As I was growing up in the 80s Willow was a firm favorite of mine and I feel it is an action fantasy movie that holds up very well. I was kind of shocked when Disney said that they were rebooting it in the form of a TV series. However, once I knew that Warwick Davis was back and that the guy in charge Jon Kasdan was a huge fan of the original movie, I started to get very excited.
How to Download Willow (TV series)
You can download or stream the film from Disney+. Click on the Download button at the end of this review.
The Movie Review
Let us start with the big question I am sure many people will have; do you need to have seen the original Willow before watching this? I would say no, you can watch this, have a great time and not really feel like you are missing out by skipping the original movie. However, I would still recommend that you watch it as it is a fantastic movie and there are many nods and throwbacks here for those that are fans of it.
The story takes place decades after the movie and the kingdom of Tir Asleen is at peace. The reason the kingdom is safe is because of a magical barrier that keeps the dangers of the outside world at bay. The kingdom is ruled by Sorsha who has a rebellious teenage daughter called Kit that is due to be married off!
However, there is something very bad happening, Kit’s twin brother has been kidnaped and he is being held beyond the safety of the magic barrier. It is down to the magician Willow to lead this group of rag-tag heroes on an epic quest to save the young man and also get involved with something far greater and more dangerous than any of them could imagine.
Willow is a fantastic fantasy show! It is impossible to watch this and not have a big goofy smile on your face the whole time. It has lots of action, the humor is great and the cast of characters that make up our team of heroes is a lot of fun. I do not see how anyone could not have fun with this show!
I am from the UK and let me tell you, Warwick Davis is a national treasure and he could not be any more charming once again portraying Willow. He is funny, kind, brave, and just such a great hero! He is the kind of character that is impossible not to love and his interaction with his younger fellow heroes is a major highlight of the show for me.
I have watched pretty much all of the major Disney Plus TV shows and I have felt that the special effects can be a really mixed bag. Some shows look as good as a movie and then others have some questionable special effects. Willow clearly has had a lot of time, love, and perhaps most importantly of all, money spent on the special effects as they look great.
Not only was Willow a lot of fun to watch, but it also made me realize why I loved the original movie so much as a kid. This is a good-hearted and fun fantasy and it is one of the biggest surprises of 2022 for me. I was sure I would like it as I loved the original, but I was surprised at just how well-made this show was.
