Willow (film)

Willow
Poster shows the heads of film's three main characters, a man, a woman, and a boy. The film's title is below.
Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by George Lucas
Joe Johnston
Nigel Wooll
Written by Screenplay:
Bob Dolman
Story:
George Lucas
Starring Warwick Davis
Val Kilmer
Joanne Whalley
Jean Marsh
Patricia Hayes
Billy Barty
Pat Roach
Music by James Horner
Cinematography Adrian Biddle
Editing by Daniel P. Hanley
Mike Hill
Richard Hiscott
Studio Lucasfilm
Imagine Entertainment
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Theatrical)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (VHS)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (DVD)
Release date(s) May 20, 1988 (1988-05-20)
Running time 126 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $35 million
Gross revenue $57.27 million

Willow is a 1988 American fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and produced/co-written by George Lucas. Warwick Davis stars in the film, as well as Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh and Patricia Hayes. With a sword and sorcery setting, Davis stars as the eponymous lead character and hero Willow, a reluctant Nelwyn (halfling) farmer who plays a critical role in protecting a special baby from a tyrannical queen.

Lucas conceived the idea for Willow in 1972, approaching Howard to direct during the post-production phase of Cocoon in 1985. Lucas believed he and Howard shared a relationship similar to the one Lucas enjoyed with Steven Spielberg. Bob Dolman was brought in to write the screenplay, coming up with seven drafts before finishing in late 1986. Willow was then set up at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and principal photography began in April 1987, finishing the following October.

The majority of filming took place at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England, as well as Wales and New Zealand. Industrial Light & Magic created the visual effects sequences, which led to a revolutionary breakthrough with digital morphing technology. Willow was released in May 1988 to box office disappointment and mixed reviews from critics, but received two Academy Award nominations and cult film recognition.

Contents

Plot

At a time of dread, In the dungeon of a castle in Nockmaar, a baby girl is born with the mark of the prophecy that she will grow up and end the Evil Queen Bavmorda's reign on her arm. Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), one of the guards, reports this to her mother, the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). Meanwhile, the midwife escapes with the baby, but when Bavmorda's hunter catch up with her, she sends the baby down a river to a village inhabited by Nelwyns, Hobbit-size people, before she is killed.

Among the first Nelwyns to discover the baby is a farmer and aspiring sorcerer named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis). He reluctantly takes the baby in, but soon discovers something is amiss when the Nelwyns' annual festival is ravaged by Death Dogs from Nockmaar. Willow decides to take the baby to the Nelwyns' leader, the High Aldwin (Billy Barty), and seek his advice. The High Aldwin tells Willow he must travel to the Daikini (tall person) crossroads, give the baby to the first Daikini he sees, and return home.

The first Daikini that Willow meets, however, is Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), who is imprisoned in a cage. Although suspicious of Madmartigan, Willow frees him and gives the baby to him anyway. He quickly regrets that decision when two brownies (inch-high warriors) steal the baby. Willow gives chase, is captured, and meets Cherlindrea, queen of the fairies and brownies. Cherlindrea tells Willow that the baby is Elora Danan, a special child who must be kept alive so that she can fulfill a prophecy to destroy Bavmorda. She tells Willow to deliver her wand to the sorceress Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes), who will then take them to Tir Asleen, where a good king and queen will look after Elora.

Enroute, Willow runs into Madmartigan at a tavern. Their unhappy reunion is cut short when Sorsha and General Kael (Pat Roach) lead an army of Bavmorda's troops to the tavern. Madmartigan helps Willow and Elora escape, leads them to Raziel's island, and they again part ways. Willow finds Raziel, who has been turned into an opossum by Bavmorda and needs Willow's help to become a human. Willow attempts to do so but fails, turning her into a crow instead. Just then, Sorsha and her army, along with Madmartigan as a prisoner, capture Willow, Elora and Raziel. Sorsha hides Elora in her tent and locks up the others. When Willow, Madmartigan and Raziel try to escape, Madmartigan encounters a powerful magic dust that causes him to fall in love with everything he sees. Madmartigan enters Sorsha's tent to rescue Elora, but—still under the spell—falls in love with Sorsha. Willow helps Madmartigan rescue Elora, and they escape.

Willow, Madmartigan and Elora get to Tir Asleen only to discover that everyone there has been turned to stone from Bavmorda. Sorsha and Kael attack along with their army. Willow tries to turn Raziel into a human but this time changes her into a goat. During the battle Willow uses Cherlindrea's wand on one of the trolls that are lurking around Tir Asleen, which causes the troll to morph into a gooey mass that sprouts two heads. Willow kicks the creature into the water below, unknowingly transforming it into an enormous two-headed, fire-breathing dragon. The battle becomes chaotic very quickly with both sides battling each other, the dragon, and the trolls. Eventually Sorsha falls in love with Madmartigan and abandons Kael. Madmartigan single-handedly kills the dragon by sticking his sword through one of the dragon's heads, causing it to explode when it proceeds to breathe fire, but Kael captures Elora and takes her to Nockmaar. Bavmorda prepares a ritual that will exile the child's spirit to the netherworld — the only way she can guarantee that it will never be able to fulfill the prophecy.

Willow, Madmartigan, Sorsha and Raziel, along with Airk (Gavan O'Herlihy), an old friend of Madmartigan, and Airk's army, lay siege to the castle. Laughing, Bavmorda turns all but Willow and Raziel into pigs. Willow finally manages to transform Raziel into a human, and Raziel changes everyone back. Willow then comes up with a plan to get into Bavmorda's castle by trickery, taking the Nockmaarians totally by surprise. In the ensuing battle, Kael kills Airk, and Madmartigan kills Kael. Raziel, Willow and Sorsha go to rescue Elora, but Willow decides to stay behind when he catches a glimpse of what Bavmorda is doing. Raziel and Sorsha confront Bavmorda, but she prevails, knocking both of them unconscious. Willow then tries to rescue Elora, but Bavmorda prevents him from escaping. Using a variant of a magic illusion he did at the Nelwyn festival, Willow makes Elora disappear, much to Bavmorda's surprise; her startlement inadvertently makes her the victim of her own annihilation ritual, thus - with her paranoid fear of the child - fulfilling the prophecy herself.

With Bavmorda's death, the spell at Tir Asleen is lifted, and Raziel gives Willow a magical book to help him become a great sorcerer. Sorsha and Madmartigan are reunited and remain at Tir Asleen and raise Elora, while Willow returns home where he happily reunites with his friends and family and shows them what he has learned with magic.

Cast

Production

Development

George Lucas conceived the idea for Willow (originally titled Munchkins) in 1972. Lucas' desire for Willow was similar to Star Wars, and create "a number of well-known mythological situations for a young audience".[1][2] During the production of Return of the Jedi in 1982, Lucas approached Warwick Davis, who was portraying Wicket the Ewok, about playing Willow Ufgood. Five years passed before he was actually cast in the role. Lucas "thought it would be great to use a little person in a lead role. A lot of my movies are about a little guy against the system, and this was just a more literal interpretation of the that idea."[1]

Lucas explained that he had to wait until the mid-1980s to make Willow because visual effects technology was finally advanced enough to execute his vision.[2] Meanwhile, actor-turned-director Ron Howard was looking to do a fantasy film. Howard was at Industrial Light & Magic during the post-production phase of Cocoon, when he was first approached by Lucas to direct Willow. Howard had previously starred in Lucas' American Graffiti,[3] and Lucas felt that he and Howard shared a simpatico relationship similar to the one Lucas enjoyed with Steven Spielberg. Howard nominated Bob Dolman to write the screenplay based on Lucas' story. Dolman worked with Howard on an unsold television pilot called Little Shots, and Lucas admired Dolman's work on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.[4]

Dolman joined Howard and Lucas at Skywalker Ranch for a series of lengthy story conferences, and wrote seven drafts of his script between the spring and fall of 1986.[4] Pre-production began in late-1986. Various major film studios turned down the chance to distribute and co-finance Willow with Lucasfilm because they believed the fantasy genre was unsuccessful. This was largely due to films such as Krull, Legend, Dragonslayer and Labyrinth.[5] Lucas took Willow to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which was headed by Alan Ladd, Jr. Ladd and Lucas shared a relationship as far back as the mid-1970s, when Ladd, running 20th Century Fox, greenlighted Lucas' idea for Star Wars.[6] However, in 1986, MGM was facing financial troubles and its major investment of a fantasy film was perceived as a risk. Ladd advanced half the $36 million budget for Willow in return for theatrical and television rights, leaving Lucasfilm with home video and pay television rights to offer in exchange for the other half.[6]

Filming

Principal photography began on April 27, 1987 and ended that following October. Interior footage took place at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England, while location shooting took place in Wales and New Zealand.[6] Lucas initially visualized shooting Willow similar to Return of the Jedi, with studio scenes at Elstree and locations in Northern California, but the idea eventually faded. However, some exteriors were done around Skywalker Ranch and on location at Burney Falls, near Mount Shasta.[7] The Chinese government refused Lucas the chance for a brief location shoot. He then sent a group of photographers to South China to photograph specific scenery, which was then used for background blue screen footage. Tongariro National Park in New Zealand was chosen to house Bavmorda's castle.[7]

Visual effects

A woman in a hooded cloak with her back to the camera holds a lightening wand toward a two-legged animal that appears to be part goat and part ostrich.
Willow attempts to restore Fin Raziel into human form.

Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) created the visual effects sequences. The script called for Willow to restore Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes) from a goat to her original human form. Willow recites what he thinks is the appropriate spell, but turns the goat into an ostrich, and then a tortoise, and finally a tiger, before returning Raziel to her human body. ILM supervisor Dennis Muren considered using stop motion animation for the scene.[8] He also explained that another traditional and practical way in the late-1980s to execute this sequence would have been through the use of an optical dissolve with cutaways at various stages.[6]

Muren found both stop motion and optical effects to be too technically challenging and decided that the transformation scene would be a perfect opportunity for ILM to create advances with digital morphing technology. Muren proposed filming each animal, and the actress doubling for Patricia Hayes, and then feeding the images into a computer program developed by Doug Smythe (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Iron Man).[6] The program would then create a smooth transition from one stage to another before outputting the result back onto film. Smythe began development of the necessary software in September 1987. By March 1988, the impressive result Muren and fellow designer David Allen (Young Sherlock Holmes, Ghostbusters II) achieved what would represent a breakthrough for computer-generated imagery (CGI).[6]

Soundtrack

Willow
Soundtrack by James Horner
Released 1988
Genre Film music
Length 69:23
Label Virgin
Producer James Horner, Shawn Murphy
Professional reviews

The film score was written by James Horner and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.[9]

Track listing[9]
  1. "Elora Danan" – 9:45
  2. "Escape from the Tavern" – 5:04
  3. "Willow's Journey Begins" – 5:26
  4. "Canyon of Mazes" – 7:52
  5. "Tir Asleen" – 10:47
  6. "Willow's Theme" – 3:54
  7. "Bavmorda's Spell is Cast" – 18:11
  8. "Willow the Sorcerer" – 11:55

Reception

Box office

Willow was shown and promoted at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.[10][11] The film was released on May 20, 1988 in 1,209 theaters, earning $8.3 million in its opening weekend. Willow eventually grossed $57.27 million in the United States, which Lucas considered a box office disappointment.[12] He had hoped Willow would earn as much money as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,[11] but the film faced early competition with Crocodile Dundee II, Big and Rambo III.[13]

Critical analysis

Willow was released with mixed reviews from critics.[11] Based on 23 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of the critics enjoyed Willow with an average score of 5.4/10.[14]

Roger Ebert admitted he thought Willow was entertaining, but nonetheless gave a largely negative review. Ebert wrote that the film is too dark for children and that he was largely disappointed with the story structure.[15] Richard Corliss of Time magazine believed the sword and sorcery themes presented in Willow were overtly cliché.[16] Janet Maslin from The New York Times praised Lucas' storytelling, but was critical of Ron Howard's direction. "Howard appears to have had his hands full in simply harnessing the special effects," Maslin said.[17]

Desson Thomson, writing in The Washington Post, explained "Rob Reiner's similar fairytale adventure The Princess Bride (which Willow cinematographer Adrian Biddle also shot) managed to evoke volumes more without razzle-dazzle. It's a sad thing to be faulting Lucas, maker of the Star Wars trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark, for forgetting the tricks of entertainment."[18] Mike Clark in USA Today wrote that "the rainstorm wrap-up, in which Good edges Evil is like Led Zeppelin Meets The Wild Bunch. Willow is probably too much for young children and possibly too much of the same for cynics. But any 6–13-year-old who sees this may be bitten by the "movie bug" for life."[6]

Awards

Sound designers Ben Burtt and Richard Hymns of Skywalker Sound were nominated the Academy Award for Sound Editing, but lost to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The visual effects supervisors also lost the Academy Award for Visual Effects to Roger Rabbit, which was similarly done by Industrial Light & Magic.[19] Costume designer Barbara Lane won the Saturn Award for Best Costume Design. Warwick Davis (Performance by a Younger Actor) and Jean Marsh (Supporting Actress) also received nominations. Willow also lost the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film[20] and Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation to Roger Rabbit.[21] George Lucas and Bob Dolman (Worst Screenplay) and Billy Barty (Worst Supporting Actor) were given Golden Raspberry Award nominations.[22]

Legacy

The film was released on DVD as a "special edition" in November 2001 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The release included audio commentary by Warwick Davis and two "making of" featurettes. In the commentary, Davis confirms that there were a number of "lost scenes" previously rumored to have been deleted from the film including a battle in the valley, Willow battling a shark monster in a lake, and an extended sorceress duel at the climax.[23] (Though removed from the theatrical version, the battle with the lake monster was retained for both Marvel Comics' adaptation and Wayland Drew's novelization of the film.)

Novels

Lucas outlined the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy to follow the film and hired comic book writer/novelist Chris Claremont to adapt them into a series of books. They take place about fifteen years after the original film and feature the now teenage Elora Danan as the central character.

  1. Shadow Moon (1995) ISBN 0553572857
  2. Shadow Dawn (1996) ISBN 055357289X
  3. Shadow Star (2000) ISBN 0553572881

Film/TV sequel

Due to the cult film recognition Willow received since its release in 1988, Lucas and Warwick Davis commented in April 2005 that a television series acting as a sequel was under consideration.[24] In June 2008, Davis reiterated his hopes to return for a theatrically released second installment of Willow.[25] Davis also mentioned on his Twitter account on November 2, 2009, that he would be interested in doing a sequel.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marcus Hearn (2005). The Cinema of George Lucas. New York City: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.. pp. 153. ISBN 0-8109-4968-7. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aljean Harmetz (1987-05-21). "'Star Wars' Is 10, And Lucas Reflects". The New York Times. 
  3. ↑ Ron Howard (2005). "Forward". The Cinema of George Lucas. New York City: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.. ISBN 0-8109-4968-7. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hearn, p.154-155
  5. ↑ Aljean Harmetz (1988-06-09). "A Pained Lucas Ponders Attacks on 'Willow'". The New York Times. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Hearn, p.156-157
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 John Baxter (October 1999). Mythmaker: The Life and Work of George Lucas. New York City: Avon. pp. 365–366. ISBN 0-380-97833-4. 
  8. ↑ Baxter, p.367
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hobart, Tavia. "Willow [Original Score"]. Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gnfyxqe5ldse~T1. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
  10. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Willow". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/296/year/1988.html. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Baxter, p.372
  12. ↑ "Willow". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=willow.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  13. ↑ Staff (1988-06-09). "'Crocodile Dundee II' Top Film at Box Office". The New York Times. 
  14. ↑ "Willow". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/willow/. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  15. ↑ Roger Ebert (1988-05-20). "Willow". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19880520/REVIEWS/805200302/1023. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  16. ↑ Richard Corliss (1988-05-23). "The Empire Strikes Out WILLOW". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967464,00.html. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  17. ↑ Janet Maslin (1988-05-20). "'Willow,' a George Lucas Production". The New York Times. 
  18. ↑ Desson Thomson (1988-05-20). "Willow". The Washington Post. 
  19. ↑ "Willow". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1230081785517. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  20. ↑ "Past Saturn Awards". Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  21. ↑ "1989 Hugo Awards". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Hugo_Awards/1989. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  22. ↑ "Ninth Annual RAZZIE Awards (for 1988)". Golden Raspberry Award Foundation. http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=338&PN=2. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  23. ↑ "Willow (Special Edition) (1988)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Willow-Special-Val-Kilmer/dp/B00003CXDD. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  24. ↑ Eric "Quint" Vespe (2005-04-24). "CELEBRATION is had by many a STAR WARS geek! Lucas talks! Footage shown! Details here!". Ain't It Cool News. http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20012. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
  25. ↑ Shawn Adler (2008-06-13). "Warwick Davis Enthusiastic About Possibility For ‘Willow 2′". MTV News. http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/06/13/warwick-davis-enthusiastic-about-possibility-for-willow-2/. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 

Further reading

External links

Fanzines
Films directed by Ron Howard
1970s
Grand Theft Auto (1977)
1980s
Night Shift (1982) • Splash (1984) • Cocoon (1985) • Gung Ho (1986) • Willow (1988) • Parenthood (1989)
1990s
Backdraft (1991) • Far and Away (1992) • The Paper (1994) • Apollo 13 (1995) • Ransom (1996) • EDtv (1999)
2000s
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) • A Beautiful Mind (2001) • The Missing (2003) • Cinderella Man (2005) • The Da Vinci Code (2006) • Frost/Nixon (2008) • Angels & Demons (2009)
2010s
The Dilemma (2011)
George Lucas filmography
Films directed
Shorts
Freiheit (1965) · Look at Life (1965) · Herbie (1966) · 1:42:08 (1966) · The Emperor (1967) · Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967) · Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town (1967) · 6-18-67 (1967) · Filmmaker (1968)
Produced
1970s
More American Graffiti (1979)
1980s
Kagemusha (1980) · Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) · Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)  · Body Heat (1981; uncredited) · Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) · Twice Upon a Time (1983) · Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) · Latino (1985; uncredited) · Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) · Howard the Duck (1986) · Labyrinth (1986) · Captain EO (1986) · Star Tours (1987) · The Land Before Time (1988) · Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) · Powaqqatsi (1988) · Willow (1988) · Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
1990s
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (TV series) (1992) · Radioland Murders (1994)
2000s
Star Wars: Clone Wars (TV series) (2003) · Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) · Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) · Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series) (2008)
2010s
Red Tails (2010) · Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011) · Star Wars (TV series) (TBA)
Related
American Zoetrope · Lucasfilm · LucasArts · Skywalker Ranch · Skywalker Sound · Tomlinson Holman's eXperiment (THX) · Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) · The Star Wars Holiday Special