One of the few famous people who lives near me is Warwick Davis. Best known for playing an Ewok who hung out with Princess Leia and a Harry Potter wizard, he also starred in the eighties film, Willow. My Willow TV show review explores his new Disney Plus series which I recently finished watching.
I have been lucky enough to meet Warwick on many occasions over the past twenty years. He is a friendly guy who gets involved with local charities and is really approachable. It is lovely seeing him acting in movies as well as presenting a daily quiz show on ITV.
When I heard that Ron Howard (Willow 1988 director) was producing a new TV series of Willow, I knew it would be good. Originally a George Lucas idea, Willow was always going to stand the test of time.
Read on for my thoughts on the 2022 Willow TV remake.
What’s it all about?
Willow is a sorcerer who used his powers years ago to defeat an adversary. He is back to help a Queen get back her son. The prince was taken by The Crone and her soldiers beyond the Shattered Sea.
Willow had put Elora Danan under the protection of the Queen and she is now grown up. She is special as her powers are said to be stronger than The Crone. At the start of the season, a castle maid discovered that she is Elora and her future is also as a sorcerer. She had no idea of her importance but soon took on the mission to rescue Prince Arik and bring back peace.
Things I liked about Willow:
– Great acting! Warwick stars with his real life daughter. The group of younger actors are funny and carry the story brilliantly.
– The narrative was interesting and easy to follow. Although there was specific language that linked to that world, it all made sense, unlike some series with too many difficult references.
– Each episode had a focus, a mission and some wonderful character highlights. I really felt like I got to know each main character. The conversations helped me understand the relationships between each of them as well.
– The script was witty and made me regularly chuckle. With one liners and clever sarcasm, especially from Willow, I found the TV show really entertaining.
Shortfalls:
– Some of the special effects were ethereal and glowing, which made a few scenes feel dreamlike. Having said that, lots of real Welsh settings were used too. I always prefer real backdrops to CGI ones.
Final Thoughts
This particular TV series was really lovely to watch. It began with a throwback to the 1988 film which also starred Val Kilmer. His ex-wife returned for the season as Queen Sorcha and it was great to see a clear link to the original dilemma.
I enjoyed the humour, the swashbuckling adventures and getting to know a new group of heroes. The series was full of nostalgia, emotion and hilarity. One such moment of laughter came from the cameo by Hannah Waddington (of Game of Thrones and Ted Lasso fame).
Willow scored 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and I give it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.
Thank you so much for reading my Willow review. For more recommendations please check out Two TV Shows Worth Watching. Perhaps also consider following my blog for future similar content.
