Willow (1988)
Puff's Score
78/100 (We aren't professional critics — just movie lovers!)
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Wider Scores
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
Metacritic: 47%
Evidently hit and miss with 'pros'.
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Who's in it?
Val Kilmer, Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley
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Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
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What's it about?
A humble dwarf farmer must protect a magical baby from an evil queen, teaming up with a rogue swordsman for a wild adventure full of sorcery, danger, and destiny.
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Puff's Take
Willow doesn’t reinvent the wheel — it's the classic “everyman goes on a big, noble adventure, meeting unlikely heroes along the way.” But when you get the pieces right, that’s all you need. The characters are charming and memorable, the action is fun, the dialogue lands when it needs to, and ultimately, you find yourself invested in the ride — and the people.
Warwick Davis is Willow, full stop. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else carrying the heart of the story. But it's Val Kilmer who steals the show as the chaotic, layered Madmartigan, delivering one-liners and a redemption arc that's surprisingly believable.
If you’re not into magic, monsters, or mayhem, Willow probably isn’t for you. But if you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favour and dive in — it’s a wild, heartfelt romp that's still perfect for kids and adults alike (with just a little fantasy violence to be mindful of for younger ones).
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Did You Know? – 5 Fresh Facts About Willow
1. Warwick Davis was the star Lucas always had in mind.
George Lucas created Willow specifically to give Warwick Davis his first lead role after his appearance as Wicket the Ewok.
2. Val Kilmer improvised Madmartigan's antics.
Kilmer ad-libbed many of his rogue swordsman’s lines, bringing an unpredictable energy to the character.
3. Willow pioneered digital effects.
The movie’s iconic morphing scene was one of the first uses of groundbreaking CGI, paving the way for later hits like Terminator 2.
4. Willow was almost a darker, scarier movie.
Early drafts were much more intense and violent, but Ron Howard and Lucas toned it down to make it more family-friendly without losing the epic feel.
5. Kevin Pollak and Rick Overton filmed the Brownies' scenes twice.
Because of special effects limitations, the actors who played the tiny Brownies had to reshoot many scenes on giant sets to make them look tiny — doubling the work for the same few minutes of screen time.
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Where to Watch?
You can find Willow streaming options here on JustWatch.