© Disney- Warwick Davis
Watching new Disney+ shows is almost like a breath of fresh air. While most of today's big-budget Disney+ series are tied to something bigger, be it the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the Star Wars franchise, come on, Willow is attached to herself. While the television renaissance originated with the larger company Lucasfilm, it is completely different from the franchise that made its name with George Lucas, and it is set in a galaxy far, far away. This unique connection is a selling point for "Willow"… it has to be a selling point. But even at the end of the first episode, Willow feels like a TV feature, like The Force Awakens had a Star Wars revival seven years ago. Everything that was old is new again.
Of course, in Star Wars, where series like The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian could count on widespread public awareness, the 1988 film Willow spoke a lot more. The Willow Show, especially the early episodes (I've seen seven out of eight), is sure to have '80s movie fans, but rare among Star Wars fans. Less popular Marvel characters like Moon Knight and Hawkeye.
Directed by Ron Howard and written by Bob Dolman, The Original Willow is a medieval adventure in which a witch named Willow (Warwick Davis) tries to stop the evil tyrant Madmartigan (Val Kilmer). Being mean and tyrannical in general. There is a beautiful daughter, Sorsha (Joan Whalley), also a baby named Elora Danan; He can turn into a powerful force for good unless the evil tyrant destroys his son. Good defeats evil and everyone lives happily, but of course only for so long. (Otherwise there would be no show.) Sorsha now presides over a small but friendly empire of her twin sons, Keith and Irk (including Ruby Cruz and Dempsey Brick). Head shaking warns of imminent danger.
Of course , danger lurks , which begins when an evil wizard kidnaps Erk for nefarious reasons. Her kidnapping leads to several other people including Keith and his best friend Jade (Erin Kellyman). her fiancé, the troublesome Graydon (Tony Revolori); Eric's beautiful friend, Dove (Ellie Bamber); And an imprisoned criminal (Amar Chadha-Patel) springs into action to start his own quest to save the prince. And wouldn't it be an interesting opportunity if they met in their group a legend who knew true magic and a Willow who was now old and gray?
© Disney Toss on the Horses
"The Willow", like many recent series, is a cinematic story set within the structure of a television series. There are some initial changes regarding our main character, such as Keith not being pleased to be engaged to an obscure stranger (not just because he is an obscure stranger), or the current whereabouts of Elora Dana. But the way it's meant to shock – especially the shock on Keith's personal life – takes too long to reach the unseen opening episode.
The influence The Force Awakens and the entire Star Wars trilogy have had on the series is hard to shake. At first, Willow looks like a cross between the old Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, but it's one character that really matters, Rey, who says "I'm nothing!" At the central point. But the paraphrasing style of the opening episode is at least clear enough to demonstrate the good and bad that the series underlies for those of us who have known "Willow" for a long time.
Apart from making the two-hour film feel like it was extended by more than eight hours, what is most surprising about "Willow" is simply the imbalance between its tendency to poke fun at modernity and its references to medieval characters. tendency to kiss This mid-century quality is honest. This show doesn't know if it's supposed to be fun in its own right or a proud, medieval-style adventure. At times, the show feels cool and naughty, which may explain the modern covers of "Enter Sandman", "The Hurdy Gurdy Man", and "Black Hole Sun" that play the end credits.
And some of the dialogue is very anachronistic. What if the characters were asked if they ever had a fight and asked, "Do you mean that literally?" Or think of Willow as "the worst student ever" when she insults someone. These kinds of jokes rely heavily on Joss Whedon's writing style, which stretches back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (at least it's set in its present tense, which allows for some sleazy sarcasm and more of you) and the like. . Out of place with film. So it's a bit hard to know who this show is for – die-hard fans looking for a show that's partially identical to their favorite movies? That said, some of the humor is deliberately youthful, but the fantasy elements are dark and brooding enough to hint at audiences beyond elementary school.
Whether "Willow" has an audience for a TV series or not doesn't matter – the show has to be moderately entertaining. Despite some surprising cameos on the show, including at least one Emmy-winning character as a friendly forest creature, "Willow" is too interesting from a cultural-anthropological perspective without being quite entertaining. . The whimsical 21st century dialogue (which juxtaposes Davis' natural British accent with the mostly young cast's American accent, save for their anachronistic rambling), subtle tone, swordplay, and riddles as a cover for "Crimson and Clover" (because.. Sure? Why not?) comes as a bit of a shock after the season one finale of Lucasfilm's newest Andor. However, the sense of poetic scale required for such an adventure is overshadowed by sly humor that conveys a lack of faith in the story.
Willow launches on Disney+ on November 30, 2022.
Further Reading: An 80s sci-fi and fantasy show in one season is worth watching a second time
