Willow (Disney+)

That was... Something. I can't decide what yet, but it was something.

Qualitywise I'd say the first 3/4ths of that was outright crappy. The climax held my interest, as did the cliffhanger, and rock song end credits.

As far as movies go, Willow was an utter mess. And the thing that struck me most about it is that it could not comfortably give us a sequel unless it was set decades later. Seeing as I disliked the original Karate Kid films, and how much I like the decades later sequel series Cobra Kai, I thought Willow was ripe for the same treatment.

I was very unhappy Willow isn't seen until the last scene, but the fact that Warwick Davis is billed first in the credits is encouraging. There are a lot of legit complaints you can level against the film. The thing about it that angers me the most is that both Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley are billed first in the credits before Davis is. Willow is essentially Davis' role of a lifetime, and the first and pretty much only starring role he's been given where he doesn't have to wear make-up. I felt the studio treated him shamefully back in the day. And us not seeing him throughout the first episode WAS getting my dander up. But pretty much upon seeing "Starring Warwick Davis" all is forgiven. And I'm betting that was probably deliberate. I think the producers half WANTED me to be mad on Davis' behalf. Good trick, I think.

As far as fantasy series go, I don't feel like this has the steady hand to it either The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, or Game Of Thrones had. The good news is this will not be the slog Game Of Thrones is. But I am well aware this is literally the second thing EVER in the entire franchise, and they are STILL trying to figure things out decades later. That's fine, but as far as TV fantasies good, this is very much a work in progress.

I'm thinking Disney dropped two episodes because they knew this one would piss us off. Let's watch and review the second to see if I'm right about that. 1/2.

That's more like it. It was fun with a lot of call-backs to the movie including the finger test and reading the bones. It also suggests Willow is partly a con-artist, and that's partly why he's living with such regret. The vision is bad enough. But being told he'll never be a Sorcerer in the flashback is the actual chip on his shoulder.

And I like that. I like that Willow in the future is portrayed as flawed. Him trying to get Elora to say the spell right was also great comedy. And that's clearly not the first time she's spit-up on him either, which was another great call-back.

The series and franchise are still very much trying to find their way. But that was very promising. I'm not saying for sure this is the next Cobra Kai. But neither was Cobra Kai after 2 episodes. What I AM saying is this show definitely has potential. It bears watching. *.

A cover of a Metallica song over the end credits means this is the weirdest Lucasfilm fantasy show ever.

Silas' death was sad and I felt for Willow. But as far as sorcerer's go, this episode is proof that Willow is NOT a fraud.

I also thought Jade being forced to kill Ballantine was similarly gut-wrenching and good drama because he himself knew it had to be done, and comforted her before she did it. That's the sweet spot of The Good Hurt I constantly chase and crave.

Hubert and Anne were cool characters. I'm both annoyed and saddened they were killed off right away, but I suppose that was the point.

I suspected I would like the show before it started. I didn't expect it to be THIS though. And yet I STILL like it. ****.

I don't know if I can or even SHOULD do an in-depth review of that. What I can say for now is that was pretty spooky and it raised a lot of questions for me. Both are things I approve of in my fiction.

Positive grade. I'm intrigued to see where this is all leading. ****.

This episode felt like a bit of a holding pattern. It focused on 'ships instead of The Quest. I guess that's all right for some people, but I don't know the characters well enough (or care about them enough) to enjoy a prolonged pause at this stage of the game.

Maybe I would have forgiven it more if Willow had been given a bigger role, or maybe more scenes with Kevin Pollack returning as the Brownie Rool. I love his wife claiming that Willow believing all Brownies knew each other was racist. And yet, she IS Rool's wife. It's kinda true.

Boorman's role and romance with the head Bone Reaver was kind of cool.

Not a fan of the episode, but if the show lasts a few seasons and I know everybody better, I'll more value outings like this in the future. ***.

I know Val Kilmer's health is bad, but his son providing his voice makes me worry we won't see him at all.

Also should not go without noting that ironically Christian Slater wound up with a bigger career than Kilmer ultimately did. And Kilmer was Batman!

Let's of pathos and Big Hurt in the scene between Elora and Kit at the end. And Kit's brother instantly falling for the lady prisoner tells me the ship between Gray and Elora is NOT off the table after all.

Willow's reactions to Slater's character were quite amusing.

I adored the Upper Management Troll. I'm not going to say this is the first show to ever do something as genius as making a Bill Lumbergh-type an actual monster. We've seen that here and there in comedies. But this is the first project I've seen do that that otherwise expects us to take it seriously, which is why it's funny. If the Kit and Elora pathos wasn't a thing, it wouldn't be as random and hilarious as it is.

"Good Vibrations" over the end credits is why the series is superior in every way that matters to the film.

Solid, solid outing. ****.

I'm not going to say that the show has totally lost the plot, but yeah, that was pretty meandering.

I think the thing I liked was the pathos at the end with Elora, Kit, and Willow. The drama felt earned.

Eric's stuff with what turned out to be the Crone is sort of interesting on some level, but since it's bad, I don't actually enjoy watching it.

All things being equal, it was only so-so. ***.

As far as episodes go, it was good. As far as finales go, I don't think it was entirely successful.

I knew Gray wasn't dead because his arc was unfinished. That is NOT how you kill off a character in genre. You wrap up their arc first. His death is sudden instead which means he survives. Waking up to the future and an evil Elora raises all kinds of questions, but it answers the one about how Willow believes the only way the heroes can win is if Elora dies. Because she's gonna turn evil. However me learning this about Willow's fears tells me there IS actually a chance he will be able to talk her down the way they did Eric.

Why is Elora unsurprised to see Gray? Did he make it back to the past at some point and tell her about this? So many questions.

I love that the show can randomly make Boorman bi without making a federal case out of it.

The Crone's final design is outright scary.

I wish Willow himself were in the episode more. I very much hope his role in the second and third seasons is bigger.

The tag suggesting this ended Volume 1 out of 3 means there are 3 seasons planned. I actually like learning that the show has a firm gameplan there, and won't be dragging things out for seasons without end. I sometimes think a LOT of great arc shows would have been better off as 3 great short seasons. Of course if Disney+ doesn't renew the show that's moot, but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't.

I mentioned it wasn't entirely successful as a finale. There quite simply put wasn't enough wrap-up or a satisfying conclusion to the arc that had been built all season. To be fair that is very much how genre USED to work (summers between seasons of Star Trek were murder in the 1990's) but serialization has sort of changed that dynamic a bit and most shows do an actual satisfying finale now before hitting us with the cliffhanger tag teasing the next season. I don't feel like this episode was a great place to leave things off before the tag. Too many unanswered questions for a season finale.

But still, I liked this episode (and every other episode) more than I did the movie. I'm glad the show exists to rehabilitate it and the thankless way George Lucas treated Warwick Davis in the title role. ****.