| | | "Digitally Mastered in THX, for Superior Sound and Picture Quality."
Features: DVD, Checkpoint
From legendary filmmakers George Lucas and Ron Howard comes one of the most beloved fantasy tales of all time. This groundbreaking film features stunning special effects, dazzling action and a classic battle between good and evil!When young Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) finds an abandoned baby, he is suddenly thrust into an adventure filled with magic and danger. According to an ancient prophecy, the sacred child is destined to end the reign of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). Now, with only a single swordsman (Val Kilmer) at his side, Willow must overcome the forces of darkness that threaten to destroy anyone who stands in the Queen's way!
"A rollicking fantasy-adventure!" Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"...a fearsomely ambitious movie..." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"...much action and plenty of clever, high-quality special effects..." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
Editor's Note
Based on a story by STAR WARS creator George Lucas, WILLOW is director Ron Howard's fantasy world of medieval adventure. WILLOW stars Val Kilmer as Madmartigan, a swashbuckling warrior, and Warwick Davis as the title character. In a mythical kingdom, the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) plots to kill all infants so that the newborn princess, Elora, will never take over the throne. But a midwife sets the baby adrift in a river, and she is rescued by Willow, a farmer in Nelwyn, a peaceful village of trolls, fairies, and little folk. Willow and Madmartigan begin a quest to deliver the baby from evil while being chased by Queen Bavmorda's daughter, Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), sent to bring the baby back to Nockmaar. Director Howard benefited from his affiliation with George Lucas on the film--Lucas's company, Industrial Light and Magic, contributed the Oscar-nominated special effects. Lucas, the executive producer of WILLOW, went on to create a series of books based on the world of WILLOW, the SHADOW WAR series.
Plot Summary
In this quest fantasy, a timid yet valiant Halfling is entrusted with delivering a royal infant from evil. His journey is often dangerous and sometimes comical as he meets up with some colorful characters along the way. Academy Award Nominations: Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects.
| Features | 8 TV Spots | | Audio Commentary By Warwick Davis | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Stereo | | Audio: Spanish Dolby Digital Stereo | | Behind-The-Scenes Still Gallery | | Dubbed: Spanish | | Featurettes: Morf To Morphing & Willow - The Making Of An Adventure | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English | | Theatrical Teasers & Trailers | | THX Certified |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 4/24/2007 |
| Running Time: 126 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1988 | | Catalog ID: 2002619 | | UPC: 00024543026198 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, Spanish Dubbed | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Nominee (1989) | | | Oscar, Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns, Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing | | | Oscar, Dennis Muren, et. al., Best Effects, Visual Effects |
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| | Professional Reviews | Los Angeles Times
"...A perfectly agreeable tale of magic....It leaves a friendly glow and a sense of a magical world lovingly evoked..." 05/20/1988 p.C1FilmCritic.com 8 of 10
George Lucas and Ron Howard both love high adventure and, apparently, Hobbits...Unfortunately, making a real version of Lord of the Rings is fraught with problems, as some directors know, so Lucas and Howard teamed up on an original short dude-goes-on-epic-adventure tale, this time having a "Nelwyn" named Willow (ex-Ewok Warwick Davis) finding a baby in a river, whom he must then protect from the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh), who is seeking the baby to destroy her thanks to the classic she-will-grow-up-to-destroy-me prophecy...Back in 1988, the digital special effects were groundbreaking -- with Willow pioneering "morphing" technology...one of the great fantasy movies put to film -- in fact, it's one of the only fantasy movies put to film, simply because working with magic, horse-riding armies, endless swordplay, and period sets and costumes on this scale is exhorbitantly expensive. - Christopher Null
DVD Verdict 8 of 10
In the mid 1980s there was a boom in old time sword and sorcery tales, including such fare as the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Conan The Barbarian and the cheesy Marc Singer flick The Beastmaster. While on his very long hiatus between Return Of The Jedi and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, George Lucas gave out the story of Willow for production (as well as executive producing the film)...Sometimes cute and cuddly, other times dark and brooding, Willow should appeal to those looking for a mix of action, humor, and the 1980s. While I don't think Willow is anywhere near the top ten best '80s flicks made, I do think it's worth seeing with the beautiful new transfer and nicely remixed soundtrack. The addition of some decent extra features makes Willow a must have for die-hard fans! - Patrick Naugle
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