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Willow

Play trailer Poster for Willow PG Released May 20, 1988 2h 6m Fantasy Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
52% Tomatometer 63 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Enter the world of "Willow." Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side ... to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.
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Willow

Willow

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Critics Consensus

State-of-the-art special effects and an appealing performance from Warwick Davis can't quite save Willow from its slow pace and generic story.

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Critics Reviews

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Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune There isn't a single major character in the film who is engaging. Rated: 2/4 Dec 6, 2018 Full Review Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times If it evaporates from memory with the airiness of a bubble bath, at least it leaves a friendly glow and a sense of a magical world lovingly evoked. Dec 6, 2018 Full Review Ian Nathan Empire Magazine Willow is not without its charms -- the effects are more than special, the set-pieces suitably epic -- but it just doesn't fulfill the promise of certain other fantasy films. Rated: 3/5 Dec 6, 2018 Full Review Charlotte Simmons The Treatment (Substack) Willow is better than “good,” because rather than trying to be another great fantasy story, it does something completely different -- it pulls back the curtain of mythmaking... Jul 23, 2025 Full Review Sean Burns WBUR’s Arts & Culture Captain Jack Sparrow owes an awful lot to Madmartigan. May 22, 2025 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Only partially successful in punching across the requisite excitement, which is often crippled by a nagging air of familiarity (it’s as much Tolkien as it is Lucas). Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 21, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sebastian D Willow charms with heartfelt fantasy but falls short of greatness. Ron Howard’s direction delivers a warm, adventurous tale, and Warwick Davis anchors it with earnest heroism as Willow. Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan is a standout, but the film leans on predictable tropes—evil queens, magical babies—that echo Star Wars without matching its depth. The 1980s practical effects and James Horner’s score create nostalgic magic, yet pacing lags and supporting characters lack complexity. It’s a beloved, swashbuckling romp that entertains but doesn’t transcend its genre. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/24/25 Full Review Bobby E Its a kids movie . Its fantastic . Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/26/25 Full Review CT 8 I have to admit, after watching Disney destroy this IP forever with its wokeified lesbian version I had reservations about rewatching Willow, a movie I haven’t seen in decades. But to my surprise it’s a breath of fresh air compared to the recent series that was so bad Disney scrapped it for a tax break. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you produce a movie that’s well-written and featuring a boatload of likeable characters as opposed to a series that’s the opposite in every way, shape, and form. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/12/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 2 hours and 6 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $55,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Val Kilmer as Mad Martigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/12/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/26/25 Full Review David R It was good, but pretty annoying. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/18/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Ron Howard

Director

Val Kilmer

Madmartigan

Joanne Whalley

Sorsha

Warwick Davis

Willow Ufgood

Jean Marsh

Queen Bavmorda

Patricia Hayes

Fin Raziel

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Willow

(L-R) Ruth and Kate Greenfield as Elora Danan and Warwick Davis as Willow in "Willow." (L-R) Kevin Pollak as Rool and Rick Overton as Franjean in "Willow." Jean Marsh as Queen Bavmorda in "Willow." Pat Roach as General Kael in "Willow." Val Kilmer as Madmartigan in "Willow." Willow (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Enter the world of "Willow." Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side ... to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.
Director
Ron Howard
Producer
Nigel Wooll
Screenwriter
Bob Dolman, George Lucas
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Lucasfilm Ltd., Imagine Entertainment, Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
PG
Genre
Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 20, 1988, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 5, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$55.6M
Runtime
2h 6m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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