, Swords, etc.
The scene with Bavmorda and Rizzell fighting has always reminded me of the scene in LOTR when Gandalf and Saruman are fighting.
Fantastic film. Its held up so good over the years. Glad that you enjoyed it
Please react to “Legend” 1985.
Definitely a nostalgic movie from the 80s. One thing I was thinking about was had Bavmorda simply just executed Elora right away, she might have had a long and terrifying reign. By having her abducted and then ritually trying to sacrifice her, she brought her own destruction to herself. She ultimately self-fufilled her own prophecy.
Yes parts were filmed here in NZ... The Island in the lake was in NZ and the mountain snow camp and village was in NZ. The 'Lemur' was a NZ possum.
Saw this as a 10 year old in the theater on my Birthday with my younger brother and best friend from school the cinema was empty except for us 3 lol, so we had the pick of the seats and the seats were pretty swanky too, big and reclining. For a long time it was in my opinion the closest we had to a LotR movie. Interestingly after the film when we got picked up by the parents, my birthday presents were in the car... a real replica long sword and a folio of Starwars concept artwork prints lol... still have both presents 33 years latter (although the swords a little worse for wear).
Nice to see someone able to appreciate the VFX in context with when it was made... alot of young reactors seem to poo poo em in older movies without being able to put their mind in the time frame.
Willow is pretty much one of the most wholesome movies of the 80s
I love this movie.
I loved this movie as a kid. Right up there with Star Wars and Indiana Jones for me. I cannot wait for the series!
Funny that you liked the brownies... I've never been able to stand them - even when I first watched this in cinemas when it came out.
Yes, parts of it were filmed in New Zealand (It was a big deal in NZ at the time - well before Lord of the Rings filmed there!)
Also, when kids movies came out in the 70's & 80's they had violence and death and weren't as sanitized and "safe" as they are today by a long shot!
Aw, I love the brownies!
Kevin Pollak (Hockney from The Usual Suspects and extra guy in A Few Good Men) was the bald brownie.
Weirdly he does the _best_ impressions of both William Shatner and Chris Walken.
I was in my early 20s when this came out. Only saw it because a friend in our group saw it, really liked it, so dragged us to the theater to see it. I liked it so much I in turned dragged another friend to see it a week later who also liked it. The morphing scene where the sorceress is turned back to her human form was quite impressive. The first movie to use morphing, which then got overused in the early and mid 90s giving the public burn out on the effect.
10:38 It most certainly is. In this he's not much like Iceman in 'Top Gun'!
23:00
Parents didn't care as much about what kids watched back then. Hell, they dropped us off at theaters to watch movies with our friends.
I was 7yo when this movie came out (like I said before) ,, Never game me Nightmares.. but I will admit, If anything came close to scaring me... it was the trolls! LOL At 7,,, They were disturbing!!
R.i.p James Horner
I used to rent out this movie constantly. I love it. But, the scene that scared me the most was when Queen Bavmorda was conducting The Rital and drained her own blood during it and had the blood in grails and cups, hence why she looked so pale and ill. Still loved it.
Films that are like this, Hawk the slayer, Krull, The Sword and the Sorcerer
Allow me to add Ladyhawke to that list
KRULL YEAH!
@@bryanfoster362 YES> i love that one. i know Hawk the Slayer is cheesy, but i still love it
George Lucas did write a direct continuation to Willow in the form of a novel. I think it was intended as part of a trilogy. Don't know if he ever completed the trilogy but he did complete the first sequel and I think there was a second one. Perhaps the film was included as the first part of that trilogy as there was a novelisation of the movie, which I do own. If you care to track it down, the sequel to Willow is called Shadow Moon and was published in 1995. Don't know if it is still in print.
General Kael is named after an infamous Hollywood movie reviewer who often gave scathing devastating reviews.
Bavmorda is the best evil Queen I've ever seen. The actress is absolutely convincing
“Val Kilmer is in this movie”?
Yes, and his wife. Only she wasn’t his wife when this was filmed. They met making this movie.
Warwick Davis also played The Leprechaun in at least the 4 maybe 5 Leprechaun movies
When Willow was released in 1988, Fantasy films were on the way out. It was only in the EARLY 1980s that fantasy films were the thing to watch. Since you liked Willow, give these gems a go: Dragonslayer (1981), The Dark Crystal (1982), Krull (1983), Conan the Destroyer (1984), and Legend (1985). None of them are “Lord of the Rings-esque” and ALL of them have memorable scores..
"Oh no! I have a Peck with an acorn pointed at me!" - Madmartigan
Sheer magic. That's really the best way to sum it all up. George Lucas's writing shines through with the characters and the worldbuilding, the cinematography is the stuff of fantasy movie legend, and James Horner's score just imbues everything with the perfect energy needed to take off and soar. Yes you absolutely want to join these characters on their journey fighting the good fight! "Willow" is truly unforgettable, and it most definitely inspired key elements for future cinema epics including The Lord of the Rings. Also, it's not that it underperformed at the box office, it did quite well in fact. However, this was still at a time when fantasy was a very niche film genre. You really had to be a game-changing blockbuster hit (like Star Wars) to warrant a sequel getting greenlit.
How have I missed that you did this reaction?! I love this film!
I was 22 at the time it came out I loved it but not loved by many. George was trying to make his version of Lord of the Rings. Watch Cocoon directed by Ron Howard music by James Horner I think you will love it.
The baby being sent downstream on a basket is actually from the story of Moses in the Bible. Both Willow and Kung Fu Panda 2 copied it.
OK, now you gotta watch Legend, Labyrinth, and The Never Ending Story.
The James Horner-Score is *everything.*
top 5
You may find the dichotomy of the tone strange but it was pretty standard for the 1980's. Even if you look at other George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg material, most of it is pretty consistent with Willow. The fantastical and whimsical often paired with scary imagery is present in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Goonies, Dragonslayer, Legend, Poltergeist, and Gremlins.
Parents didn't really start clutching their pearls until the 1990s, but for context look at most of Disney's content prior to the Little Mermaid. Dark and scary was a common component of family entertainment for most of cinema's history. Is anything here any more shocking than Harry Potter?
As for why this film didn't perform better? Audiences used to listen to critics more, but the main strike against it was than the fantasy genre had difficulty finding an audience back then. You we be hard pressed to name a fantasy film that blew the doors of the box office until Lord of the Rings.
You might like Dragon Heart with Sean Connery.
I remember loving the music on that one.
The Willow theme is 💚💚💚
Val Kilmer, the Lady Princess is Joann Wally Val’s married her in real life .❣️Blessings to Val Kilmer he is suffering from throat cancer and is with a throat device to speak have you checked out his movies THE DOORS and TOMBSTONE, he’s the best in both movies 👍🤩🤩🤩
I can't remember what this movie was originally rated as when it first came out. But I would've slabbed a PG-13 on it if I was the one in charge at the time. That being said, this was the earliest movie that I could remember asking my dad to rent out from the local video store around the time that it hit the shelves. Yeah I was real young at the time (something like 8 or 9) and I could understand some things in it that could've bothered some kids. But none of it really bothered me enough to have nightmares or anything like that. And all in all, I totally loved it.
When I was a child I loved this film. A lot of other kids viewing was boring to me
Yep
I like Ladyhawke to directed by Richard Donner!