Hi everyone, I was thinking of doing a review of Thor 4, but lost interest while watching it. I don’t want to do a whiny complaint column about a bad movie (unless it’s a hilarious trainwreck like Krull), so instead I gathered my three girls and sat down to watch 1988s Willow. Know what? Glad I did.
For those who haven’t watched the film (no spoilers), Willow tells the story of baby Elora, prophesised to overthrow the evil Queen Bavmorda, the baby protected by the totally-not-a-hobbit Willow, the rogue swordsman Madmartigan and two comic relief brownies Rool and Franjean.
Willow does two writing techniques well, and they both lie at the heart of why this film is still a cult classic. The first is setup. Willow is a 120 minute film, yet within the first 15 minutes you know exactly who all the major players are, their relationships, the overall plot goal and what is at stake. Don’t believe me? Go back and watch these first few scenes and find me a single line that doesn’t serve a direct plot or character purpose. Just one. On top of this, almost every scene demonstrates the impact of the larger forces at play in the world, so as the small adventurers leave their village, the unfolding world of sorcery and clashing kingdoms feels natural.
The second thing Willow does well is clear (if simple) character development. Willow himself isn’t exactly a psychological character study, however it’s clear that the titular hero wants to be a wizard but lacks the confidence and courage to do more than showman’s tricks at the village fair. Madmartigan starts at his lowest point, a deserter trapped in a crow’s cage who only looks after himself. However, after becoming unlikely protectors to baby Elora, Madmartigan begins to bond with the child, eventually being willing to fight off an entire army to save her. Willow meanwhile slowly gains courage, and under the tutelage of the enchantress Raziel, slowly masters his long-dreamed of magic. The most important scene for me is that when his back is to the wall, Willow has the confidence in his own abilities to fight not just with magic but with the familiar showman’s tricks the film opens with.
It’s not all perfect though. While I still think the scenes of Madmartigan falling in love with the evil Queen’s daughter Sorsha were hilarious, my girls didn’t think it was realistic to fall in love that easily. So cynical! To be fair, while Madmartigan and Sorsha had fantastic body language, the plot could have given Sorsha more internal struggle earlier in the film to make her switch more believable. Was it really her new-found sense of justice, or did Sorsha just want to see more of a young Val Kilmer with his shirt off?
While I’m on the subject, a quick shout out to Jean Marsh as the Malificent-like evil Queen Bavmorda. I had my youngest curled up in a ball on my lap whenever Bavmora was on screen, particularly for the final magical battles. Jean, 34 years later and you’re still giving kids nightmares. Frikkin’ legend.
I told my girls that this film was oscar nominated for its special effects. They thought this was hilarious, the little brats. But credit where credit is due – for late 80s visual technology, there was some pretty impressive scenes. The team behind the Star Wars films left a heavy thumbprint on things though, especially in the armour and monster design, and I’m fairly certain the two headed hydra at Tir Asleen was made with leftover Rancor parts from Star Wars.
So, I’ve got some other great classics to work through, but if you have any overlooked gems or beautiful disasters you’d like me to watch, let me know!
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