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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Willow (1988)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Tall Tales

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Willow on DVD.

This solid three-star adventure provides the missing link between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace. George Lucas supplied the story and Ron Howard the direction for the tale of Willow (Warwick Davis), the "little person" who protects a special baby from an evil queen. Val Kilmer co-stars as a cocky, full-sized warrior. Howard adds human qualities to Lucas' cut-out characters and tones down the annoying sidekicks, the nine-inch tall Brownies, clearly evolved from R2-D2 and C-3PO and precursors to Jar-Jar Binks. Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley fell in love during this film. Legendary "little person" actor Billy Barty also stars.

DVD Details: Davis provides a delightful commentary track, and the disc includes a vintage making-of documentary as well as a new one about the invention of "morphing" (underlining Lucas' predilection with technology again). Fox's 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is truly wonderful.

Starring: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Billy Barty, Tony Cox, Kevin Pollak
Written by: Bob Dolman, based on a story by George Lucas
Directed by: Ron Howard
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 126 minutes
Date: November 29, 2001