Willow Review: Having rewatched the original Willow before jumping right into the series, one thing I immediately noticed was the huge impact it had on fantasy stories in creating certain tropes that the genre would go on to repeat. While Willow as a whole wasn’t really mind-blowing at the time, it certainly gained a popular following over the years and the story itself lends to being very much a good time. So, does the 2022 series walk in the same footsteps? Very much so, and does somethings better in a way. PS – seven out of the eight episodes of the season were provided early for review purposes. Andor Season Finale Review: Diego Luna’s Star Wars Spinoff Concludes With a Spectacular Bang! (LatestLY Exclusive).

With Jonathan Kasdan stepping up to tell another tale in this world created by Ron Howard and George Lucas, Willow picks many years later after the events of the original film. Finding ourselves in a peaceful Tir Asleen, we see that peace be disturbed when Sorsha’s (Joanne Whalley) son Airk (Dempsey Bryk) is kidnapped by The Gales as evil rises once more. Tasking a group of young warriors, including Sorsha’s daughter Kit (Ruby Cruz), they must embark on a journey to seek Willow’s (Warwick Davis) assistance and bring back Airk home safe.

A Still From Willow (Photo Credits: Lucasfilm)

For as much as the show is titled Willow, it definitely is more of an ensemble. Warwick Davis returns 34 years later in his most recognisable role with a bit more maturity. Still possessing his youth's exuberance, Davis portrays the titular character with some experience to his name as the Nelwyn finds himself to be a high-sorcerer now. Yet, one could make an argument that Willow Ufgood isn’t the protagonist here at all since the ensemble of heroes is such a huge focus over here.

Being lead by Kit, the rebellious young daughter of Sorsha who is forced into a marriage with the young scholar Graydon (Tony Revolori) who is also a member of the quest, Ruby Cruz holds her own quite well in this role. Playing into the occasional trope of being a daughter of the kingdom who wants to break the norms by being more than what’s expected of her, she is given a lot of emotional weight that helps make her character feel substantial. Erin Kellyman too who you might remember from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier plays the role of Jade quite competitively while Revolvori makes for a fun addition.

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Yet the standout for me here was Amar Chadha-Patel’s Boorman, a thief given the promise of achieving his freedom if he joins the quest. A huge force of nature with lot of levity behind him, Patel was a treat in the role.  And then in the end you have Ellie Bamber’s Dove, whose mystery is better not spoiled, but know this, that the revelation surely packs in a punch. Through it all, the diverse ensemble here is what makes so much of this series work, even though there are some elements that bring it a notch down.

The pace, like the original film, can definitely take a hit here. With Willow trying to fill in the gaps with what went down between the time period since the events of Bavmorda, long bouts of exposition are meant to take place which brings some of the moments to a screeching halt. Imagine Star Wars: The Force Awakens trying to fill in those gaps since the original trilogy, only this time you have seven episodes worth of story to cover.

A Still From Willow (Photo Credits: Lucasfilm)

Willow also plays into the more familiar tropes of the fantasy genre. With Kit’s story already being a bit of a cliché in itself, there are more examples that pop up throughout the series. Yet in the grand scheme of it, Willow makes it a point to not let those hinder your viewing in a huge way once the plot does get rolling. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Review: James Gunn's Marvel Presentation is a True Festive Cheer! (LatestLY Exclusive).

The scale of the story is huge and given the budget, Willow helps pack in some good visuals that doesn’t let things get mundane. With James Newton Howard packing in a fantastical score that plays into the action really well, Willow’s story overall is a fun one that remembers the feeling of George Lucas’ vision. For legacy fans, there are definitely enough wow moments that make a good case for its existence considering the first film ended on a pretty definitive note.

Yay!

Diverse Ensemble

Fun Story

Nay!

Pacing Can Take a Hit

Final Thoughts

For a show that almost didn’t feel it needed to exist, Willow surprisingly felt natural in its execution. A diverse cast with a story that remember the original feeling of the 1988 film, Willow’s journey packed enough camp and action that long-time fans will walk away satisfied. Willow is streaming now on Disney+ Hotstar.

Rating:3.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 30, 2022 01:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).