Willow

"A world where heroes come in all sizes and adventure is the greatest magic of all."

1988 2h 6m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🥫

53%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 2,274🥫53%Rotten Tomatoes●47Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 137,248

FantasyAdventureAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The evil Queen Bavmorda hunts the newborn princess Elora Danan, a child prophesied to bring about her downfall. When the royal infant is found by Willow, a timid farmer and aspiring sorcerer, he's entrusted with delivering her from evil.

“A world where heroes come in all sizes and adventure is the greatest magic of all.”

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Cast

Warwick Davis
Willow
Val Kilmer
Madmartigan
Joanne Whalley
Sorsha
Patricia Hayes
Raziel
Gavan O'Herlihy
Airk
Phil Fondacaro
Vohnkar
Pat Roach
General Kael
Rick Overton
Franjean

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Bob Dolman, George Lucas
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ron Howard, shot by Adrian Biddle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Hiscott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A world where heroes come in all sizes and adventure is the greatest magic of all.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0096446 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ron Howard directs. Adrian Biddle behind the camera. James Horner scores. Richard Hiscott cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Ron Howard, shot by Adrian Biddle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Richard Hiscott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A world where heroes come in all sizes and adventure is the greatest magic of all.".
7IMDB entry: tt0096446 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 15 themes, including "mission", "hero", "baby", "monster".

The technical file

Cinematography: Adrian Biddle
Original score: James Horner
Editing: Richard Hiscott
Production design: Allan Cameron
Costume design: Barbara Lane
Makeup / hair: Joan Carpenter
Sound: Ben Burtt
Stunt coordinator: Gerry Crampton
Runtime: 126 min · 2h 6m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $35,000,000
Box office: $57,300,000
Return: 164% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Willow (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes: 53% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 47/100
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 137,248 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 1 win & 13 nominations total

Also by

Ron Howard

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-04-21
★ 7/10
Warwick Davis is great in this fantasy as the eponymous fellow charged with keeping a young baby from the evil clutches of the wicked queen "Bavmorda" (Jean Marsh). It has been foretold that this youngster will prove to be the undoing of the reign of terror that has permeated the land, and so this task is going to be perilous to say the least. Arriving at the crossroads, his townsfolk friends decide to abandon him and his quest but fortunately he has recourse to the trapped "Madmartigan" (Val Kilmer) who has been caged up and left to die. Pursued by the queen's battle-hardened daughter "Sorsha" (Joanne Whalley) and her henchman "Kael" (Pat Roach) what now ensues is a grand spectacle of high adventure that features some inspired special effects, a good solid story and some equally engaging characterisations that deliver a traditional good vs. evil scenario. I always support the baddies in movies, and here was no different - but I was very nearly tempted by the courage and decency of "Willow" to switch sides. Kilmer is on good form, his role allows him to flourish with some witty dialogue and plenty of swash and buckle as the denouement - and a magical one at that - looms large. Ron Howard and George Lucas have let their imagination take control here, and I felt it worked rather well. The photography and action scenes work well, and though maybe the story is a bit of an hybrid of others, it still doesn't stop this being an enjoyable David and Goliath style battle that is peppered with some strong supporting performances, some familiar faces and , I think, gets better with age.
Filipe Manuel Neto2023-06-09
★ 4/10
Warwick Davis' life movie isn't bad, but it's not really good either. Fantasy cinema has experienced moments of brilliance thanks to the creativity of a good number of directors and screenwriters, and also due to the possibilities brought by technology. However, in the past, things were simpler: directors and technical teams of fantasy films were those people used to improvising a lot and thinking outside the box. That skill is a talent, surely, and sometimes it's preferable to do something more traditional than to use CGI resources so absurdly fake that they don't even deserve to be there. This film, despite being far from being good or deserving a praise, is not a waste of time and there are several details where we can observe redeeming qualities. The film's value begins with the more or less direct involvement of several prominent people in the film industry at the time: a film written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard cannot properly be considered a B-movie. Howard directs impeccably, but the truth is that Lucas could have made an additional effort in the script: the story that guides the film is funny, it has good moments, but it is also full of clichés and strange little peculiarities that do not fail to lift us up doubts every moment. Despite the projection given to Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley in advertising (it is an understandable maneuver since they are well-known actors), the real protagonist is the dwarf Warwick Davis. Yes, it's not a pristine performance worthy of an award, but he couldn't be much better: the actor was still young and inexperienced, but he managed to show talent and resoluteness, making the most of this beautiful opportunity that appeared in his life. Val Kilmer, although more famous, doesn't need to do much and has few real challenges, while the beautiful Whalley and Jean Marsh are authentic attention grabbers and do an equally satisfying job. Technically, it is a film whose value lies in the very well-designed sets and costumes, and also in the soundtrack, skilfully composed but a little forgettable. It has several special effects, most of them quite dated, but functional. The problem is that, for a film of the fantasy genre, it ends up having a little less "magic" than would be desirable. And despite the story being a little convoluted, the film picks up a high enough pace that this ends up not being a problem.
tmdb516161672024-09-02
★ 4/10
After watching the film "Willow" for the first time, it was perceived as a corny yet lovable movie with entertaining moments, albeit with cheesy and lacking depth. While the film has its charm, it may not be one that warrants repeat viewings, as it falls short in terms of overall enjoyment. The storytelling and character development were deemed subpar, failing to create an enchanting or immersive experience as initially anticipated. Despite "Willow" becoming a cult classic, it ultimately fell into the category of films that are predominantly corny and cheesy. The television series that attempted to capitalize on the movie's cult status failed to live up to expectations, leading to its cancellation after one season. The series struggled to capture the essence of the original film, resulting in a lackluster and unengaging viewing experience. In conclusion, both the movie and the television series based on "Willow" failed to leave a lasting impact and were ultimately deemed uninspiring and difficult to follow. While the film may have its moments, it may not be enough to warrant a recommendation for viewers looking for a captivating and enjoyable cinematic or television experience.