‘Willow’ Season One Review – A Magical Return To A Treasured Fantasy

Created By: Jonathan Kasdan

Starring: Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Ellie Bamber, Tony Revolori, Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley

Plot Summary: 20 years after vanquishing the wicked queen Bavmorda, the sorcerer Willow Ufgood leads a group of misfits on a dangerous rescue mission into the unknown.

My dear readers, we are living in a golden age of epic, high fantasy that packs a huge punch on the small screen. The Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, and The Lord of the Rings spinoff series, The Rings of Power have been must-watch shows, which offer big movie-scale excitement all from the comfort of our own living rooms. It seems only fitting that a treasured fantasy film from the mind of George Lucas would find its way to TV screens. To say that the Lucas produced, Ron Howard directed film Willow from 1988 is beloved is an understatement. For a certain generation, this was their gateway into the wide and expansive world of fantasy. Let’s just say hopes were incredibly high for the series to not only recapture the magic of the original and further the narrative but also to deepen and enrich the lore.

The series opens with a storybook and voice-over narration (given by Queen Sorsha played by Joanne Whalley) recapping the events of the ‘80s film. Creator Jonathan Kasdan makes it clear from the very first episode that this series is masterful at building off of the source material whilst also making room for exciting new stories. Sure, we get nice easter eggs and references from the film, but it never feels like needless fan service. Everything is in service to help build the gap between Howard’s film and the series. Make no mistake, though, this series is not chained to its source, and it’s this polished balancing act is where the show really shines.

Thanks to great writing, Willow’s characters feel well rounded and as the series goes on, more complex overall. In the first episode, everyone feels (for the most part) like they fit very neatly into high fantasy archetypes, but as things move forward, we see a lot of growth and breaking away from those molds. This is a nice way of giving us the familiar, and then suddenly turning it on its head. The buildup and payoff to introducing the titular Willow (Warwick Davis) is handled with the kind of reverence it deserves. Not unlike Luke Skywalker, Willow has become world weary even somewhat cynical, but ultimately, he is the same loveable character we fell in love with in 1988. It’s nice to see other returning cast including Joanne Whalley, who is now Queen.

It is incredible how much depth and personality the world in Willow has, especially when you consider they are solely drawing from one previous source material. It is exciting to see how the events of the original film shaped the realm and the ripple effects they’ve had over the years. Kasdan does a great job in shaping the worldbuilding, which is established in such a clear and efficient way. We know exactly who everyone is, what the stakes are, and what dark looming threat is on the horizon.

Visually, Willow is nothing short of magical. It’s hard to put into mere words just how stunning and detailed everything in this series looks. Lush and vivid landscapes and a rich production design really do make it easy to get absorbed into this fantasy world. Without spoiling anything, the series is full of surprises that really keep the viewer invested.

Willow is certainly an adventure-of-the-week show, but it never loses sight of its overarching plot, which has some stunning twists and turns along the way. The bar for this show was set very high, and it manages to deliver tenfold. Willow seems to do the impossible by making the show accessible to new fans while also making for an amazing sequel for diehard lovers of the film. It’s great to know this series is in good hands, and I cannot wait to see what season 2 has to offer.

Willow is currently available to steam on Disney+.