Willow is still one of the better fantasy Sword & Sorcery films made. Great cast, excellent story, decent effects for the day all made for a highly memorable and entertaining family film.
Interesting you don't mention the Brownies at all -- a fascination with really stupid humor in French accents, hinting at a Jerry Lewis inspiration, foreshadows Jar Jar Binks heavily.
I could have forgiven the Willow TV show anything if not for the truly unforgivable use of modern pop songs. Lucas/Howard got that fantasy needed epic score. A Knight's Tale made the gimmick work, but "Money for Nothing" talking about microwaves and color TVs, in Willow? Big ol' nope.
While I like Kevin Pollack in general, and he does the best Shatner and Columbo impersonations ever, Franjean and Rool were probably my least favorite part of the original Willow. Maybe it's because I've watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail one time too many, but they felt more like comedians riffing on the French Taunters in that film than a real part of the story. They do have a couple of great moments in the original, but a little too derivative for me. They felt out of place in what was otherwise a straight and sincere fantasy film.
Willow is still one of the better fantasy Sword & Sorcery films made. Great cast, excellent story, decent effects for the day all made for a highly memorable and entertaining family film.
Interesting you don't mention the Brownies at all -- a fascination with really stupid humor in French accents, hinting at a Jerry Lewis inspiration, foreshadows Jar Jar Binks heavily.
I could have forgiven the Willow TV show anything if not for the truly unforgivable use of modern pop songs. Lucas/Howard got that fantasy needed epic score. A Knight's Tale made the gimmick work, but "Money for Nothing" talking about microwaves and color TVs, in Willow? Big ol' nope.
While I like Kevin Pollack in general, and he does the best Shatner and Columbo impersonations ever, Franjean and Rool were probably my least favorite part of the original Willow. Maybe it's because I've watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail one time too many, but they felt more like comedians riffing on the French Taunters in that film than a real part of the story. They do have a couple of great moments in the original, but a little too derivative for me. They felt out of place in what was otherwise a straight and sincere fantasy film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7xplSR8xLI