Willow

Cast:  Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley, Ruby Cruz 

Creator: Jonathan Kasdan

Language: English

Streaming Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Synopsis:

Disney's new fantasy series, Willow, is a sequel to the studio's 1988 fantasy film of the same name. Following the events of the film, Willow (Warwick Davis) rescues Elora Danan, a child with a runic birthmark prophesied to take down the evil witch Queen Bavmord from Nockmaar and become the next princess of Tir Asleen. The film now follows the story of an adult Elora who was raised with a hidden identity. It also follows the main storyline, the children of Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), Princess Kit (Ruby Cruz) and Airk (Dempsey Bryk) who must now take responsibility for protecting the realm as the return of dark forces looms.


On the night of Kit and Graydon's (Tony Revolori) engagement celebration, evil infiltrates back into the mother world again and Airk is taken hostage by them. An unlikely group of heroes from Tir Asleen then set out on a journey far beyond their home to restore the forces of good and rescue Airk, but first they must find someone without whom the task could not be accomplished, thus the return of Willow. (Davis).

Opinion:

One of the biggest concerns when starting a new show, especially if it comes from the Marvel or Star Wars universe, is that it has to be carefully crafted to tie into the larger stories. In Willow's case, even though it's a product of a pre-existing fantasy story, there's no pressure to hunt for Easter eggs or other elements, as the show starts again by building on the background the film provided. mythology and folklore and works well to his advantage. With Willow creator Jonathan Kasdan brings back the charming wizard Warwick Davis, star of Harry Potter, but adds new layers to the fantasy world compared to the film.


The first episode begins with a clear background of everything that happened in the film before connecting us back to the story before us. While the 1988 film may not have been a huge success, it's clear that given the viewership it has, there's no better time to explore the fantasy genre than now. For the show, it's a challenge to get the tone right, and while the first episode of the show starts out more in the vein of a Disney rom-com, the story ahead makes sure that magical action is soon to follow. episodes ahead. The show scores on the inclusivity quotient and is a delight for the special romance between Kit (Ruby Cruz) and Jade (Erin Kellyman). The first episode really packs a lot in as it not only tells us the story of Willow and the princess of Tir Asleen, Elora Danan, but also takes us through the first big action scene until we finally jump to the reintroduction of Willow (Davis) and also drops a big bomb at the end of the episode .


Despite the predictable feel of the story and overall mediocre magic, it's probably the cast of the show that manages to leave an impression on us. Not only is it a delight to see the return of Warwick Davis as the wizard, but it's equally wonderful to see the return of Joanne Whalley as Sorsha. As for the new cast members, Amar Chadha-Patel impresses as the wisecracking mercenary Boorman, while Erin Kellyman and Ellie Bamber also do good work as the maid.


Plus points:

The thing that impressed Willow the most was the fact that the show doesn't feel like it's in a rush to impress or please. They don't have to indulge in any fan service, and maybe that's why the lighter take on the show feels right. There is magic in the way Kasdan presents the world of Tir Asleen, and since you don't go into the show with high expectations, you'll be pleasantly surprised at several points. The production design on the show is also impressive and the action choreography as seen in the first episode does not disappoint either.


Minus points:

In order to create a fantasy series that audiences can relate to, it has to contain a certain level of complexity, or so we were led to believe after shows like Game of Thrones and other incrementally built fictional worlds that leaked so easily. into the vocabulary of ordinary people. It's a challenge for Willow that she doesn't overcome because she doesn't pull us into her world convincingly enough with the first episode to ultimately make us commit for the rest of the season. The pilot of the show moves too quickly across directions and the characters are given little time to flesh themselves out properly.


The most important:

Starring Erin Kellyman, Amar Chadha-Patel

The charming return of Warwick Davis as Willow

Production design show

Conclusion:

Willow is off to a solid start in its first episode as it combines all the elements from the original movie of romance, magic and action together. The show doesn't start off with an episode that will blow your mind, but with an impressive cast, it looks like the journey that awaits us in the first season won't be a disappointment.