Back in 1988, Ron Howard directed a fantasy movie written by George Lucas and Bob Dolman that followed a character named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), who becomes the caretaker of a child he finds. That child happens to be a chosen one foretold to take down evil Queen Bavmorda. Ultimately, Bavmorda was banished, and while the movie didn’t make box office records when it was released, it’s still a beloved movie by many people. And now, a sequel series has arrived on Disney+. However, 1988 and 2022 are two entirely different eras of filmmaking, can Willow live up to those who view ’80s through rose-colored glasses? Surprisingly, yes.
The new Disney+ series once again follows Willow as he’s recruited by a group to go on a rescue mission, and very quickly, we find that there’s a connection to the first film driving a lot of this story, and of course, the forces of evil that are standing in these heroes’ way. It’s an adventure that really kicks things off from the first couple of episodes, so the details of this group traveling, and who they are, all become a little bit of a spoiler for the season as a whole.
In an era of bundles and bundles of high-quality content being released weekly through various streaming platforms, cable TV, and VOD, it can be hard to grab the attention of a view. If it isn’t engaging by the end of Episode 1, why should we bother? Luckily, Willow kicks things off with a quick recap of the original film.” It’s all the necessary information you need in order to dive right in because Willow doesn’t have time to spare, and the things that aren’t over-explained are part of the fun and mystery. We’re not in the worlds of Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, or Game of Thrones. Things aren’t overly-complicated here. It’s pretty straight-forward fantasy that’s a lot more grounded in reality than other shows in its genre. The first episode feels like you’re coming home. Willow feels like Willow, even though technology behind the production has changed quite a bit.