christian movie review willow

Medievalists.net

Where the Middle Ages Begin

How the movie Willow got so many things right

By Ken Mondschein

On the eve of Father’s Day, and with the follow-up Disney+ series premiering later this year, it’s an excellent time to revisit one of my all-time favorite ‘80s swords-and-sorcery films: 1988’s Willow , starring Warwick Davis as the titular character.

For those who haven’t seen it, Willow (directed by Ron Howard from a story by George Lucas) takes the “baby-set-adrift” and “hero’s journey” motifs and mashes them up in a medievalesque world inspired by Celtic mythology. Elora Danan (played by infant twins Kate and Ruth Greenfield) is prophesized to end the rule of wicked sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). As evil rulers have done since the beginning of time, Bavmorda arrests all the pregnant women in the kingdom, but Elora Danan is set adrift by her midwife and winds up in the care of Willow, a member of the diminutive Nelwyn people, who evoke Tolkien’s hobbits (“regular”-size people are “Daikinis”). The Nelwyns, needless to say, are all played by actors with dwarfism.

The striking thing about the movie is that, while Willow’s journey to save Elora Danan and overthrow Bavmorda follows a predictable plot (Roger Ebert called it “ turgid and relentlessly predictable ”), it is incredibly well-done, and, from a vantage point of several decades, we can look back and see how it breaks the mold in many ways. As someone who has neither a disability, nor children, nor a (living) father, watching it again made me realize how influential it had been to me on all these issues.

The first is the theme of fatherhood. Willow isn’t a young boy or teenager, like Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker, or a bachelor man-child, like Bilbo and Frodo. Rather, he is depicted as an adult , with a wife and two small children of his own and a farm to run, and he becomes a parent-figure and protector to Elora Danan. (Davis, interestingly, was only 17 when the movie was shot.) Watching Willow as a young teen, it said to me that adults could grow and change, too, and were sometimes unsure of themselves. Formative adventures are not just for kids, and it’s never too late to be a hero—even, as with Patricia Hayes’ Razel, if one is older.

Similarly, Willow’s sidekick/comic relief Madmartigan (Val Kilmer)’s character arc takes him from self-centered rogue to a doting foster-father to Elora Danan. Madmartigan’s opposite number is Bavmorda’s daughter Sorsha (played by Kilmer’s future ex-wife, Joanne Whalley), who becomes Elora Danan’s foster-mother but whose character arc seems unearned—she’s redeemed by means of cliched, fairy-dust-induced “love of a good man.” Cut from the final movie, however, were scenes where Sorsha learns the power of good by reuniting with her own father.

Tied in with the theme of fatherhood—and really inseparable from it—is disability. Willow is established from the first as a loving father to his son and daughter. His on-screen wife, Kaiya, played by Julie Peters, doesn’t appeal to the male gaze in the way preferred by casting directors, but the camera nonetheless lingers on her kind, good face and brilliant blue eyes. She is beautiful not because she is a Hollywood starlet, but because she is human. Her scenes with Warwick Davis convey real love and affection. The message it sent me is clear: people with disabilities aren’t sexless anodynes or cute playthings, but fully realized people who form relationships and have families.

And where you have families, you will have a society. The Nelwyns (possibly from the Welsh for “beautiful people” ) are fully realized as people and as a people, much more so, even, than Tolkien’s hobbits. There are politics—Mark Northover’s Burglekutt, the village “big man” who resembles nothing so much as Chaucer’s miller, covets Willow’s land. There are friendships—Willow has a real relationship with his best friend Meegosh (David Steinberg). There is heroism—the Nelwyn warriors, led by Vonkhar (Phil Fondacaro) ably dispatch one of Bavmorda’s fearsome Death Dogs. At the village festival where Willow performs stage magic, we have establishing shots of the Nelwyns celebrating and performing a dance with palm branches. What is this dance? Who knows—but it clearly means something. In short, these are not munchkins who seemingly spring into existence when Dorothy lands in Oz and exist only to further the protagonist down the Yellow Brick Road. There is no whimsical Lollipop Guild. Nelwyns don’t make toys in Santa’s workshop; they grow cabbages. The plot centers on Willow’s journey while the more conventionally “heroic” Kilmer and Whalley are reduced to supporting roles, but first the movie establishes that he comes from a fully-established society and culture.

This is the exact opposite of early modern depictions of people with dwarfism. The “court dwarf” became very popular in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries—often, as a pet and buffoon, rather than a fully-realized human being. For instance, the d’Este family of Italy, especially Isabella d’Este (1474–1539) kept several “court dwarves,” one of whom, “Crazy Catherine” ( Caterina Matta ) may have had intellectual or psychological disabilities but whose behaviors were considered amusing antics. This association of carnivalesque and licentious behavior with dwarfism extended well into modern times. For instance, the Munchkin actors on the Wizard of Oz were long (and inaccurately ) held to have groped Judy Garland and held hell-raising parties.

On the other end of the spectrum, Willow is a break with other fantasy literature and films, which often depict dwarves, fairies, and other mythical beings too chastely. These depictions come from the collections of folk tales by nineteenth-century writers such as the Grimms and Hans Christian Andersen, which make them creatures from some netherworld, akin to spirits. Like angels and demons, they are sexless. Similarly, there are no dwarf-women in Middle-Earth; the elves seemingly reproduce asexually. The hobbits, being English countryfolk, do have families, but it’s not until after the events of The Lord of the Rings are over that Sam can settle down, and that ends the book (save for the endless appendices). Therein we see the fantasy dwarf or elf’s derivation from folklore: they are sexless beings. The Nelwyns, however, are most assuredly people, and they do have love lives and families.

Today, cinematic dwarves, hobbits, and elves can be depicted by actors of “normal” stature using camera tricks such as forced perspective, or with CGI (a practice Davis has compared to “ blackface ”). Conversely, Peter Dinklage, perhaps the best-known actor with dwarfism working today, has spoken out against typecasting actors of short stature and famously refused to play “ elves or leprechauns .” I would argue, however, that Willow, made while Dinklage was still an undergraduate at Bennington, is important because, at the time, it was a representation of people of short stature (and, by extension, people with other disabilities) that humanized the actors to the audience (that is, me) rather than treating them as a gimmick.

Such experiences seem to be ever-present in the film. Just as the outside world is dangerous to the Nelwyns, the actors visibly struggle to make their way across the landscapes and sets. The stick Mark Northover uses for mobility becomes Burglekutt’s staff of authority. Just as those with visible differences are othered in the real world, the Daikini have a derogatory term—peck—for the Nelwyns. Willow bristles so much when Madmartigan uses it that he wants to use one of his precious petrifying acorns on him, and abandoning prejudice is made part of Madmartigan’s character arc—something that wasn’t lost on me as a kid. And, of course, the protagonist is someone with a visible difference: Willow protests that he is an unlikely hero, “short, even for a Nelwyn,” but of course in the end, it is he who saves the day. This, too, wasn’t lost on me, especially as a weird kid growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Brooklyn.

But Willow’s repercussions went well beyond the cinematic. Jerry Marren, one of the actors who played a Munchkin, recalled in his autobiography that coming to the set of The Wizard of Oz was the first time he saw people who looked like him. Much as had happened on the set of The Wizard of Oz , the actors with dwarfism, many of whom had previously played Ewoks, formed a community, and such a community is inextricably linked with activism. (In fact, Billy Barty, who plays the High Aldwin in Willow , had founded Little People of America in 1957.) This unavoidably extended to off-screen life, as well. Laura Cannata, a fan with dwarfism, wrote on Twin Cities Geek :

That movie was my first introduction to other people like me. That movie led my mother to seek out an organization called the Little People of America, or LPA for short. The founder of the LPA was Billy Barty, a renowned actor who happens to play the village elder in Willow. This organization formed my early years. It led me to knowledgeable doctors, education, and support.

Willow has a positive message to all people who are different, but especially so to people with dwarfism. In this film, little people get to play people. Not goblins, not creatures, but people with hopes and dreams like everyone else.

In popular culture, an imaginary, fantastical Middle Ages is linked with fantastical creatures such as smaller versions of humans such as hobbits, elves, and dwarves. However, when it comes to depicting such a world with real people, such depictions can be problematic and exploitative—or they can blow up our expectations. In the case of Willow , we have an example of a film that upends how people with dwarfism and other disabilities were treated in the past to show that people with disabilities can be productive, satisfied, included, and valued members of society—and, yes, they can form relationships, become parents, and raise healthy, happy families. This, to my mind, is what makes Willow such a good movie: it made people with at least one particular sort of disability both visible and human.

Ken Mondschein is a scholar, writer, college professor, fencing master, and occasional jouster. Ken’s latest book is  On Time: A History of Western Timekeeping .  Click here to visit his website . You can also fellow Ken on Twitter @DrKenMondschein

Click here to read more from Ken

Top Image: Image from Lucasfilm Ltd. / Imagine Entertainment

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Parent Reviews

Quite a scary opening.

This title has:

• Too much violence

Report this review

Confusing and disturbing, boring +uncalled for sexy stuff+weirdo occult ritual stuff=just watch lord of the rings or some studio ghibli again.

• Too much sex
• Too much swearing

Some Dark content

It’s sexist alas, pretty brutal and gross, not for sensitive viewers, violent and scary; one objectionable scene, but overall fun movie for older kids.

• Great messages
• Great role models

A Classic for families!

Not appropriate, what to watch next.

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Christian Sauvé

Aren't you wasting your time right now?

Willow (1988)

(On Blu Ray, September 2019) I’m aware that Willow has its fans—if you were a fantasy fan of the right age in 1988, Willow was supposed to be a genre-defining event, a bit of hype that was helped along with having George Lucas as the film’s screenwriter. The intent was to deliver a fantasy equivalent to Star Wars (you can recognize themes running through both), working from an archetypical plot executed through state-of-the-art technology. The result, well, isn’t quite as successful. Drawn-out, dull, repetitive, predictable, it’s somewhat balanced with a great lead performance by Warwick Davis, some oddly likable bits of worldbuilding, Val Kilmer in a breakout role, and some digital special effects that, in retrospect, demonstrate the road to even more sophisticated CGI. Watching the film as a middle-aged man, I can’t quite say that it has aged well—the film’s young target audience is obvious, and part of the point of fantasy stories is the immersion that the sometimes-dicey special effects break. For every good thing that makes us like Willow , there’s at least one other bad thing pulling us farther away. Clearly, I’m far too old to watch it as intended.

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Your Daily Science Fiction, Fantasy & Entertainment Fix

Willow–the faithful sequel to a beloved fantasy classic that’s as good as the original.

Review by C.J. Bunce

To say director Ron Howard’s Willow is a beloved movie isn’t an overstatement.  From the mind–and original story–of George Lucas, this was fantasy from a filmmaker proven to know the genre, the one who delivered one of its best creations in space fantasy form as Star Wars.  Like Jim Henson and his The Dark Crystal, Lucas delivered the movie Willow at the height of his almost magical success, when audiences hadn’t really seen a big-budget, mythic, live-action swords and sorcery fantasy movie.  After two episodes I thought Disney had a possible hit with its new sequel series, also called Willow , but now that its tenth and final episode has aired, its place in the pantheon of fantasy series is secured.  With a seventh episode that is one of the best fantasy episodes ever devised–with surprising story elements and gorgeous sets and scenery–actor Warwick Davis led a cast of new actors to build something that could stick around for a long time.

Although nearly 35 years have passed in the real world, the series is set 20 years after the movie.  Davis is back as Willow, now High Aldwin (the title carried by late actor Billy Barty in the movie).  Joanna Whalley is back, her Sorsha is now queen, watching over a kingdom and her grown twins from her marriage with Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan: Kit, played by Ruby Cruz and Airk, played by Dempsey Bryk.  Both Cruz and Bryk are doppelgangers for Kilmer–the casting of them as his twins is simply perfect.  Madmartigan is feared dead, and although Kilmer doesn’t return, his son mimics him well as a voice from afar–a lovely addition to the film for fans of the actor and his character.

The breakout star of Willow is Ellie Bamber (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Les Miserables) as Elora Danan.  She begins as the mousy girlfriend of Airk and servant cook called Dove, and by the end of the tenth episode she has grown to become a rising, promising sorceress.  The fate of Elora has been held secret for the past 20 years, but comes to light when Airk is kidnapped by henchmen of the Crone, an evil force whose future malice Willow has foreseen in a vision.  Kit and a small band set off to find brother Airk, including her unwilling and unwanted betrothed Graydon (the Spider-Man series’ own Flash, Tony Revolori, plus Kit’s loyal friend Jade (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Solo: A Star Wars Story actress Erin Kellyman), and Boorman, a thief who once fought with Madmartigan that the queen appoints to the task, played by Amar Chadha-Patel (The Wheel of Time, Aladdin).  Revolori rises beyond his past roles as an actor with sincerity and skill.  At many points he holds the high drama for the many twisted subplots of the season.  Viewers will cheer Graydon by season’s end.

From the old guard, Davis’s performance is perfection, a high point for the actor who has donned prosthetics more often than not in films like the Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Leprechaun franchises.  He gets to play a young Willow in flashbacks, an older Willow in the present, and in visions a middle-aged Willow.  Davis’s real-life daughter Annabelle Davis steps in as Willow’s brave daughter Mims (who originally discovered Elora as a child, played by another actress)–a bow-wielding character that deserves her own spin-off series.  The return of Davis as Willow unveils to the world that this is an actor who should be considered for more big roles.  His wisened sneer, his thoughtful mannerisms, charismatic voice, and middle-aged demeanor is the stuff that Hollywood will hopefully begin tapping into more regularly.  It’s the kind of return we were hoping for with Mark Hamill’s return to the movies as Luke Skywalker, only this time better writing, by none other than Jonathan Kasdan, let audiences follow Willow as a more faithful continuation of the young fellow we met so long ago.  The series has the same look as the original, and if you love modern fantasy films like Snow White and The Huntsman and The Huntsman: Winter’s War, you’ll love what awaits in the first season of Willow .

As I thought after the first two episodes, the series seemed to have lots of callbacks to ideas from George Lucas’s and other 1970s and 1980s movies.  You can almost tell when this new fantasy fellowship is arriving at a Star Wars or Indiana Jones-infused moment.  Kasdan knows fantasy and science fiction as well as anyone, and sometimes he takes turns you hope he’ll take, and sometimes he doesn’t.  At times Willow gets to do things we only hoped to see Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda do in the Star Wars movies.  Characters spar with swords and with wands in ways Star Wars has yet to do as powerfully.  It’s fantastic knowing Joonas Suotamo–the actor in the last several Chewbacca appearances–is the man inside the memorable villain called The Scourge.  Willow is not by any means predictable, but Kasdan tells a fantasy tale in the tradition of centuries of the best fantasy storytelling via myths, fairy tales, and epic adventures.  Even an appearance by Christian Slater goes far in invoking nostalgia for his Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves appearance.  A few times the viewer will be able to tell some segues were somehow lost in the editing room, especially immediately after two key characters are killed and other cast members smile too quickly.  Some off characters in the forest are introduced and then killed off too quickly and it doesn’t jibe with the rest of the story.  But beyond a few questionable moments the series stays on track to the end.

Stephen Woolfenden (Doctor Who, Harry Potter) directed the first two episodes, with Jamie Childs (Doctor Who, His Dark Materials) really selling the show directing the final two episodes.  The late James Horner theme to Willow is one of the most memorable, most rousing pieces of film music from the 1980s (Horner is one of the top 10 film composers of all time–check out the soundtrack here and listen to the theme here ).  James Newton Howard’s new music teases notes from the original theme in more heroic scenes, but his sweeping new themes never rely on the past to increase dramatic emotion and tension, similar to how Danny Elfman didn’t rely on the classic Addams Family theme in his Wednesday series.  As for the costumes, Sarah Young (Mad Max: Fury Road, Gods of Egypt) has crafted all new designs for the series that can only be called iconic.  Her armor for Kit, Tolkienesque look for Willow, her trademark mundane wardrobe for Elora, and even her audacious incorporation of denim make for some memorable costumes sure to be regular apparel for the next cosplay conventions.

The movie Willow is streaming on Disney+ and is worthy of a re-watch before digging into the series.  It starred Davis as Willow Ufgood, a young man who takes an abandoned baby named Elora Danan on a perilous journey to protect the world from an evil queen, played by Jean Marsh.  Along the way he encounters a criminal rogue named Madmartigan (played by Val Kilmer), and the queen’s sword-wielding daughter Sorsha, played by Joanne Whalley.  Watch the movie and the series in order, and you may agree the series is as good as–and possibly better at times–than the movie.

What more could you ask for?  A second season can’t come soon enough (and the end credits tease at a possible third).  An epic journey full of intrigue, fun, nostalgia, and stakes, all ten episodes of the highly recommended Willow are now streaming on Disney+.

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State-of-the-art special effects and an appealing performance from Warwick Davis can't quite save Willow from its slow pace and generic story.

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Madmartigan

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Willow Ufgood

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MOVIE REVIEW : The Airy Atmosphere of George Lucas’ ‘Willow’

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“Willow” (citywide) is a perfectly agreeable tale of magic, little people, heroic warriors, babies among the bulrushes and a wicked queen who must be overthrown lest the world be engulfed in evil. If it evaporates from memory with the airiness of a bubble bath, at least it leaves a friendly glow and a sense of a magical world lovingly evoked.

“Willow” suffers by being known as the long-planned project of George Lucas, its executive producer, who chose Ron Howard to direct and newcomer Bob Dolman to write from Lucas’ own story. Any movie in the fantasy vein with the Lucas stamp on it comes with a heavy load of expectation.

If you’re taking a little hand-holder to this concoction, you may be relieved to find that it’s not a ponderous dead weight, like “Krull,” of thudding memory. But for all its charm and considerable invention, “Willow” is never going to insinuate itself into the world’s unconscious like “Star Wars.”

The Lucas fervor is here, that amazing ability to create worlds of imagination and sustain them with a combination of guile and glee. But the unique “Star Wars” edge--sophistication enough for adults, wonder enough for kids, effects enough for both--is softened and sweetened here, whether by the presence of another director or not is hard to say.

The adventures befall Willow Ufgood, a staunch little Nelwyn, one of a race of farmers and miners. He’s played by a dauntless 3-foot-4 18-year-old, Warwick Davis, who a few years ago was busy acting inside a furry Ewok suit in “Return of the Jedi.”

Despite his years, Davis somehow manages to be convincing as a husband and father and, best of all, as a living example to young children that not all derring-do has to wait until you’re big. (Davis may also have the most beautiful hands of any screen actor since John Barrymore.)

Feelings vary, but over in this corner, when the final battle is in full swing and the treacherous Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) is zapping lightning bolts around like some accident in Thomas Edison’s lab, the tendency to yawn becomes almost overwhelming. On the other hand, every minute spent in the world of the Nelwyns, who have the charm of all Seven Dwarfs at once and the Munchkins, too, seems to rush by. Adventure-hungry kids may find it just the other way around.

It’s Willow’s tiny children who start things. They bring home a basket they’ve rescued from the river, containing Elora Danan, which is not some new variety of yogurt, but a red-haired baby girl who, by prophecy, will bring down the empire of Queen Bavmorda. Although he’d much rather stay safely at home, Willow dutifully sets out to take this baby back to the land of the Daikini, the big people.

And so the adventure is off and loping. Next on the scene is a sort of low-rent warrior, Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), who fits right into the Han Solo/Harrison Ford tradition of scruffy heroes-in-spite-of-themselves. Kilmer’s physicality and his humor are nicely balanced, making Madmartigan a fine, lusty performance. He’s joined by a pair of 9-inch special-effects Brownies, Rool and Franjean (Kevin Pollak, Rick Overton), who seem to speak pure Billy Crystal.

The Darth Vader this time is General Kael (Pat Roach) in a toothy skull mask, while the Queen’s daughter is herself a warrior, the red-haired Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), whose feats soon catch Madmartigan’s eye.

If adventure movies have progressed at all since the days when men and boys did it all, it’s in characters like Sorsha and the benevolent magician Raziel (Patricia Hayes). This sorceress has to change into a half-dozen animal forms before she can shake a particularly nasty spell of Bavmorda’s, but her final, proper incarnation is as a woman in her 70s, old enough to know everything . It’s a refreshing switch on that relentless ingenue, Glinda the Good.

As always, the look of the picture is impeccable--the Nelwyns’ houses, igloo-shaped huts with a faintly Mediterranean look to their plaster walls, are set in a wonderfully inventive Renaissance Pleasure Faire village (Marin County ways die hard). There are a few fearsome inventions, like those hounds from hell, the Devil Dogs, and the costumes, the makeup and the hairdressings seem especially fine. (This is probably the first time Billy Barty went entirely unrecognized, and Val Kilmer’s wild, braided hair may start yet another trend.)

But we’re grasping at straws here. By the end, “Willow” (MPAA-rated PG) is all roaring monsters being flung about castle walls and duels to the death in Bavmorda’s chambers . . . time for the adults to grab their hats and beat a quiet retreat.

It’s too bad, since Lucas so clearly wants his films to do good and to carry positive messages. Willow and Madmartigan very nearly bring it off, but in the end they’re engulfed as effects overwhelm character and this slim story.

A Lucasfilm Ltd. film presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Executive producer George Lucas. Producer Nigel Wooll. Director Ron Howard. Story, Lucas. Screenplay Bob Dolman. Music James Horner. Camera Adrian Biddle. Production design Allan Cameron. Associate producer Joe Johnston. Visual effects Industrial Light & Magic, Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister, Phil Tippett. Special effects supervisor John Richardson. Costumes Barbara Lane. Editors Daniel Hanley, Michael Hill. Chief makeup artist Alan Boyle. Second-unit director Micky Moore. With Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Pat Roach, Kevin Pollak, Rock Overton, David Steinberg, Gavan O’Herlihy.

Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes.

MPAA rating: PG (parental guidance suggested)

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A producer and a pharaoh find a baby on a raft in the Nile. “What an ugly kid,” the pharaoh says. “That’s funny,” says the producer. “He looked great in the rushes.” – Old movie joke

“Willow” is a fearsomely ambitious movie, but it is not fearsome, and it is not wondrous, and it is about a journey too far down a road too well-traveled by other movies. It’s a fantasy about the quest of a lovable little person and his heroic newfound friend to return a lost baby to where she belongs and to outsmart a wicked queen and kill a two-headed dragon in the process. In other words, standard stuff.

What was supposed to make “Willow” special was the quality of the production. This is a sword-and-sorcery epic produced by George Lucas , whose “Star Wars” portrayed the same kind of material in outer space, and directed by Ron Howard , whose human touch made “Cocoon” one of the best recent science-fiction movies. The special effects are by Lucas’s company, Industrial Light and Magic, which has set the standard in such matters. The budget was umpteen million dollars, and Hollywood has been hoping that the Force was definitely with this film.

Alas, even the largest budgets and the most meticulous special effects are only dead weight unless they have a story to make them move. And at the story level, “Willow” is turgid and relentlessly predictable. Not much really happens, and when it does, its pace is slowed by special effects set pieces that run on too long and seem to be recycled out of earlier movies.

The story: Willow, citizen of the Nelwyns, a race of little people, is chosen by his community to take a baby to a far-off crossroads where she can be found by her people, the Daikinis. The baby was carried to Willow’s land on a crude raft that was swept along by river waters, but what Willow does not know is that the baby was placed on the raft by her desperate mother. That was to save her from a decree of death dealt out to all girl children by Bavmorda, the vicious queen and sorcerer, who fears her successor has been born. So already we have the story of Moses, cross-pollinated with “ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs .” Lucas has a reputation as a student of old legends and folklore, but there is a thin line between that and simply being a student of old movies.

One of the crucial problems in “Willow” is that we see so much of this baby. She is dragged from one end of the known world to the other, usually with a plucky smile on her face. And whenever something interesting happens, we get an appropriate reaction shot from the baby.

Hey, I like kids, but even Baby Leroy couldn’t have saved this character.

Willow ( Warwick Davis ) sets off with the baby in arms, and at the crossroads he meets Madmartigan ( Val Kilmer ), a warrior who has been imprisoned in a cage. Madmartigan convinces Willow to free him, using much too much dialogue in the process, and then they team up to continue their quest, which leads eventually to Bavmorda’s fortress, guarded by a two-headed, fire-breathing dragon.

So, OK, the dragon is well done. All of the special effects are competent, but they do not breathe with the fire of life because they are not motivated by a strong story we really care about. The characters in “Willow” are shallow and unexciting, and the story is a plod through recycled legend. Therefore even the battle with the dragon is a foregone conclusion. There can be no true suspense in a movie where even the characters seem to be inspired by other movies.

“Willow” is certainly not a breakthrough film to a mass audience, but is it at least a successful children’s picture? I dunno.

Its pacing is too deliberate, and it doesn’t have a light heart. That’s revealed in the handling of some characters named the Brownies, represented by a couple of men who are about 9 inches tall and fight all the time. Maybe Lucas thought these guys would work like R2-D2 and C-3PO did in “Star Wars.” But they have no depth, no personalities, no dimension; they’re simply an irritant at the edge of the frame. Touches like that will only confuse kids who know that good dreams do not have to be clever, or consistent, or expensive, but that they should never, ever, make you want to wake up.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Pat Roach as Kael
• Jean Marsh as Queen Bavmorda
• Patricia Hayes as Raziel
• Val Kilmer as Madmartigan
• Warwick Davis as Willoe
• Gavan O’Herlihy as Airk
• Joanne Whalley as Sorsha
• Billy Barty as High Aldwin

Photographed by

• Adrian Biddle
• Daniel Hanley
• Michael Hill
• James Horner

Produced by

• Nigel Wooll

Directed by

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Willow (1988)

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Willow Actor Christian Slater On Honoring Val Kilmer And Having 'As Much Fun' As Possible [Exclusive Interview]

"Willow" is as much about its titular hero (Warwick Davis) as it is about his unlikely companion, a suave swashbuckler by the name of Madmartigan (Val Kilmer). Kilmer's performance brought a contemporary edge to the high fantasy in the 1988 film, and it's a performance that Jon Kasdan hoped to feature in his legacy sequel , also called "Willow." Unfortunately, with COVID-19, an unforgiving shoot in Wales, and Kilmer's long battle with throat cancer to consider, the actor was unable to return for the series — at least, not physically. 

Madmartigan's spirit is still all over nu-"Willow," thanks to some more anachronistic humor and a host of new characters that share his sensibilities. One of those characters is Allagash, played to perfection by Kilmer's contemporary Christian Slater.

Like Kasdan, Slater was already a mega-fan of "Willow" before he got the call to join the series. But joining "Willow" as Madmartigan's longtime friend came with a bit of homework, as Kasdan had plotted out a whole lot of history in the form of an "unreleased" sequel. "There was a movie you never got to see," Kasdan told io9 ahead of the series premiere. "It came out in 1992 and it was 'The Adventures of Madmartigan,' and it had Madmartigan leading a team of adventurers on a daring quest." Of course, "The Adventures of Madmartigan" does not exist in our reality, but for Kasdan, it was essential to informing Madmartigan's absence in the series — and in finding an actor that could help fill in those blanks in his own way.

Slater's name was at the top of that list, and for good reason. To this day, the actor represents a particular sect of Gen X royalty: He's a paladin for a generation of rogues and rebels that have since had to grow up — and it's a responsibility that seems to inform his role in "Willow" too, as he coaches a new generation of heroes. With all this in mind, it's safe to say that Slater juggled a lot in his time on "Willow," but the actor has been around long enough to know when to throw caution to the wind and have a bit of fun no matter what. I spoke to Slater about stepping up to Kilmer's legacy and finding freedom in the role of Allagash.

'I felt like I found my tribe'

It's no secret that you were a big fan of the original "Willow" movie. So how does it feel not just to have a new chapter in that story all these years later, but to actually be a part of it?

It was a lot of fun. I mean, I had a great time, but this is a world that I love. I love fantasy. I love Lucasfilm. I was born at the right time. I was seven years old when "Star Wars" came out, and it just made such an indelible impression to me. I was 16 when "Willow" came out, and I loved it. I loved the energy of it. I loved the fun of it. I loved what Warwick did and I loved what Van Kilmer did. It was just such a fun, offbeat character. So to get the opportunity here to create a new character from the ground up, somebody a little quirky, somebody a little offbeat, somebody you're not sure you can really trust or not, was fun. And I felt like I found my tribe. I really loved this group of people and it was a great time.

There's a lot of history between your character and Madmartigan, and a lot of context that you helped to fill. Was your backstory pretty much figured out when you came aboard, or did you add some things as you went along?

I mean, certainly Jon had an idea. I mean, I've only heard later that there's some imaginary sequel that never got made in 1990 maybe.

But it does make sense to a certain degree. I mean, Val and I have always crossed paths in the past, and we've worked together several times and I'm just such a huge fan of his. And like I said, what they do with Madmartigan I thought was just fantastic and so fun and so full of life. And there was never ever going to be any idea of ... No one can ever fill the shoes of Madmartigan. I mean, come on. It's like, the guy's unbelievable. But he could have had a friend that joined him on his adventures. Val and I have had several adventures together in our lives anyway, so we could have hung out, it makes sense.

I think Allagash is the type of guy that Madmartigan would've attracted into his universe, just two kind of rogue-ish, sneaky kind of character guys. And then you put a character like Allagash in a crow's cage for 10 years, he's really going to be out of his mind. So all those aspects really gave me a lot of freedom to have so much fun with the character and just be a little quirky and a little offbeat. And I was just so thrilled that Jon Kasdan was open to ideas and to doing whatever the heck it is we wanted to do with each other. It was really fun.

'It always felt like Val's spirit was involved in some way'

Was there any improv between you and the cast? Your rapport with Amar [Chadha-Patel] is so endearing.

Yeah, we loved each other. I mean, I really loved them. I loved them all. Ruby Cruz was great, Warwick was great, but the fight scenes were so fun and we really did have a good time. And it always felt like Val's spirit was involved in some way. There's that great moment in the movie when he flips his sword and then falls on his ass, that great shot. And there's a moment in the episode I did, where I go skipping down the hall, singing about how free I am — and I think Val must have sent out some kind of serendipitous spiritual arrow, because I too fell on my ass at that particular moment. I felt like that was another nice homage, and I just feel like Val had something to do with that.

Playing the swashbuckler is some somewhat new territory for you. And I know there's a chance we may not see Allagash again, but would you ever dip into high fantasy ever again?

Of course, yeah. Like I said, I've been a huge fan of Lucasfilm my whole life and fantasy, adventure, entertainment, escapism ... I do love it, and I love to play fun characters and have a good time and push the envelope and create characters from the ground up. And that's what this opportunity presented. I had a good vibe and a good feel and a good sense of what it was they were trying to capture in this particular show. And I feel like they did a really, really nice job.

Did you watch weekly, or did you get to see all the episodes at once?

I did watch. I kind of watched weekly and I would watch ... It was fun to watch the show. They have all this stuff on YouTube now where you can watch the show or see other people's reactions while they're watching the show. I mean, this whole world is so weird now that we're in. Next there'll be like a show about the people reacting to the people watching the show, reacting to the show. It will keep going and going and going. So I enjoyed a few of those. Those were really, really fun. To see people hooting and hollering as they're watching the show unfold felt very organic and it made it fun for me.

'Who knows if I'll ever get to be here again?'

Lastly, I've just got to ask about your time working with Zoë Kravitz on her directorial debut .

I know you probably can't say a lot, but how was it working with her and the cast, and within that thriller genre?

It was great. I mean, I knew Lenny [Kravitz] and Lisa [Bonet], and I held Zoë when she was this big. She was a little ... It was incredible. So to get to work with her in this capacity, I mean, she did such a fantastic job. I can't wait to see the movie. I mean, we had such a great time, and it's such a crazy, crazy movie and crazy concept, and it's fun, but it's dark and it'll be twisted. And again, I had a good time with the character and we were able to come up, I think, with some fun stuff. 

I mean, I think the older I get, it's like you realize you better just get in as much as you can now because time is precious. There's no point in waiting. You might as well just throw in and throw out as much possibly can. So that's what it was like too on "Willow." I just was like, "Who knows if I'll ever get to be here again? So let's have as much fun as we possibly can while we're here."

"Willow" season 1 is now available in full on Disney+.

WILLOW: A Derivative Fantasy With A Charming Heart

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Willow has a special place in many film lovers’ hearts. Many of those who love the 1988 fantasy epic saw it as children, and at that young age, the film was possibly the greatest cinematic achievement they had ever seen. There were unlikely heroes, wondrous creatures and imaginative magic filling nearly every frame.

Today,  Willow’s overly familiar story and failure to properly develop characters could turn some film fans off, but it has enough charm and creativity to make it worthwhile.

A Hero’s Quest In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Stop me if you have heard this one before: An unlikely underdog with hopes for a better life embarks on a quest to save a princess. Along the way, the hero meets a scoundrel with a heart of gold who falls in love with a princess. Together, the heroes take on a great evil to bring peace to the world.

That is basically the story of Star Wars. Now compare that to the story of Willow.

Executive Producer George Lucas gives us an eerily familiar story that may have come from a galaxy far, far away. The parallels to  Star Wars  are undeniable, but those films themselves are a retelling of an age-old story. And a well-trodden story can be effective if the story is told well.  Willow not only retells this story beautifully, it also adds its own creative touches.

The visuals and special effects are slightly dated compared to more modern fantasy films, but they are still effective in creating a mostly unique fantasy world. There are trolls, fairies and other more typical creatures, but there are also some more innovative creations, like the shape-shifting wizard Fin Raziel ( Patricia Hayes ) whose transformations from one animal to another are grotesquely compelling to watch. The true highlight is the two-headed dragon creature born from an enchanted troll (Yes, you read that right).

The action scenes rely mostly on practical stunts and effects, bringing a sense of reality to the fantasy setting. There are no C.G.I. armies fighting in vast fields, but there is a breakneck chase in a rickety wagon and a shield-sled escape down a snow topped mountain. All of these scenes are cleanly shot and perfectly edited.

However, not every action set piece works. Willow is one of the first big budget action films that director Ron Howard worked on and it shows, especially in the conclusion. There are awkward angles during the final duels between characters. One duel has no build-up and feels like we have walked into the middle of it, killing its importance.

Glorious Heroes and Lackluster Villains

At the center of the fantasy epic is Willow , ably played by Davis . The actor was only seventeen at the time of filming, and that youthful exuberance plays a large part in what makes the character so likeable. Willow is steadfastly loyal to his young charge and his wide-eyed wonder for all of the wondrous sights make for a charming audience surrogate.

Equal parts Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Madmartigan is the perfect compliment to Davis ‘ Willow. Kilmer is having the most fun out of all of the actors and his c*cky persona plays so well off of the more straitlaced Davis . The fact that Madmartigan barely survives most of his adventures in the film makes him even more charming. The friendship that develops between the two is the strongest, and gives the film its heart.

Madmartigan’s romance with Sorsha is clichéd. The daughter of villain Queen Bavmorda, the character is reduced to a simple love interest. While  Whalley  and  Kilmer have chemistry, how and why they get together is unbelievable.   Because Sorsha is the daughter of the main villain, the drama should have come easily. She could have been an interesting take on loyalty to family versus what is right.

But the most damning disappoint is General Kael ( Pat Roach ). With his black armor and striking skull helmet completely hiding his face, Kael should be Willow’s Darth Vader. Yet he too is an empty shell, though in a worse way than Bavmorda. He is an undeveloped plot device.

Take his introduction. Kael walks into Bavmorda’s castle in a wide long shot. He enters bragging about his latest triumph. He walks up next to Sorsha in a medium shot and stands at her side. His importance is already ruined…he shares power with Sorsha. Now think back to Darth Vader’s introduction. He walks into the aftermath of a battle through a cloud of smoke, his black armor in stark contrast to the surroundings. Vader is dead center in that scene, introducing the viewer to the dark threat to the galaxy.

Like a statue, Kael is simply there. He is bear of a man and roars with the best ogre-like villains, but its very obvious that he is simply there to be Madmartigan’s duel partner. And even that is lackluster.

A Film Out Of Its Time

In recent years, the success of The Lord of the Rings films show that modern audiences are more open to these films. While Willow is not at the same level of those films, it seems as though it came out at the wrong time. Whatever the case may be, Willow still holds enough charm and heart to please fans of the fantasy genre.

So what do you think? Does Willow stand the test of time despite its flaws?

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Derek Sanchez is a writer with a B.A. in Film Studies from San Francisco State University. While he enjoys writing his own films, he enjoys analyzing them to the smallest detail just as much. He runs his own film blog with an incredibly awesome name, Supermassive Film Stuff. However, his Twitter name is incredibly unoriginal.

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Review/Film; 'Willow,' a George Lucas Production

By Janet Maslin

• May 20, 1988

Today's films have a way of being supplanted overnight. However bright or ground breaking it may be, a new film can be followed in a flash by another that copies and comments on the first, and this process can repeat and repeat itself. So five or six stages of fantasy film making separate the 1977 ''Star Wars'' from the new ''Willow,'' although George Lucas made his plans for both projects at roughly the same time. Even if the two sets of raw material had been of equal worth, ''Willow'' would inevitably lie under the long ''Star Wars'' shadow.

The startling thing about ''Star Wars,'' after all, was its mixture of hip, knowing style and perfect innocence. Though every imaginable adventure-movie flourish found its way into Mr. Lucas's amalgam, ''Star Wars'' could simultaneously wink and marvel at the cinematic past. But as ''Willow'' now strives for a similar effect, even ''Star Wars'' has become fodder. So without anything like the earlier film's eager, enthusiastic tone, and indeed with an understandable weariness, ''Willow'' recapitulates images from ''Snow White,'' ''The Wizard of Oz,'' ''Gulliver's Travels,'' ''Mad Max,'' ''Peter Pan,'' ''Star Wars'' itself, the Hobbit saga, Japanese monster films of the 1950's, the Bible and a million fairy tales. One tiny figure combines the best attributes of Tinkerbell, the Good Witch Glinda and the White Rock Girl.

As this may suggest, ''Willow'' is as vast as it is secondhand. Its scale is an advantage at a time when most other films seem unreasonably small; so is its easygoing sense of humor. And the attempt to stage another huge, ambitious fantasy has a certain nobility even when the film itself does not, so that ''Willow'' at least creates the sense that its audience is witnessing a legitimate cinematic event. For all but the most hardened fantasy fans, though, the effect will be less than all-enveloping. There is simply too much water over the dam since this idea took flight, and too little new under the sun.

And ''Willow,'' which opens today in New York, doesn't have the perfect pitch of ''Star Wars''; much of the time, it seems slightly askew. The title, for instance, suggests a beautiful, lissome heroine or perhaps a cherished tree, but it is in fact the name of a 3-foot 4-inch character (played by Warwick Davis) who doesn't even succeed in holding center stage. Willow is part of a tribe of neo-Munchkins called Nelwyns, and the film nominally centers on a mission that comes his way. A baby named Elora Danan (Kate and Ruth Greenfield) has been cast upon the waters after the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) hears the prophesy that this child will cause her downfall; then Willow finds the little girl and assumes the role of her protector. Bible scholars may well question the need for such novelty.

In any case, after its violent beginning, the film spends an enjoyable sojourn with several hundred Nelwyns, who live in igloo-like structures, are dwarfed by their own farm animals and rely on the teachings of a sorcerer named High Aldwin (Billy Barty, who's funny in this role). When the sorcerer tells Willow to follow his heart, he becomes the Obi-Wan Kenobi of a film that also has its Darth Vader, R2-D2, C-3P0 and Princess Leia stand-ins. Much energy has gone into the creation of their names, some of which (General Kael) have recognizable sources and others (Burglekutt, Cherlindrea, Airk) have only tongue-twisting in mind. Not even the names have anything like ''Star Wars''-level staying power.

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14 Movies About Christianity That Critics Loved, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes

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Movies about faith and religion generally have a reputation for being subpar, often laughable exercises in message over substance. It's lamentable that faith-based audiences haven't had more selection historically. Especially considering the size of the demographic, it's a pity this has long been the case.

One of the surprise breakout hits of 2023, Jesus Revolution , scored well with audiences and exceeded expectations at the box office. Critics generally endorsed the faith-based drama, with the film hovering just above a "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes. Movies dealing with faith can be challenging to evaluate, especially from a critical angle. But as films that deal with themes of Christianity have become more popular in recent years, many have scored well on Rotten Tomatoes with both audiences and critics alike. Here are some of the best.

14 'Breakthrough' (2019)

Rotten tomatoes score: 62%.

Based on the true story of a young boy named John Smith , Breakthrough revolves around the miraculous recovery of John ( Marcel Ruiz ), who falls through the ice of a frozen lake and is declared dead for over an hour. But his mother, Joyce Smith, holds out hope and desperately prays for her son's recovery. John's heart begins to beat again through the power of prayer, and in defiance of initial medical expectations, he finally makes a full recovery.

Breakthrough is a rare example of a faith-based movie that respects the medical profession . Moreover, it isn't afraid to show the characters' doubts and difficulties, which makes the eventual breakthrough much more potent and poignant. The movie is more than just faith, it's an all-encompassing movie that mixes faith, love, community, and hope to uplift, inspire, and bring joy. Even though it might not be a blockbuster, this movie could inspire others of the same genre to succeed.

Breakthrough

Not available

13 'Amazing Grace' (2006)

Rotten tomatoes score: 68%.

Helmed by future The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader director Michael Apted , Amazing Grace follows the true story of William Wilberforce ( Ioan Gruffudd ) as he converts to Christianity and fights to end the slave trade in Great Britain. As Wilberforce fights with Parliament to outlaw slavery in England, we also pivot to the story of John Newton (played here by Albert Finney ), the writer of the titular hymn for which the film is named.

As the stories of Wilberforce and Newton converge, the truth that binds both men, and all Christians, is that men are created in the image of God, and thus, slavery is a defacement on par with heresy. Amazing Grace does a fabulous job of bringing this historical, and controversial, era to life, with excellent performances from Gruffudd and Finney, as well as supporting cast members Benedict Cumberbatch , Michael Gambon , Romola Garai , and Ciarán Hinds .

Amazing Grace

12 'signs' (2002), rotten tomatoes score: 75%.

The most speculative movie on this list, M. Night Shyamalan's Signs is a powerful film that wrestles with the notion of divine providence and the struggles of maintaining faith in the face of grief. Mel Gibson plays a former Episcopalian priest, Graham Hess, as he fights to raise his two young children in the wake of their mother's death. With the help of his brother Merrill ( Joaquin Phoenix ), things get even more tricky when aliens invade the Earth.

While many have speculated that the aliens themselves are actually demons in disguise, the point of Signs isn't the science-fiction backdrop. Rather, the film hinges on Graham's struggle to believe in miracles, and his decision when he's forced to confront the fact that they exist. While this might not be the first Christian-based story you run to, it's one of the best.

11 'Silence' (2016)

Rotten tomatoes score: 83%.

Directed by Martin Scorcese , Silence is a theological and historical drama based on the novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō . Starring Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as Jesuit priests on a mission to Edo period Japan, they hope to locate their missing mentor ( Liam Neeson ) and spread their faith to the far reaches of the map. Unfortunately, things don't come easy as the Japanese officials stand steadily in their way.

While Silence is a bit controversial, it does an excellent job portraying the hardships associated with the persecution of Christians in 17th-century Japan . Garfield's Sebastião Rodrigues is a complicated character, one who wrestles with staying true to his own faith or preserving his own life. It's a hard choice, and one that doesn't come as easy as the priest may have hoped.

10 'The Tree of Life' (2011)

Rotten tomatoes score: 84%.

Director Terrence Malick's Tree of Life is arguably one of the first and biggest mainstream films to deal with the concept of faith, pulling explicitly from the Bible's Book of Job. The movie follows the adult Jack O'Brien, played by Sean Penn , as he reflects deeply on his childhood, with his parents being played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain .

One of the most theologically profound aspects of this movie is the attention it gives to two opposing forces of humanity: the way of grace and the way of nature . The adult Jack O'Brien feels both of these forces within himself as he remembers his childhood. His mother, who is kind, nurturing, and patient, embodies the way of grace. His father, who is short-tempered, restless, and at times cruel, exemplifies the way of nature. The adult Jack tries to work out who he is as these dual forces battle within him as they do for all of us. Though it's somewhat divisive, Tree of Life was an overall triumph , garnering three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

The Tree of Life

9 'hacksaw ridge' (2016).

Years after Mel Gibson put together The Passion of the Christ , he opted to tell the story of a young combat medic named Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) during the Second World War. Hacksaw Ridge is the result, following Seventh-day Adventist Doss, a conscientious objector who decides to enter the Pacific battlefield to save lives rather than kill them. Doss' strong faith, honorable courage, and desire to see life preserved is the backbone to this powerful biographical drama .

It's no wonder that Hacksaw Ridge earned itself six Oscar nominations and multiple Golden Globe nominations, which all hinged on Gibson's impressive directorial efforts and Garfield's fantastic performance. Not only does Hacksaw Ridge honor Christian themes of preserving the life of one's enemies, but it also highlights powerful notions of love, marriage, duty, and honoring one's parents, even when that feels impossible.

Hacksaw Ridge

8 'the ten commandments' (1956).

Charlton Heston 's foremost biblical epic, directed by Cecil B. Demille , The Ten Commandments is a masterwork in American filmmaking that brings the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus to life . As Heston's Moses confronts Yul Brynner 's Pharaoh Rameses II for the salvation of the Hebrew people, it's clear that this Old Testament classic has remained a filmmaking marvel for a reason.

Heston (who doubles as Moses and the voice of God) is a powerful presence here, and though his work in Ben-Hur is perhaps his most exceptional, there's a reason he's still considered the best Moses by many. This is 220 minutes that you won't want to miss. Just be sure to give yourself a quick break during the intermission.

The Ten Commandments

7 'ben-hur' (1959), rotten tomatoes score: 85%.

Speaking of Charlton Heston... One of the most spectacular period movies on record, The Best Years of Our Lives helmer William Wyler 's astounding epic is based on the most popular Christian novel of the 19th century: Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ . The story follows a wrongly convicted and enslaved Jewish noble whose adventures parallel, and even intertwine, with the story of Jesus Christ.

Featuring Charlton Heston's best performance, Ben-Hur won a record 11 Oscars (only matched by Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ). The climactic chariot race is still among the most rousing action set pieces ever committed to film. It's definitely worth mentioning the 1925 silent MGM feature here as well, a landmark in its own right that every film fan should experience. A laughably under-cooked 2016 remake came and went also, but there's no need to dwell on that.

6 ​​​'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' (2019)

Rotten tomatoes score: 86%.

Based on the true story of William Kamkwamba , The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind follows William ( Maxwell Simba ) as he is forced to drop out of school due to a famine that devastates his village. Despite having no formal education, William is motivated to find a solution to the issues affecting his community, especially the starvation and drought that endanger their way of life. He becomes passionate about using wind energy to power a water pump and irrigate the fields, giving a lifeline for his village's survival after being inspired by a book he finds in the neighborhood library.

The movie's themes of resiliency, ingenuity, and the strength of the human spirit are set against this backdrop as it emphasizes how faith can bring comfort, motivation, and a sense of purpose during trying times . Although it's frequently tough to watch due to its honest depiction of human suffering, this only helps its high points pay off and makes the movie one of the most inspirational stories about human resilience and faith.

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

5 'calvary' (2014), rotten tomatoes score: 89%.

Calvary follows the story of a sincere, yet imperfect priest seeking to minister to a town that is burdened by sin and doubt. After an anonymous source warns Father James will pay for the sins of other priests with his life, the weight of the problems of the town seems to grow, and it seems there is a limit to the reconciliation Father James is able to usher in. Brendan Gleeson plays the priest Father James perfectly.

The film provides an interesting premise: rather than telling a story of a bad priest in a good world, this is the story of a good priest in a bad world. The values of forgiveness and restoration are strong, though they are always contrasted with despair and melancholy. Nearly a decade before his Oscar-nominated turn in The Banshees of Inisherin , Gleeson displayed his distinct gift for grounding dark comedy in layers of humanity.

4 'Women Talking' (2023)

Rotten tomatoes score: 90%.

Women Talking is just what it sounds like. The film centers around a conversation between female representatives of a Mennonite community in Bolivia who must decide together how to respond to a crisis in their community. Over a period of four years, the women have been attacked in the night by certain unknown men in their community. They have a small window of time when the men are away from the colony and the women must decide — should they run, fight, or do nothing?

This movie grapples with the question so many Christians deal with: What happens when I'm suffering and God is silent? Working out the answer to this question is exquisitely achieved in this film, which calls itself "a work of female imagination." The cast and crew of Women Talking were made up of nearly all females, with particularly excellent performances by Claire Foy and Rooney Mara . In the end, the women make their decision communally. They share their stories, their anger, and their hurts. While they know their choice is right, it doesn't mean it's easy.

Women Talking

Watch on Amazon Prime

3 'First Reformed' (2018)

Rotten tomatoes score: 94%.

First Reformed deals with crises of faith. Ethan Hawke plays Father Toller, pastor of a historic church in upstate New York with a dying congregation. Amanda Seyfried plays Mary, a pregnant woman worried about her husband, a man consumed by the thoughts that the Earth will become uninhabitable for their child due to climate change. These characters come together, dealing with the weightiness of their personal lives, local politics, and a worldwide existential threat.

The most marvelous thing about this film is the relationship between its two main characters, played by Hawke and Seyfried . They're calm and understated, yet carrying the weight of the world within themselves. Yet this resonates as a human experience. Humans carry on in the face of death, loss, failure, uncertainty, and fear. These two characters look to Christianity for answers, but the answers don't come easily. The ending is a bit controversial, and doesn't represent the Christian position all too closely, but it's certainly an interesting take.

First Reformed

Watch on Kanopy

2 'Mass' (2021)

Rotten tomatoes score: 95%.

Mass is the story of one conversation that takes place entirely in a church basement. Two sets of parents who are connected by tragedy meet in an attempt to heal from the deaths of both of their sons. And while the setting is simple, the movie deals with the incredibly heavy issues of blame, guilt, and reconciliation. The movie is the directorial debut of Fran Kranz (yes, the pothead from Cabin in the Woods ), who also wrote and directed.

Reed Birney , Ann Dowd , Jason Isaacs , and Martha Plimpton all give moving performances of parents dealing with grief and hurt. The four of them create a lasting tension in the room together that makes trudging through their feelings difficult and volatile. Despite overwhelmingly positive response from critics as well as audiences ( the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is 91%), Mass more or less went under the radar upon release. It's one of the most powerful drama movies so far this decade, a gut punch about grace and redemption .

1 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' (1928)

Rotten tomatoes score: 98%.

A breathtaking triumph of the silent era , Carl Theodor Dreyer 's masterpiece depicts the trial and execution of the eponymous defender of France who claimed to hear the voice of God. The film was released eight years after the Roman Catholic Church made Joan of Arc a patron saint, which gave it quite a boost in popularity.

Stylistically, The Passion of Joan of Arc is the place where French Impressionism, German Expressionism, and Soviet Montage meet. The director was famously meticulous in research surrounding the life and death of the subject, the production exquisitely framing Renée Jeanne Falconetti's performance that's long been regarded as among the best in film . Few films, if any, have relied so heavily on close-ups to such remarkable effect.

The Passion of Joan of Arc

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Willow Disney+ sequel series gets Christian Slater and a fiery first trailer

The Mr. Robot actor will appear opposite original stars Warwick Davis and Joanne Whalley.

The world of Willow just gained another star and a Nov. 30 release date.

Christian Slater has joined the cast of the Disney+ sequel series that reunites some of the original team behind the George Lucas and Ron Howard 1988 fantasy adventure, it was revealed at D23 on Saturday. It's unclear what role the Mr. Robot actor will play, but he said it was a "dream come true" to be cast in the revival of the cult fantasy flick.

The Willow series was first announced in October 2020 , with Jon M. Chu directing original stars Warwick Davis and Joanne Whalley as the titular sorcerer and Sorsha respectively. At the time, the series was described as taking place "years after the events of the original Willow film" and will "introduce all-new characters to the enchanted realm of fairy queens and two-headed Eborsisk monsters."

Slater isn't the only new addition to Willow : Ruby Cruz plays Sorsha's daughter Kit, while Ellie Bamber co-stars as kitchen maid Dove. Solo actress Erin Kellyman is also on board as an aspiring knight named Jade. Together, they gather an unlikely crew of adventurers, who set out to rescue Kit's missing twin brother.

Disney also shared a trailer for the adventure series on Saturday that's heavy on action and introductions of the new characters. We also get plenty of Davis' Willow, who is sought out by Kit and her scrappy crew. "The world needs you again," she tells the sorcerer, "it needs your magic." Familiar faces abound as Willow leads them "beyond the edge of our world," with trolls rearing their ugly, hairy heads and precocious Brownies Rool (Kevin Pollak) and Franjean (Rick Overton) reuniting with our hero.

Also, Willow wields a flamethrower? Watch it below.

"Making the series really put the pressure on because you've got a huge responsibility to make it the very best it can be for all those people who have supported it and are passionate about it," Davis told EW in August . "You don't want to let them down because they'll soon tell you. So, that kept us on our game."

"What I think is really well done about [the TV show] is that it manages to transition what was happening with the film and bring it forward," adds Whalley. "It brings everything along with it into a new time and a new place, but you don't feel like there's a big jump cut or anything. It feels very organic."

The Willow series will cast its spell on Disney+ on Nov. 30.

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Willow Review

03 Mar 1988

126 minutes

Once upon a time... a powerful, bearded genius made a movie that placed a bunch of fantasy archetypes in a sci-fi setting. And lo, Star Wars did so well that George Lucas tried the trick again in 1988, this time producing Ron Howard’s fantasy flick, which both filled a large, LOTR-shaped gap (epic quest, vertically-challenged hero) and referenced Star Wars copiously (roguish hero, a beautiful princess, comedy sidekicks).

But the blocks remained unbusted, and not everyone lived happily ever after. Which isn’t to say that Willow is without its charms - the effects are more than special, the set-pieces suitably epic, and it’s still one of the most eye-catching fantasy films around. Problem is, with its 'parents’ - Star Wars and The Lord Of The Rings - currently kicking cinematic arse, Willow seems somehow smaller in stature.

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Christian Slater Details The Thrills Of Entering The World Of Lucasfilm With Willow - Exclusive Interview

The 1st season of the sequel series to the 1988 fantasy film classic "Willow" has wrapped after eight episodes on Disney, and among those basking in the warm memories of appearing on the show are acclaimed actor Christian Slater.

Slater, who has amassed more than 130 film and TV credits throughout his impressive career, with roles in such classics as "Heathers," "True Romance," "Interview with the Vampire," and more recently, "Mr. Robot," is introduced to the world of "Willow" in the series' 6th episode as a mysterious scoundrel named Allagash. Fancying himself as "the world's last great troubadour," Allagash is imprisoned deep below the surface in the Dread Mines of Skellin, where he's been locked in a hanging cage for the last 10 years by an army of trolls.

Taken prisoner by the trolls as well, Willow (Warwick Davis) and Princess Kit ( Ruby Cruz ) discover that Allagash has close ties to Kit's and Prince Airk's (Dempsey Bryk) long-lost father, Madmartigan (played in the "Willow" film by Val Kilmer), and claims to know how to find him. Before Allagash can help, though, the trio first has to escape the trolls' confines, and he needs to settle a contentious score with his old pal Boorman ( Amar Chadha-Patel ).

In an exclusive interview with Looper, Slater discusses his memories of the original "Willow" film as an actor on the rise in Hollywood, his history with Kilmer, and his wishes for the type of character he would like to play in a "Star Wars" project now that he's entered the world of Lucasfilm with his role in "Willow."

Slater's memories of the original Willow are tied to his work on a Coppola film

You were well on your way to becoming established in the movie business around the time "Willow" came out. Was it one of those situations where you recall with some envy thinking, "I wish I would've had an opportunity to be in that"?

For sure. At the time, I had been working on "Tucker: The Man and His Dream." So I was in this world of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas and Ron Howard, and I remember them all coming to the set, and I don't really even know if "Heathers" had come out yet, but they had been talking about it or something. Then they did a big screening of "Willow" and we were all invited to go, and it was great. 

It was San Francisco; it was 1988 and I was 16 years old, and the movie was so fun. It was so fun, and Warwick [Davis] was great, and Val [Kilmer] was fantastic and brought such wonderful energy and charisma to it and such a different, quirky performance that was very special and adorable. You couldn't help but fall in love with the character.

I loved it, and when I heard about this show and Jon Kasdan approached me about it, I thought, "There's an opportunity here that we could create a character and have some fun with it."

And 35 years later, you're hanging out with Warwick Davis  — in hanging cages!

Crazy, crazy life. Crazy, crazy deal. What a business.

Allagash brings clarity to the mystery of where Madmartigan is

One of the biggest mysteries of the series has been the whereabouts of Val Kilmer's Madmartigan, and Allagash is dangling this huge carrot for "Willow" fans because [he] claim[s] to know the whereabouts of Madmartigan. How thrilling was it for you to take on the role of Allagash knowing that Madmartigans's fate was tied to yours in a way?

They did throw that in there, which was exciting. One of the most important things in considering this was knowing that there was never going to ever be a replacement for Madmartigan. No one could ever step into the shoes of Madmartigan; that would be impossible. But Madmartigan could have a friend that he could have had during his adventures — and Allagash, being the type of guy who's unpredictable and a little nutty and a little offbeat as well, seemed like the type of person that Madmartigan attracted into his adventures. 

That made sense, and then you put a character like Allagash making a huge sacrifice for Madmartigan and getting stuck in a crow's cage for 10 years. The guy's really going to be out of his mind. He's been talking only to himself and the skeletons surrounding him for the last 10 years. I'm not sure what world Allagash is living in, but definitely, he's created a universe within his own mind that he is having a lot of fun with.

Sharing the screen with Val Kilmer again would provide a True Romance reunion

You were [also] dangling a carrot for fans of "True Romance" hoping for a screen reunion [between] you and Val Kilmer. Did you ever give that a thought?

All of that was in our heads as an opportunity. If this show hypothetically were to continue and there was a way to incorporate Madmartigan and Val Kilmer into the show [in a] 2nd, 3rd, whatever season, I would fly to the ends of the earth to make sure that it would happen — not only for myself but for the viewers, the fans — and try to make whatever we could possible because life should present every opportunity and leave us nothing but hope for the future.

I have to ask you as a quick aside: The scene with your Clarence and Val's Elvis-Mentor in "True Romance"  [is legendary]. That has to be up there for career favorites of yours, right?

Oh, man. Yeah, that was certainly remarkable. When he showed up on set as Elvis, he was brilliant. He was brilliant, and we had some wonderful moments together, and our paths have intertwined over the years; we're friends. It felt like a nice opportunity here to pay some real homage to him, to our history, and if there was a way to continue on in that adventure, it would be wonderful.

Slater would like to play a scoundrel if he were cast in a Star Wars project

I know you've done the voice for "Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales," but now that you've taken your first step into the live-action world of Lucasfilm with "Willow," do you hope to do a "Star Wars" project? If so, would you want to play a hero or villain?

I've always felt like I'm the type of character that would say, "There's no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." If I could deliver a line like that in a "Star Wars" movie, it would be fantastic.

That's Han Solo-ish, and after all, you're playing a scoundrel in "Willow," so it makes complete sense.

I like it. I think it would be a lot of fun, but who knows? I'm just having a good time, and I was glad to get the opportunity to be able to create a character from the ground up for this show. [It] was fun.

All eight episodes of "Willow" Season 1 are streaming exclusively on Disney+.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

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‘do you sincerely want to smash capitalism and have a full sex life’: big issue founder john bird’s debut novel optioned by genesius pictures, christian slater revealed as part of ‘willow’ cast, new trailer unveiled – d23.

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Christian Slater will be seen in Willow , Disney+’s upcoming live-action series based on the 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard. Slater’s casting was revealed today during Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim.

No details on his role were shared other than a “character aiding in quest,” and a friend of Madmartigan.

Disney D23 Expo 2022 Photo Gallery: Marvel, Star Wars, and More

A new trailer also was released; watch it below.

“I love the fantasy, the sci-fi, just getting to be a part of this show was, I will be honest with you an absolute dream come true,” said Slater. “This was a very fun character, we got to have some improve, ad-libs we came up with stuff on the spot which was fun,” he added.

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Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Amer Chadha-Patel and Tony Revolori star alongside Warwick Davis, who is reprising his title role as Willow Ufgood, a reluctant farmer who plays a critical role in protecting a special baby from a tyrannical queen who vows to destroy her and take over the world.

Watch on Deadline

D23: Deadline’s Full Coverage

Joanne Whalley, who portrayed Sorsha, in the film, also returns to reprise her role in the series, reuniting with Davis.

"You can't not like it" : Joanne Whalley says of #Willow , where she'll reunite with Warwick Davis #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/I8eLJYbQTj — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) September 10, 2022

The series, which picks up years after the events of the movie, introduces new characters and is set in a world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls and other mystical creatures flourish. An unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.

No additional details about the series’ storyline have been released, though according to circulated casting information for the series, it revolves around a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince.

The new incarnation comes from Jonathan Kasdan, who wrote the pilot and serves as co-showrunner alongside Wendy Mericle; Howard and writer Bob Dolman. Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan are also executive producers.

Kasdan also spoke with Deadline after the show’s panel, teasing a possible upcoming crossover “from the Ted Lasso universe.”

Jonathan Kasdan teases a possible crossover from the #TedLasso universe in #Willow #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/wmTDgS3u08 — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) September 10, 2022

#willow newbie Christian Slater says "it is a dream come true" to be in TV series of 1980s flick #D23Expo2022 pic.twitter.com/IYAO4P3hBB — Dominic Patten (@DeadlineDominic) September 10, 2022

Here is the official trailer:

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Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

• Movie Review: ‘AfrAId’

NEW YORK (OSV News) — That artificial intelligence programs are only as effective as the information fed into them — and that they will eventually replace humans in performing repetitive tasks — is by now well known.

The less-than-compelling psychological thriller “AfrAId” (Columbia) takes the rise of this phenomenon as its premise but then speculates on its possible downside. Central to its plot is a glowing heap of circuitry, AIA (voiced by Havana Rose Liu and pronounced “Aya”), ostensibly designed to make daily life around the home easier for its owners.

AIA is not only capable of experiencing deep empathy and able to dispense just the right advice in any situation, it also wants to attain the happy ideal of human existence. Equipped with a brain powered by a quantum computer, AIA, like the Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz,” seeks to use its mental powers to “unravel every riddle for any individ’l In trouble or in pain.”

Brilliant, ambitious engineer Curtis (John Cho) is given AIA so he can evaluate its effectiveness via its use by his family: wife Meredith (Katherine Waterston), teen daughter Iris (Lukita Maxwell), middle schooler Preston (Wyatt Lindner) and seven-year-old Cal (Isaac Bae). With the help of little blue “eyes” attached to every available wall, AIA soon knows all.

Meredith aims to return to a career, Iris is dealing with the betrayal of a boyfriend to whom she sent a nude selfie and Preston is negotiating basic social interactions. As for sweet little Cal, he mostly wants AIA to tell him stories.

Writer-director Chris Weitz never quite decides whether he’d like AIA to be as comforting as Mrs. Doubtfire or a mechanical menace storing information away for malign future action. Embedded in the storyline, however, is a cogent moral sense.

Thus Weitz occasionally suggests that, because we all have our noses stuck in our cell phones and iPads all day, we’re brimful of information. Yet, for the very same reason, we’re acutely lonely and yearning for connection.

Beyond that valid observation, though, Weitz’s wavering narrative stance hobbles his production’s obvious good intentions. As a result, audiences are unlikely to be much frightened by “AfrAId.”

The film contains mature themes, a fatal car crash, a few profanities and fleeting rough language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Review: ‘Hoard’ is an unusual exploration of trauma

Maria (Lily-Beau Leach) experienced an unusual upbringing, live alone with her OCD hoarder mother Cynthia (Hayley Squires) in a squalid flat filled with junk. Unaware that the way they live isn’t normal, or healthy, Maria forms a close bond with her mother until they are separated and Maria is put into care. Move forward a decade to the mid-90s and Maria (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) appears to be living a normal live with her foster mother Michelle (Samantha Spiro). That façade starts to fall away when Michael (Joseph Quinn), a former charge of Michelle’s returns and becomes infatuated with Maria, threatening to unravel the life she’s barely holding together.

‘Hoard’ is an unusual film from director Luna Carmoon. It throws the viewer into a world they likely won’t be able to relate to, and one that leaves you feeling desperately sad for Maria. As a child we see Maria having to act like the parent with Cynthia, and living a life that is equal parts intense love and child neglect. Having known no other way of living, Maria doesn’t understand that the life she and her mother lead is not a common one. We get to spend a short time with Maria as child before the story jumps forward to 1994 and that’s when the story becomes even stranger.

On the surface Maria seems to have found peace living with her foster Mum Michelle. She has friends and a loving environment around her, but the sudden arrival of Michael begins a slow unravelling that brings Maria’s trauma back to the surface and kicks off a swift spiral. Michael has a pregnant girlfriend but his attention becomes focused primarily on Maria and the unhealthy connection they make within minutes of meeting. A strange mix of sibling relations and sexual attraction, the two characters aren’t really equipped to deal with the feelings they stir within each other.

Quickly Maria’s long-buried emotions and trauma begin to bubble to the surface, and Michael’s encouragement of her behaviour only makes matters worse. The two characters feel familiarity with one another, and they can sense that each other has been through plenty of trauma in their life. The intensity of their relationship becomes the central focus of the film as their behaviour spirals and their worlds threaten to implode.

Saura Lightfoot-Leon and Joseph Quinn are magnetic in the lead roles of Maria and Michael. They have an electric chemistry that makes their animalistic behaviour towards one another seem almost normal. Lightfoot-Leon has the harder task of the two actors, having to navigate the trauma for her character’s youth and the impending implosion that threatens to consume the life she’s made. Quinn proves that ‘Stranger Things’ was no one-off, giving an edgy performance that showcases his acting chops. He’s quite mesmerising to watch, even when his character is being pretty despicable.

‘Hoard’ is a truly unusual and unique film. It’s part art-house, part hard-hitting drama and it likely won’t be for everyone. Carmoon is a director that isn’t interested in telling a conventional story, and ‘Hoard’ explores trauma in a way that I’ve never seen on-screen before. The film is compelling, heart-breaking and intense, but if you stick with it to the very end, it’s rewarding. If you’re coming to it because you’re a fan of Joseph Quinn, be aware that he couldn’t be further away from his ‘Stranger Things’ character here.

Cast: Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Lily-Beau Leach, Deba Hekmat, Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires and Samantha Spiro Director: Luna Carmoon Certificate: TBC Duration: 126 mins Released by: Sunrise Films / Vertigo Releasing Release date: 6 th September 2024 (US)

• Joseph Quinn

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‘The White House Effect’ Review: This Doc Attempts to Trace Our Spiraling Climate Crisis to a Bush White House Power Struggle

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Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, and Pedro Kos’ new film aims to track the role of the American executive branch in shaping climate policy through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s — the first three decades when Americans became aware that the planet was getting hotter and humans might be causing it. Told without narrators or new interviews, it allows the politicians and climate scientists of their eras to speak in their own words through TV appearances, private memos, and congressional testimonies given at the height of their political power. The result is a film that is more subtle than many climate change documentaries in recent years, but no less effective. Rather than building towards a powerful hammer drop, it plays out like a quiet tragedy about how our inability to work together gradually allowed the health of the only home planet we have to spiral out of our hands.

The film takes its title from one of George H.W. Bush’s first campaign speeches about climate policy. As Americans began to panic about what was then a new phrase called “The Greenhouse Effect,” he quipped that the powers of the presidency were so expansive and efficient that the phenomenon would be no match for “The White House Effect” if he was elected in 1988.

But, as the film tells it, his efforts were often thwarted by John Sununu, Bush’s hard-charging chief of staff whose reputation as an idealogical warrior seldom matched with the president’s brand of compassionate conservatism. Sununu either failed to see or chose to ignore the threat of climate change. By exclusively focusing his efforts on strengthening the American economy — which contained eight of the world’s most powerful oil companies — he constantly pushed the issue of climate change to the wayside. The film paints Sununu as a powerful Oval Office gatekeeper who ensured that the bulk of President Bush’s meetings about the issue were with fossil fuel advocates. With the President only hearing one side of the debate, it’s not hard to parse what happens next.

The power struggle between Reilly and Sununu provides the bulk of the narrative structure, but the film is less about these two specific men than the flaws in human nature that led them to clash. There’s no real way of knowing if we’d be much better off today had Reilly’s EPA triumphed over Sununu’s White House staff — but it seems like a certainty that we’d have this under control if everyone else wasn’t cursed with the same egos and ambitions that they were.

“The White House Effect” premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival . It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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