This review is based on the first 7 episodes of Willow, provided by Disney for review. Willow Episodes 1 and 2 are available now on Disney+.
Willow, the series sequel to the 1988 film of the same name, stars Warwick Davis as the titular character Willow Ufgood, as he embarks on an adventure with a new group of heroes. The unlikely bunch travel across the unknown to fulfil a prophecy and save their world. The series also stars Ruby Cruz as Kit Tanthalos, Dempsey Bryk as Airk Tanthalos, Erin Kellyman as Jade Claymore, Ellie Bamber as Dove, Tony Revolori as Graydon Hastur, and Amar Chadha-Patel as Thraxus Boorman. Reprising her role from the original film, Joanne Whalley stars as Sorsha.
The Misfit Bunch
The story starts off with a recap of the 1988 film, giving viewers a reminder of the story of Willow and Elora Danan, narrated by Sorsha. Although it’s not explicitly said, the series seems to take place around 20 years after the film. We then meet the new main cast in the first 15 minutes of the first episode, highlighting their personalities and setting up why any of these characters are together in the first place. We first see best friends Kit and Jade practising their sword fighting before they return to the castle. Later on, it’s revealed that Grayson and Kit have been set up as an arranged marriage, and although neither of them seems thrilled, Kit is much more outspoken about her unhappiness. Meanwhile, Airk and Dove are involved in a whirlwind romance, despite his reputation as a playboy, he’s ready to commit to her. Despite being a prisoner, Boorman seems to be a confidant to Sorsha.
After an attempted siege of the castle and a kidnapped prince, led by Jørgen Kase (Simon Armstrong), Kit, Jade, Boorman, and Grayson embark on an adventure to rescue the prince. Not much later, they’re joined by Dove, much to Kit’s disdain. Their first goal was to find Willow, as Sorsha had explained to Kit about how she, Madmartigan, and Willow had teamed up to fight against the forces of evil long ago. Once they find him, he joins their quest to help them rescue the prince, who Willow claims to be a prisoner in the Immemorial City.
Despite being the titular character, the series focuses much more on the other characters, namely Kit and Jade. Although Kit seems fun and friendly in the first scene we see her in, she quickly becomes unlikable and stays that way through nearly the entire series. She’s pessimistic and is constantly tearing the other characters down, especially Dove, whom she has a strong dislike for throughout the series. She’s never willing to give her a chance to prove herself. I don’t know if we’re supposed to like Kit, but there are not many, if any, redeeming qualities about her or her personality.
Jade, on the other hand, is a little more forgiving, which causes tension in her friendship with Kit. Jade, whose lifelong dream is to be a knight, is strong, brave, and often shown to make the tough decisions. I found her to be a much more likeable character and would have liked to see more of her than Kit. This character is a far cry from Erin Kellyman’s character Karli Morganthau in Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series, who was boring and one-dimensional.
As every group needs, Grayson is the worrier, the one who is hesitant to get into trouble, but at the same time, wants to be brave. Of course, his missteps cause trouble for the rest of the group. Until about midway through the series, he doesn’t do much other than being a warm body in the cast. Once he gets a purpose, he becomes much more interesting.
Dove is naïve, but she’s full of spirit and is willing to learn in order to assist the other heroes on their quest. She struggles much throughout the series, a few times getting involved in damsel-in-distress situations, while other times wandering off, which causes trouble and panic for the others as they don’t want to lose her or leave her behind. I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the series, but her growth is painstakingly slow and she only really starts to live up to her potential toward the end of the series.
In my opinion, Boorman is the standout character of this group. He’s a thief, a liar, someone you’re never sure you can actually trust. Throughout the series, you’ll find yourself questioning his motives and wondering if he’s really there to help or if he’s only putting forward his own agenda. Not only is he by far the most compelling character, but he’s also the one with the strongest personality. He’s a man who knows who he is, even if we as the audience are unsure.
Willow’s sense of adventure seems to have never left him, being so willing to join the group after the mystery of Elora Danan’s fate is revealed. We see him struggling with his reputation as the “greatest sorcerer”, as others around him believe it to be so, he no longer does. Although his part of the series is significant, being their guide, there is not as much focus on Willow as I would have liked, but with an ensemble cast, sometimes it’s difficult to balance the characters and the story.
Nostalgia Done Right
I’ll be the first to say that I am often suspicious of legacy sequels. I think that they’re often made as cash grabs, banking on people’s nostalgia with little regard to the original. I didn’t feel this way at all while watching Willow. You can tell that Jonathan Kasdan, who developed the series, truly cares about the original film, the characters, and the story.
Although there are several callbacks to Willow (1988), they aren’t forced and flow into the story effortlessly. The most exciting thing for me was seeing the Brownies again. Although they’re annoyingly hyperactive with high-pitched voices, they were also one of my favorite parts of the original film. The film always stood out amongst other fantasy films of the 1980s because it wasn’t afraid to be a little corny, a little more modern, and not take itself so seriously. This was why I was a little disappointed that they didn’t use terrible greenscreen for the Brownies, but it probably would have been judged too harshly if they had. I also really liked that they not only made references throughout the series, but they were integrated into the story, like when we hear the voice of Willow’s wife, Kaiya. Although some characters were unable to return, their presence is still felt. Most importantly, the presence of Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan.
Madmartigan is brought up several times during the series and is a pivotal part of a side plot where Kit is desperate to find him, or at least find out what really happened to him. Although Val Kilmer couldn’t reprise his role due to his health, they made sure to keep his character included, with the explanation that he had disappeared. We meet a few of Madmartigan’s friends along the way, with them sharing stories of their time with him. I think they did the best they could without blatantly killing off the character. What they’ve done was much more respectful and true to his adventuring spirit.
Is This Just Fantasy?
Willow has always been about mixing a little bit of modernity in with the fantasy. Much of the language used by the youngest cast feels modern, which wouldn’t be so jarring if they weren’t paired with American accents. I think most people are used to hearing any other accent but an American one in fantasy films, and I don’t think they fit in here well at all. While I did eventually get used to them, something about them just doesn’t feel quite right. I know that Val Kilmer used his own accent in Willow (1988), but somehow that blended better into the world than the American accents of some characters in the series. It felt like at any moment, they were about to whip out some modern slang. With that said, they also used a lot of modern music in the series, and it almost always fit in well without me noticing, but there were a few times where it pulled me out of the story.
I found the plot to be interesting and engaging, and since I’ve only seen 7 of 8 episodes, I am already dying to see the finale. It’s fun, a little spooky, it’s everything that fantasy should be. There are monsters and creatures and curses and spells. There’s hope and love. There’s friendship and betrayal. The series keeps the spirit of the film, which I am so pleased about. We finally learn about what happens when Elora Danan grows up and what happens when a new prophecy is made. There were some sequences that I didn’t find very important to the plot, and some of them dragged, but others, despite not being essential, were enjoyable to watch, such as a dance party in the forest.
That party leads me to my biggest issue: the lack of urgency. With the prince in danger, one would think that the group wouldn’t be taking their time to rescue him. Throughout the series, they end up on a few different side quests, which would be fine if it weren’t possibly a life-or-death situation. It was a long journey to begin with, so I would think that they would want to save as much time as they possibly could.
The sets and scenery are gorgeous in every shot, and it really does feel like this big, unique world. Every place they come across feels completely different to the last, almost like its own contained realm. If it weren’t so dangerous, they almost make you want to jump through the screen and experience it for yourself. Another beautiful part of the series was the credits. They’re in an ink and watercolor style that left me in awe every time they rolled.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a fan of the original film, I have no doubt that you’ll love the series as well. If you’re new to Willow, what are you doing? Go watch the film first (also available on Disney+), and then watch the series. Although there are a few creative missteps, it’s just about everything I could have asked for, and I hope there are even more stories to tell from this world. The world of Willow should have been expanded upon many years ago but I think now, 34 years later, is as good a time as ever.
Check out the trailer for Willow below:
