‘Willow’ Review: Disney+ Series Is Accessible Fantasy, Most Charming

Offbeat fantasy doesn’t get a lot better than Ron Howard’s Willow. The 1988 movie could have performed out like a by-the-numbers epic about plucky heroes overcoming despotic evils, however its fame as an all-ages journey outweighs its triteness.

Now, with a sequel sequence on Disney+ (premiering right this moment), Willow Ufgood (once more performed by Warwick Davis) and the denizens of this quirky universe make their long-awaited return. Luckily, judging by the primary three episodes, Disney could have a brand new household favourite on its palms.

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Willow‘s boiled-down lore and steadfast commitment to fun help reinforce the show’s accessibility, but it surely’s the brand new solid members who promote this eight-episode follow-up. The fleshed-out plot, immediately lovable characters and geographically complete battle mirror the alacrity of a world begging to be revisited. We don’t see a lot of this universe past what’s related to the central quest, and that permits the writers to construct out this world by means of its characters. After all, it’s the characters, not essentially the world itself, that originally bought many people on the 1988 movie.

Joanne Whalley as Sorsha

The plot right here is easy: Twenty years after Willow and Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) defeated the depraved Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh), Sorsha’s daughter, Kit (performed by Ruby Cruz), and a ragtag group of misfits should rally in opposition to a brand new menace hell-bent on their destruction.

On paper, it’s fairly commonplace stuff. In observe, it’s much better.

One of the issues showrunner Jonathan Kasdan does finest right here is emphasize simply how a lot the brand new characters run the present. Kit, the ostensible protagonist, is snarky, likable and insecure. Dove (Ellie Bamber) is the traditional underdog with greater than sufficient power and braveness to show herself. Tony Revolori’s Prince Graydon is a sympathetic inversion of the boneheaded, next-in-line archetype, a mild teen with a coronary heart of gold and a knack for seeing others’ strengths. This man doesn’t need this marriage any greater than Kit does, and each point out of their imminent union shuts him down.

And as a lot as we miss Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan, the story doesn’t want him. Here, it’s two characters, not one, who fill the “quippy swashbuckler” void that his absence creates. The first is Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel), a rogue swordsman imprisoned within the dungeons beneath town. The second is Jade (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Erin Kellyman), an formidable younger warrior on the cusp of knighthood who serves as a self-serious foil for the extra playful Kit. Together, they scratch this explicit itch — and have a blast doing it.

Kit (Ruby Cruz), Jade (Erin Kellyman), Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel) and Graydon (Tony Revolori)

Davis is on the prime of his recreation, handing over what would be the sequence’ standout efficiency (proper and correct). His return as Willow Ufgood proves each bit as mild, endearing and good-natured because it was within the authentic, however right here he provides layers to the character. As highly effective as Willow is, he incessantly contends with those that underestimate him. Most of the time, this doesn’t appear to hassle him; however typically, particularly when casting a fancy spell, he lets self-doubt slip into his eyes and — very fleetingly — contorts his face right into a masks of insecurity. Davis communicates this turmoil fantastically, expertly flitting from comical exasperation to crippling uncertainty earlier than defaulting to his no-nonsense demeanor.

Couple top-notch performing with participating visuals and also you’ve acquired a sequel that’s shaping as much as be much more enjoyable than its predecessor. Everything from the costume design to the resplendence of Willow’s spellcasting oozes ardour for the fabric. Kasdan and firm really care about this story and each element displays that.

Even extra putting than its characters and its visuals, although, is how creative Willow is with its views. The opening minutes of the premiere cleverly set up a thriller that followers of the movie nearly definitely gained’t see coming. It’s a traditional case of writers taking an idea additional than they need to and turning it right into a superior model of itself.

Willow is a bouncy, buoyant sequel that leans closely on the brand new solid and makes good on the unstated promise that each one nice follow-ups inherently make: enrich what got here earlier than by diving deeper into why this world and its characters resonated within the first place. The ultimate product is one thing that stands as effectively by itself because it does as a continuation of Ron Howard’s traditional movie.