Willow

Theatrical Release Date: 1988 05 20 (USA)

UPC: 024543026174

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Questionable for Children]

Summary: Though Willow was one of director Ron Howard's few box-office disappointments, it definitely deserves a second look. At once an epic celebration and a gentle spoof of the sword-and-sorcery genre, the film concerns the efforts by little person Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) to protect a sacred infant from the machinations of a wicked queen (Jean Marsh). One source book has assessed the picture as a combination of The Ten Commandments and Snow White. This is true enough, except that neither one of those properties offered such offbeat casting choices as Billy Barty and Jean Marsh. Executive producer George Lucas has (through the conduit of screenwriter Bob Dolman) added elements of his own Star Wars saga to the stew. The results are generally satisfactory, though the film is sometimes weighed down by too much plot, and the action sequences may not be suitable for very young children. Incidentally, this is the film where co-star Val Kilmer met his future wife Joanne Whalley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Fantasy

Awards: Best Sound Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Anamorphic widescreen [aspect ratio 2.35:1]
Commentary by Warwick Davis
"Morf to Morphing" featurette
"Willow: Making of an Adventure"
Behind-the-scenes still gallery
Theatrical teasers and trailers
Eight TV spots
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, English and Spanish Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English

Willow

Format: DVD

Release Date: 11/27/2001

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, THX THX-Certified Mastering

Runtime: 126 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Chapters
1. The Marked One [2:22]
2. Main Titles [:04]
3. The Daikini Baby [3:05]
4. An Aspiring Magician [4:13]
5. The Death Dog [2:44]
6. Willow's Quest [1:16]
7. Find That Baby [2:24]
8. Daikini in a Cage [3:12]
9. The Smell of a Battle [4:09]
10. Madmartigan's Promise [2:23]
11. The Brownies [:45]
12. A Special Baby [3:52]
13. Willow's Decision [3:13]
14. The Tavern [:28]
15. Maid Madmartigan [2:57]
16. Escape From the Tavern [2:09]
17. Elora's New Protector [1:28]
18. Fin Raziel [1:02]
19. Betrayed [1:54]
20. A Sorry Sorcerer [:31]
21. Madmartigan in Love [2:04]
22. A Shield for a Sled [2:41]
23. New Allies [4:22]
24. The Cursed Castle [:54]
25. Attack on Tir Asleen [4:17]
26. The Eborsisk [2:21]
27. Elora Abducted [2:04]
28. An Army of Pigs [:13]
29. Metamorphosis [:10]
30. To Save Elora [3:38]
31. The Gopher Gambit [2:32]
32. Witch Against Witch [:51]
33. Madmartigan's War [2:48]
34. The Greatest Sorcerer [3:33]
35. A Hero Comes Home [:38]
36. End Titles [6:46]

Mike DiBella

Complete with biblical rubric, medieval sorcery, and mystical creatures, director Ron Howard's Willow is the stuff of good fantasy adventure. In a nicely mannered performance, Val Kilmer plays well off of Warwick Davis as Willow, the sorcerer-to-be. The film is a well-conceived and well-executed quest fairy tale borrowing heavily from Gulliver's Travels, not to mention the story of Moses. Although seemingly a children's film, it is not without its share of violence, gore, and ghastly monsters, all provided by executive producer George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic special-effects department. With this film, Howard proved his adroitness at fantastic adventure; furthermore, the film's cult following cultivated a generation of Magic, The Gathering players worldwide. ~ Mike DiBella, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Julie Peters  Actor 
Kate Greenfield  Actor 
Dawn Downing  Actor 
Joanna Dickens  Actor 
Michael Cotterill  Actor 
Tony Cox  Actor 
Mark vande Brake  Actor 
Zulema Dene  Actor 
Sallyanne Law  Actor 
Jennifer Guy  Actor 
Robert Gillibrand  Actor 
Ron Tarr  Actor 
Sadie Corré  Actor 
Bob Dolman  Screenwriter 
James Horner  Composer (Music Score) 
Ron Howard  Director 
George Lucas  Executive Producer 
Lee Rich  Producer 
Nigel Wooll  Producer 
Val Kilmer  Actor 
Joanne Whalley  Actor 
Warwick Davis  Actor 
Patricia Hayes  Actor 
Jean Marsh  Actor 
Billy Barty  Actor 
Pat Roach  Actor 
Gavan O'Herlihy  Actor 
David J. Steinberg  Actor 
Phil Fondacaro  Actor 
Mark Northover  Actor 
Kevin Pollak  Actor 
Rick Overton  Actor 
Maria Holvoe  Actor 

Country: USA