Small but mighty! Like the first two episodes of Willow.

34 years after the release of the iconic fantasy film Willow, Disney+ is releasing a sequel in TV series format. We talk about our impressions of the first two series of adventure fantasy.

What’s the matter?

During the terror, a child was born who, according to the prophecy, will one day become a wise and benevolent empress and destroy evil. The cruel queen and sorceress Bavmorda tried everything to kill the girl Elora Danan, but Nelwyn Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) and the swordsman Mudmartigan (Val Kilmer) protected the baby and with the help of her daughter Sorsha (Joan Wally) were able to save Bavmorda.destroy. But soon after this victory, Willow had a vision: evil would return, destroy the predicted empress and usher in a new dark age. Therefore, Elora Danan was hidden so that no one, not even herself, would know her identity.

Many years later, Sorsha rules the kingdom of Tir Aslin as a benevolent queen. Together with Madmartigan, who has been missing for many years, she has two adult children, twins Keith (Ruby Cruz) and Airk (Dempsey Bryk). The depraved Eirck spends time with the cook Dove (Ellie Bamber), the impulsive Kit is about to marry Prince Graydon of Galadorn (Tony Revolori) to unite the two kingdoms.

But on the night before the wedding, the castle is attacked by horrific figures who kidnap Prince Eyrk. To save the prince, Princess Kit, along with her friend Jade (Erin Kellyman), Graydon and the sleazy Traxus Burman (Amar Chadha-Patel) as guides, goes to seek help from the legendary sorceress Willow. Along the way, they are joined by Dove, who went alone to save Eirk.

Arriving at the Nelwyn village, Willow reveals to them that Eirk was kidnapped by the Storms on behalf of the Withered Crone and taken to the Immemorial City across the Broken Sea. And he reveals that Elora is actually a lot closer to Danan than they all thought. While a small detachment rests with the Nelvins, and Willow remembers how he and Sorsha quarreled, minions of evil set off on their trail.

How it was?

2022 has been a standard year for major productions such as The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power as well as Dragon House There’s a lot going on in terms of fantasy. Disney+ is now upping the ante with a sequel to the cult classic 80s fantasy. At that time, without computer effects, I made it willow (film) to create an epic fantasy world with a messy look, impressive craftsmanship in creature creation, and well-developed characters.

If you look closely, there are quite a lot of Star Wars in the plot and in the production. It’s not surprising, since the film’s story came from George Lucas, and so it’s also fitting that Jonathan Kasdan has now been allowed to take over the reins of the series, who at least wrote the screenplay. Solo: A Star Wars Story and whose father Lawrence Kasdan wrote several Star Wars scripts.

The series begins decades after the events of the film and is not a reimagining, but continues the story of the film with a time lag. Instead, some of the original actors return to their old roles, most notably, of course, Joan Whalley and Warwick Davis. Both of them can be seen not only at an older age, but also in flashbacks that show how they fell out after a (supposed) happy ending and that a lot has happened between the movie and the series that still needs to be worked on. went out and told.

It’s unusual and nice to see two familiar characters again, especially when compared to the flashback scenes from the beginning of the first episode. After all, Warwick Davis was only 18 years old when the movie was made! Due to health issues and the pandemic, Val Kilmer has unfortunately not been able to pick up his sword again – though it’s unclear if Mudmartigan is even alive at all. What happened to the great hero is one of the show’s big mysteries to unravel as the season progresses.

What’s really good about the series is the new characters introduced in the first episode that immediately get you hooked. You can feel the crackling between the tomboyish princess Kit and her “friend” Jade, laugh at the superficial philanderer Eyrk, and admire the cute “muffin girl” Dove, who unexpectedly turns out to be one of the most interesting characters and is brilliantly played. Allie Bamber’s charm becomes. With Burman, a former squire of Madmartigan, there is also Schlufi, who is not entirely clear whether he is trustworthy or just a prudent thief with a big mouth

As a troupe of characters embark on a grand adventure, it quickly becomes clear that willow spit on classic fantasy clichés. Yes, we see castles, gloomy ruins and epic untouched landscapes, but otherwise the show always feels very modern.

It starts with the hero troupe itself, which just leaves the classic white muscle hero out of the way; instead, three women, two short people, and two non-white men are allowed to go on an adventure (Tony Revolori’s roots are in Guatemala, Amar Chadha-Patel is from India). The world shown may be reminiscent of the Middle Ages, but it is clearly focused on our present in terms of language, relationships, and gender roles. And, in fact, this does not bother at all – yes, even the fact that at the end of each episode you can hear a cover of a famous pop song.

Summary of the first two episodes

willow of course will appeal primarily to fans of the old movie, but explains everything in a way that newcomers to this fantasy world should also be aware of (but let’s be honest if you haven’t seen the movie: an educational gap! Catch up!). The first two episodes offer a great (re)start and skillfully strike a balance between humor, horror, suspense and adventurous lightheartedness. At the end of the first episode, there is a surprise that has it all.

Did you know that…?

… Annabelle Davis, who plays Mims, Willow’s daughter, is also the daughter of Willow, actor Warwick Davis, in real life? Like her father, she was the creature performer in several Star Wars productions.
…that Ralph Ineson, who plays Commander Ballantyne here in his snarling voice, in David Lawris. green knight played a titular knight?

willow will be available exclusively on Disney+ on November 30, 2022.

Dossier: Disney+