WILLOW - DVD review

It may be coincidence that Fox's release of the DVD of George Lucas's 1988 fantasy adventure "Willow" appears almost simultaneously with the theatrical releases of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Fellowship of the Ring." Or maybe not. In any case, "Willow" was the last big, epic fantasy the screen had delivered until the above-mentioned titles came along, and the publicity surrounding the newer fantasy movies certainly couldn't hurt the older one.

Now, if "Willow" had lived up to its potential, it might have been something to tide over fantasy fans until the home editions of the newer films arrived, but, alas, "Willow" sinks under the weight of its good intentions and its all-out spectacle. Still, the movie's pictorial elements and atmosphere are so good, the look so right, that those qualities alone may make the disc a rewarding investment. I had no particular urge to watch it again, but others may find it enchanting.

Written and produced by Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, the film is far from a failure. How could it be? Its high production values, elaborate sets, and gorgeous cinematography make it worth seeing at least once. Yet, as I said, I found in it no compelling reasons for a revisit. Not unexpectedly, as things like this happen in Hollywood all the time, it's the movie's plot and characters that let us down.

Lucas might well have titled his film "Skywalker in Fairy Land" or something of that sort, it's so close to the "Star Wars" format. Like his sci-fi hit of a decade earlier, "Willow" is all about Lucas and mythologist Joseph Campbell's notions of the "Hero Myth" or "Hero's Journey," where the storytellers argue that the protagonist's ultimate trial is when he gives of himself to some higher end, when he ceases to think primarily of his own preservation; then, a heroic transformation of consciousness takes place. This was clearly the case with Luke Skywalker and it's clearly the case with the hero of "Willow." (For a more detailed analysis of this "Hero Schema" business, I refer you to the rather windy introduction to my "Phantom Menace" review.) The Hero's Journey is an age-old storytelling device, and I admire Lucas's continued use of it. I was disappointed, however, that in "Wilow" he had done little to embellish it beyond what he had already done in "Star Wars."

"Willow" opens in typical Lucas fashion with a written prologue that sets up the action: "It is a time of dread.... Seers have foretold the birth of a child who will bring about the downfall of the powerful Queen Bavmorda. Seizing all pregnant women in the realm, the evil Queen vows to destroy the child when it is born..." Now, who does that Queen sound like? The Pharaoh of Egypt? Or, more pointedly, the wicked stepmother in "Snow White"? Just to make sure you get the connections, the baby girl in question, Elora Danan, is set adrift in a stream (shades of Moses), and the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) appears to have been outfitted by the Disney wardrobe department.

Well, who should find the baby floating down the river but a would-be sorcerer and full-time farmer named Willow (Warwick Davis), a member of a race of little people living far away and long ago (yet more references to "Snow White"). As an aside, the little people live in cottages with round doorways, much like Hobbit houses but aboveground. Anyway, it's soon determined by the village elder and head sorcerer, the High Aldwin (Billy Barty in full, flowing, Merlin/Gandalf beard), that Willow will have to return the baby to its parents, necessitating a long journey to the land of the child's origins. And so off he goes on his quest, only later learning of the infant's true significance.

Along the way, Willow meets up with a roguish swordsman, Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), who helps him in his expedition; encounters the evil Queen's beautiful warrior daughter, Sorsha (Joanne Whalley); and secures the aid of a good witch, Raziel (Patricia Hayes). If you haven't already figured it out, the character Willow is, for all intents and purposes, Luke Skywalker; the High Aldwin is Obi-Wan; the evil Queen is the evil Emperor; Madmartigan is Han Solo; the Queen's beautiful warrior daughter is Princess Leia; and the good witch is Yoda. Indeed, the first time we see Raziel, the good witch, like our first encounter with Yoda, neither the hero nor we recognize her as a powerful witch; you see, she's been turned into some kind of cute little mammal that speaks. Then, there's even a frightful-looking fellow in a death mask who acts as the evil Queen's right-hand man, corresponding to Darth Vader; and a pair of quarreling brownies who act as comic relief, corresponding to R2-D2 and C-3PO. If all of this point-for-point comparison weren't so transparent, it might have been more fun; but still it's harmless, and derivative or not it works well enough for youngsters and the young at heart.

The settings and photography are sometimes breathtakingly beauteous and evocative of faraway times and places; the characters are all agreeably pleasant on the one hand and appropriately villainous on the other; the special effects and matte paintings are spectacular; and James Horner's musical score is grandiose and epic. But despite all these glorious sights and sounds, the movie never provokes or inspires much sense of awe or wonder or elation as "Star Wars" did; there are no characters charismatic enough to draw our attention; and the fairy-tale story line is predictable from start to finish.

The movie's first half drags on as we're introduced to the plot and its various participants, and as we wait patiently for something to happen or someone to care about. Warwick Davis in the title role is amiable enough but spends a good deal of his screen time whining and yelling, "Stop, you can't do that!" The other characters seem equally perfunctory. The biggest event of the first thirty minutes is an attack by a wild boar on the little people's village. Most of the time, characters just stand around talking, while Horner's music swells to giant crescendos even when nothing is happening. Later, saddled with a baby that's constantly in danger, the hero's journey is complicated and slowed down further. The last half hour of the film is pretty exciting, I admit, but it's a long time coming.

Video:
Fox's THX-mastered picture and sound, however, are outstandingly good. The anamorphic widescreen size closely duplicates its Panavision theatrical-release dimensions, showing up on the home set in a 2.13:1 ratio across a standard television. Colors are exceptionally deep and attractively rendered. Contrasts in light and shadow are well executed. Definition is exemplary. And grain, moiré effects, and other digital artifacts are nowhere to be seen. Obvious care was taken with this transfer, and for picture postcard beauty the film can't be beat.

Audio:
The sound, offered in Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Surround is also quite good, although its largely mono rear signal is not nearly so pinpoint precise in localization as new full-blown five-channel formats provide, nor is the bass particularly strong or deep. Otherwise, the sound is clear, detailed, and ambient, providing plenty of monaural surround information for wind blowing, birds chirping, water running, swords clanging, and what-have-you.

Extras:
Among the special features Fox offer are a commentary track with star Warwick Davis; a twenty-one-minute featurette called "Willow: The Making of an Adventure," created as a promotional item at the time of the film's production; another featurette, this one newly made and seventeen minutes long called "MORF to Morphing," explaining the film's special visual effects; and a photo gallery. Additionally, there is a series of THX Optimode audiovisual tests for color and sound calibration; thirty-six chapter selections; eight TV spots, two teaser trailers, and one pan-and-scan theatrical trailer. English and Spanish are included for spoken languages; English for subtitles.

Parting Shots:
Fairies, witches, trolls, brownies, spells, fire-breathing dragons, you name it and Lucas threw it into the mix. The result is a movie for which it's hard to predict an audience. I mean, I can't presume to speak for other people, but as an adult (and one who loves "The Lord of the Rings" and the "Harry Potter" books), I found "Willow" somewhat shallow and juvenile. What's more, I should think the movie rather too intense and too violent for young kids and probably too childish for teens. Fantasy is a tricky business, and I'm not sure everyone is going to believe in this one. Maybe just look at it, enjoy the simplicity of the story and the beauty of the settings, and forget everything else.