This November 30, 2022, Disney + launches the broadcast of its fantasy series Willow. After watching 7 episodes, our conclusion: this is a family series, without ambition, without originality, but cute enough to occupy a few Christmas evenings with the children.
Star Wars, IndianaJones…in his filmography, George Lucas also produced and co-wrote Willow. This 1988 heroic fantasy film — directed by Ron Howard — had become cult. At the time, the quality of the special effects particularly impressed critics and the public. Lucasfilms revives the franchise with the series Willowwhich is none other than the sequel to the film, on Disney+ from November 30, 2022.
The character of Willow himself is back with actor Warwick Davis. The sequel does not require having seen the film, but beware, the references are multiple and the feature film actually serves as a preliminary to the events. This is structurally a sequel, not a reboot. That said, it is not very difficult to follow the progress of Willowwhatever.
The series, which succeeds the film, is very outdated
The trailer for the series showed flamboyant landscapes and a relatively sublime visual touch. The result is a bit more nuanced. On the one hand, yes, the series is pretty — it has a rather pampered cinematography.
Moreover, it must still be admitted that the clothes, the sets, the cutting plans are very outdated. The series is not a particularly interesting artistic proposition. The flatness of the staging completes to make the whole thing very kitsch. The shortcuts are linked, the banalities seen a thousand times also.
Not to mention that it often does not fly very high. From the first episode, when you have to go on a trip to save the recently kidnapped prince, the team is formed by raising their hands and then joining the others on the stage. If this reminds you of the constitution of groups in EPS… yes, it is exactly that. Also in the pilot episode, a member of the group dies from an arrow in the torso without anyone seeming to be moved – and his disappearance will be forgotten three minutes later. Emotional superficiality smothers any power at work.
In short: it is extremely simplistic. The direction, like the screenplay, like the writing of the characters, are thin.
Willow is a family series
However : Willow isn’t entirely a bad fantasy series. The whole thing is… let’s say, nice. The series is in no way the weight against Rings of Power, The Witcher, House of the Dragonbut it fulfills a completely different role: it is a family series.
It will be able to put a few stars in the eyes of the youngest (without marking them, however), while entertaining the oldest, with a fresh and hassle-free initiatory quest. This could occupy a few Christmas evenings devouring boxes of chocolates in front of the misadventures of this fine team. On the other hand, don’t expect an ambitious fantasy work, aesthetically, narratively, you might be disappointed.
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