Willow (1988)

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

George Lucas (story)
Bob Dolman (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 May 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Adventure doesn't come any bigger than this.

Plot:

A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen.

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Baby | Village | Evil Queen | Journey

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Val Kilmer	...	Madmartigan
Joanne Whalley	...	Sorsha
Warwick Davis	...	Willow Ufgood
Jean Marsh	...	Queen Bavmorda
Patricia Hayes	...	Fin Raziel
Billy Barty	...	High Aldwin
Pat Roach	...	Gen. Kael
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Airk Thaughbaer
David Steinberg	...	Meegosh
Phil Fondacaro	...	Vohnkar
Tony Cox	...	Vohnkar Warrior
Robert Gillibrand	...	Vohnkar Warrior
Mark Northover	...	Burglekutt
Kevin Pollak	...	Rool
Rick Overton	...	Franjean

Also Known As:

Willow (Poland) [pl]
Willow (Spain) [es]
Willow (Portugal) [pt]
Willow - Na Terra da Magia (Brazil) [pt]
Willow - suuri seikkailu (Finland) [fi]
Willow V'Ha-Nessiha (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Ireland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:All | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Brocket Hall, Lemsford, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Imagine Films Entertainment

Trivia:

Word from Ron Howard is that part of the two-headed dragon "Eborsisk" was modeled after Clint Howard, his brother. He stated that since Clint has had many cameo appearances in his films, and Ron couldn't find a part for him in this one, he modeled the dragon after him.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: You can see the wire supporting Madmartigan when he is on the catapult outside the castle.

Quotes:

Willow: Meegosh... did we do the right thing?
Meegosh: Absolutely. There's nothing to worry about.
[They hear Elora crying overhead, and look up to see her being carried by a hawk ridden by a brownie]
Franjean: Yaaah, ha-ha! I stole the baby, I stole the baby, ha-ha! Yah!
Willow: That's my baby! Stop, wait, come back!
Franjean: [flying off] Left, you stupid bird, left! Ha-ha!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Twins (1988/I)

Delightful addition to any fantasy collection!!

I literally waited three years to see this movie. I couldn't afford the theater at the time, and I do not have cable (I refuse to pay to watch TV), so I had to wait for it to come out on video.

It was well worth the wait. I own it on DVD now, and I must say the DVD version is outstanding! (but I'm still spun out on how much clarity and quality of sound you get with DVD) This movie captured my heart and never fails to make me laugh, and make me smile. I loved the movie.

The direction and acting were wonderful, the scenery was dead on and the costuming and props were top row. I also loved the subsequent books by George Lucas and Claremont. Forgive me, but I can't remember Claremont's first name.

Shadow Moon

Shadow Dawn and

Shadow Star.

Excellent trilogy based on the introductory "Willow." Kind of like Lucas's Lord of the Rings starting his the Hobbit, which is Willow. Excellent movie, excellent books which I would pay to see on screen.

It's one of the Fiend's many favorites and gets a sure-footed 9.8/10 from...

the Fiend:.