SPOILER Willow, the TV Series

I was definitely pretty disappointed after watching the pilot episode. I had it in my head what a modern reimagining of this world could look like and be like and was really let down by this show missing that mark by such a wide margin.

Then, about halfway through the second episode, it clicked with me what the show was trying to be. This isn’t ‘Lord of the Rings’, this is ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’. It’s campy and melodramatic - taking itself deadly serious one second and then completely dismantling its own weight the next. It’s that same tonal pendulum swing of anachronistic sensibility and fantasy atmosphere. It’s cheesy and awkward, but also charming and fun.

If you can manage to get past what you wanted the show to be and instead play along with what the show itself is wanting to be, then I believe there is joy to be had here.

 

Well said, that's all it really about...

 

I never expected to not like it. I love the movie and thought the trailer looked good.

There's more than half left. Here's hoping. I'm not optimistic though.

 

Frankly, the humor is the only thing that I found good about the show.
I saw the movie as a kid, to me it was another fantasy like Conan The Barbarian or Red Sonja and for some reason, I had liked the latter ones more.
Willow wasn't bad, not at all, but for me it lacked the same gravitas and magic as the Star Wars had and that they are going to do a sequel show was huge surprise to me on Celebration. But what Star Wars is to me in a fantasy/sci-fi, Lord Of The Rings is for me with classic fantasy.
Willow is basically this B-Movie that I watched many of as a kid, but didn't left much of a mark.

For the series, I gave it a chance as the trailer looked actually good, but somehow the show looks somewhat weird. I don't have problem with costumes and I got over them riding across fantasy land, which is basically one locale on dirt road in scottish hills and a forest.
What is most jarring to me, is the acting?
Erin Kellyman is great, so are Amar Patel and Flash Thompson (from Spider-man, forgot the name, sorry),
but they are in brutal contrast with Ruby Cruz, who I can't stand a second on the screen because of both, weak acting and unlikable character, Ellie Bamber is so so as she has great moments (Episode 2), but then it's off. Warwick Davis to me looks like completely different actor from the original, like he is just there for the sake of being there (and with overal fine costumes, the fake beard he has in flashback is horrible) and casually acts on script.

I guess the show might be great for kids, but as an adult, for me it was somewhere between Power Rangers and Andor.
Loved PR as a kid, but can't watch a second of it today (altho the original Super Sentai costumes and robots are still fun) and Andor is a show for people who saw Star Wars as kids and now they are old.
There is nothing great and super unique from design standpoint to catch my eye and stand out among decades of fantasy outing, nor the story is original except for unique names for locales, magic and classic fantasy lore.
The story is basically there in a classic way, but besides legacy characters, I probably didn't understood or missed any strong links to the original and don't find it interesting enough. The mystery of the kid from original is killed soon by revealing that she is the clumsy muffin girl and unfortunately, the great Val Kilmer can't return to the story, so we have to deal with the classic "being lost or dead somewhere".
But I did laugh few times and mostly thanks to Patel, who is probably my only favorite character in the bunch, together with "Flash" and Erin in behind.

I know it's hard to make an epic fantasy, unless you are Amazon (and don't take me wrong, Rings Of Power look amazing, but the story is not so stellar),
but somehow again, the lightning in the bottle and strong themes and designs that make Star Wars what it is, that Disney caught with shows like Mandalorian and Andor recently, again didn't happen to me with this series, which after seeing 3 episodes only and not going back to it, was less fun than the actual movie that wasn't as huge either. Even tho it is a cult classic now, like many movies from the 80s (except for Howard The Duck).

 

A noticeable number of ‘S’ bombs this episode, yeah? Was there like a quota are something they had to hit? Funny.

 

I started the movie over the weekend for the first time, and couldn't get through it.

I hate to say it guys, but is it possible the show's pretty on par with the original, just without the benefit of nostalgia?

 

Finally will give this show a chance, thanks for the heads up!

 

Jesus, what are they doing? This show is simply not good. It's corny and second rate.

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 15, 2022, Original Post Date: Dec 15, 2022 ---

The show is nothing like the movie. This show show looks and sounds like it belongs on the CW. Completely different tone and feel from the movie. This show exists because of the movie. Fans have wanted a sequel for years. Willow is a beloved fantasy in the vein of Star Wars. It's got action, adventure, and heart. It's funny too. This is a 2nd rate tween drama. It's got no charm at all.

 

Personally, I love the 1988 movie. But I love it in the same way I love Krull or Buckaroo Banzai or Highlander. These wonderfully ambitious movies that captured my imagination when I was young and so I’ll always have an immense fondness and forgiveness for them. But really it’s the idea I love more than the actual films - how I remember them is more important to me than the reality.

It’s the same sort of thing that inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars. As an adult, he revisited the old Flash Gordon serials he watched as a kid and was totally let down. They weren’t as great as he remembered. So he set out to make the version of it that existed in his head. To recapture the spirit of the thing and take it as seriously as any other film.

I think that’s what folks were hoping for with a new Willow project. Well, that’s what I was hoping for anyway. Some folks who maybe grew up with the original movie, saw the potential of it, that wasn’t exactly reached, and decided to make the version of it they had always wanted it to be. What we got though doesn’t really seem like that. It seems more like a fairly generic fantasy TV show based on intellectual property that Disney happens to own because they bought Star Wars.

It’s kind of a bummer. BUT, once you put that aside - once you accept that the toy you got for Christmas isn’t the one you wanted, you can still have fun playing with the one you actually got

 

I miss the Brownies

 

Exactly, I don't know what all the fuss is about, were they expecting Game of Thrones caliber acting, and storytelling? For me, it's lighter in tone then Wheel of Time, and not as sluggish as the Ring of Power... a lighthearted show to pass the time.

Fans of fantasy, sword and sorcery are truly blessed with a plethora of series catered to them today... I remember the dark times, when I re-watched the same fantasy shows, over and over again, until one would settle down, and actually read fantasy fiction.

 

This is a bit of a strawman. Anyone who likes Willow knows it's not that kind of movie it is (and likes it because it's not). It's loved because of how lighthearted and fun it is.

 

idk man, I haven't seen the show yet. Maybe it really is bad.

I'm just saying, and I mean no offense by this, but I wasn't really impressed with the movie either.

It's probably a me problem.

I'll leave it at that.

 

It's fine you don't like the movie. I'm saying the movie and show are nothing alike in tone or quality.

 

I'm enjoying this series more than I thought. I rewatched the film a couple of years ago and it was pretty bad. Obviously, adults weren't the target audience and that's fine. I enjoyed it as a child. It was never good enough to support a movie, but a TV series makes sense. So far I like the cast. There's a couple of annoying things but no huge deal breakers. It's funny and has a heart. The lore was always goofy.

I see the normal vote brigade is giving in 1 star on IMDB. No idea what babies were expecting, but the vote brigading is getting played out. Get a life.

I don't think watching the film is a requirement, but it's an improvement over the movie. Also a good mix of on location/set/FX.

 

This pure insanity. There's no way in hell this show is better than the movie.If you said you didn't like either, that would make sense, but Frelling on the movie and praising this show is Bizarro territory.

And calling people babies for not liking it and outright dismissing people scores is peak irony.

 

We all have different tastes, end of.
I rather liked the adaptations they made of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels and Terry Brooks's Shannara chronicles, but both were cancelled - too early for me.

I keep trying to get into the Wheel of Time series, but I'm finding it hard going...most of the actors seem to lack charisma, with the exception of the ones who play Lan and Nynaeve.

 

I haven't seen the latest episode yet, but don't apologize for not liking it. You're allowed.

 

I started binge watching it today, and I'm up to date. It's alright. I barely remember the original movie. It's just another girl power movie, a lot of gender role reversal. It gets old. Other than that it wasn't bad, i like the soundtrack and some of the jokes were kind of funny. I like the Slaughted Lamb refrence from An American werewolf in london, but wererats make no sense, because in old English were means man, so they're man rats. Just being nitpicking. It's alright I'll probably watch the rest.