1980's Fantasy Double Feature: Willow and Dragonslayer
1980's Fantasy Double Feature:
Willow and Dragonslayer
The 1980s was a decade full of fantasy films, including some great classics like Legend, Princess Bride, NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth, and of course Willow and Dragonslayer. Tonight I am looking at two beloved classics from my childhood, the 1988 classic Willow, and the 1981 classic Dragonslayer. Both films were a head of their time in special effects, and both were met with mixed critical reviews, but both have gone on to live in the hearts of the children of the 1980s like myself.
Willow released in 1988 is a story idea written by Star Wars creator George Lucas, who approached Ron Howard to direct the film (he had worked with Howard previously in Lucas' film American Graffiti). The story dates back to 1972 when Lucas first came up with the idea, and he called the story Munchkins. In 1982 during the filming of Star Wars Return Of The Jedi, Lucas approached Warwick Davis (who was one of the Ewoks) about starring in the film when he makes it, and he agreed. The reason it took so long to become a reality, is because Lucas didn't want to make the film until it could technically be done with the advances of special effects. Ron Howard would get Bob Dolman to write the screenplay, the three of them worked together to create the screenplay that was used in the film. Now with Howard on for directing, Bob Dolman on board as the screenwriter, and Warwick Davis on as the star, Lucas took the role of Executive Producer (though according to Ron Howard in interviews in the special features, Lucas helped significantly in the directing of the film, though he was not credited as co-director). Lucas Films LTD, and Imagine Entertainment produced the film and MGM distributed the film, and the effects were done by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic.
Willow released in 1988 is a story idea written by Star Wars creator George Lucas, who approached Ron Howard to direct the film (he had worked with Howard previously in Lucas' film American Graffiti). The story dates back to 1972 when Lucas first came up with the idea, and he called the story Munchkins. In 1982 during the filming of Star Wars Return Of The Jedi, Lucas approached Warwick Davis (who was one of the Ewoks) about starring in the film when he makes it, and he agreed. The reason it took so long to become a reality, is because Lucas didn't want to make the film until it could technically be done with the advances of special effects. Ron Howard would get Bob Dolman to write the screenplay, the three of them worked together to create the screenplay that was used in the film. Now with Howard on for directing, Bob Dolman on board as the screenwriter, and Warwick Davis on as the star, Lucas took the role of Executive Producer (though according to Ron Howard in interviews in the special features, Lucas helped significantly in the directing of the film, though he was not credited as co-director). Lucas Films LTD, and Imagine Entertainment produced the film and MGM distributed the film, and the effects were done by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic.
Willow starred Warwick Davis as the title character, Willow Ufgood, who is one of the Nelwyns which are a race of dwarves in this fantasy world, he is a simple farmer and an aspiring sorcerer. His children find a baby by the river and after the village is attacked, he is charged with taking the child out of the village and giving it to a Daikini (which is the humans in the fantasy world of the film). The baby is named Elora Danan (played by Kate and Ruth Greenfield) and she is a very special infant that must be protected. On his quest he meets a Daikini named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), but he isn't comfortable leaving her in his charge, and when he does, and goes to return to his village the baby is kidnapped by two brownies named Rool and Franjean (played by Kevin Pollak and Rick Overton). These two also serve as the comic relief of the film, and they are charged to help Willow on his quest, and soon they also rejoin with Madmartigan, who though on the surface seems self serving, it is apparent that he does actually care about Willow and Elora. Along they way they meet Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) the warrior daughter of the evil queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) who is charged with capturing the child. The evil General Kael (Pat Roach) is also charged by Bavmorda to capture the child. Though they do meet allies in Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes)(who has been turned into a brush tailed possum, which is a cute Australian animal, not to be confused with the oppossum found in North America), The High Aldwin (Billy Barty) the Nelwyn wizard to sends Willow on his journey, Airk Thaughbaer (Gavan O'Herlihy) a military commander from the kingdom of Galladoom, Cherlindrea (Maria Holvoe) the fairy queen. The film also features a cast of little people including Julie Peters as Kaiya Ufgood the wife of Willow, Malcolm Dixon as a Nelwyn warrior, David J Steinberg as Willows friend Meegosh, Mark Northover as Burglekutt the leader of the Nelwyn village, Phil Fondacaro as Vohnkar a Nelwyn warrior, Tony Cox as a Nelwyn Warrior, and Mark Vandebrake and Dawn Downing play as Willow's Children Ranon and Mims Ufgood.
The film is well cast, with Val Kilmer, who was a rising star in Hollywood at the time, and with 18 year old Warwick Davis, and the beautiful Joanne Whalley as Sorsha. It is nice seeing the young Warwick Davis having a chance to star in a film, because often times dwarves (by the way if I am using the wrong term please politely correct me, I looked into it a bit and it seems Dwarf or Little Person are the preferred terms, if I am wrong please politely let me know so I can fix it), are used as either comic relief, or as little more than props in films, but in Willow they are treated with respect and given lead roles. Sadly in many films, where casting a dwarf to play lead character would make the most sense, non-dwarf actors are cast and through effects made to look smaller (Lord Of The Rings is a great example of this, because casting dwarves for the Hobbits would have made more sense than using special effects to make the actors that played the Hobbits look smaller than the rest of the cast. So it is nice to see a film like Willow where dwarves are employed to play the large parts in the film that they play, rather than casting non-dwarves and using effects to shrink them down. Also Davis isn't used as comic relief, as Dwarves often are in films, he is a serious compassionate character, that the viewer cares about and feels for, and the viewer is meant to be annoyed when the Daikinis call him "Peck", which in the world of Willow is a derogatory term used to dismiss the Nelwyns. Warwick plays the role really well, and establishes himself as a great young actor, keep in mind he is only 18 at the time this film was made, but he has the wisdom and compassion of an adult, and is perfect for this role. Val Kilmer is also perfect playing the mad Madmartigan, he is so convincing in the role, honestly everyone cast in this film are great.
Willow is really recognized for its groundbreaking special effects, and the film helped to pioneer the technique called Morphing, which would get mastered in the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The film is a beautiful work of special effects, as well as beautiful set designs and costumes. Willow is really a beautiful film, with a great (albeit generic) story, and wonderful characters. The film is filled with magic and beauty, and this wonderful struggle of good versus evil, and some of the characters have some decent growth and development, especially the character of Sorsha, who is probably my favourite character in the film. Yes, the pacing sometimes seems to drag in places, but overall, it is a great high fantasy story of swords and sorcery, of the little guy (literally in this case) taking on a big evil (which is similar to the theme in Star Wars, where a small group of Rebels take on the great and powerful Empire, because really that is a common theme in fantasy, whether it be Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, or Willow, small but passionate people take on the giant powers of evil). Overall, I love this film, and it is one of the great fantasy films from the 1980s, and should be on every must-watch list.
However, though I give this film a rave review, that is sadly not the case by most critics. The film was made with a budget of $35 million and in the box office grossed $137 million, which is a decent success, however the critics did not agree with the filmgoers and it received mixed to negative reviews by the critics, and even still on sites likes Rotten Tomatoes holds an average score. Many of the critics sighted that the film fails to actually entertain. I disagree, as a fan of fantasy films, including bad fantasy films, I would honestly say that this film is very entertaining, and among the best fantasy films ever, sure it might be a bit slow going in parts, but honestly it is a feast for the eyes and it is a fun and exciting fantasy film with some wonderful characters. So nevermind what the critics say, and go and experience the magic of Willow for yourself.
Also if you like classic RPG video games, Capcom released a nice RPG of Willow for the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and I highly recommend checking it out as well.
In 1981 another fantasy film pushed the boundaries of special effects in films, Dragonslayer directed by Matthew Robbins also turned to Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic to help create of the the best on screen dragons in film history. Dragonslayer would be the first of a few, one being the first film to use ILM that wasn't a Lucas Films production, and the other being the first Disney film to feature brief nudity. Dragonslayer was the second release of the partnership of Walt Disney and Paramount Pictures for both production and distribution (Walt Disney's Buena Vista did the international distribution, and Paramount did the domestic distribution), the first film by the partnership was the 1980 film Popeye starring Robbin Williams.
As I said Dragonslayer was directed by Matthew Robbins, with a screenplay by Hal Barwood and Robbins. The film would receive a PG rating for the scene of brief nudity, and for the violence. This is not a typical Disney release, it is a dark and gritty fantasy film, set in the 6th century in a time of magic and dragons, where a dragon is plaguing a small kingdom, and the king made a deal with the dragon that if he fed it the occasional virgin that it would leave the kingdom alone, so developed a lottery that all virgins daughters must be entered in, but it seems that not all people are created equal, because the King and some of the wealthy people's daughters were secretly exempt from the lottery. A small group of villagers set off to another kingdom to enlist the help of a sorcerer to help slay the dragon, but after the death of the sorcerer they are stuck with the sorcerer's apprentice. But does he have the magic and power to become a Dragonslayer?
Dragonslayer stars Peter MacNicol as Galen Bradwarden, Caitlin Clarke as Valerian, Ralph Richardson as Ulrich of Cragganmore, John Hallam as Tyrian, Peter Eyre as King Cassiodorus, Albert Salmi (Norman Rodway) as Greil, Sydney Bromley as Hodge, Chloe Salaman as Princess Elspeth, Emrys James as Valerian's father Simon, and Ian McDiarmid as Brother Jacopus. The film has a great cast that plays there roles really well, especially young Peter MacNicol (who might be best recognized from his part in Ghostbusters 2 as Dana's boss as the museum that becomes the thrall of Vigo), and Caitlin Clarke, who is better known for her stage performances on and off Broadway than for her film acting roles (sadly she passed away at in 2004 at the young age of 52).
What Dragonslayer is better known for though is its special effects, especially with the effects of the dragon Vermithrax. The likes of Guillermo del Toro and George R.R. Martin have said that Vermithrax is among their favourite on screen dragons in film history. My roommate walked in during the climactic scene with the sorcerer fighting the dragon, and they were quite impressed, and commented on how they appreciated that it is one of the few anatomically correct dragons that they've seen, because a four legged dragon wouldn't be anatomically correct because it would require that there be two shoulders stacked on top of eachother, making a two legged dragon more realistic, as the wings would act as the front limbs, like on a bird, or a bat, or pretty much any other large flying creature. Of course my defense for four-legged winged animals, when they said that most examples of flying animals the wings are the front limbs: I said "well what about a pegasus? What about a harpy? What about a succubus?" To each they responded that those are magical creatures, and of course to fulfil my point, I said, and what about a dragon?, is it not also a magical creature. Which they conceded was a fair enough point, but they still appreciated the more realistic anatomical look of the dragon Vermithrax. Seriously these are the kinds of conversations that happen in our household, I love it.
Dragonslayer was a critical success, however it was a box office flop. With a budget of $18 million, the film only grossed $14.1 million in the box office. However, the film would quickly go on to become a cult classic, and did really well in the home video market. Online review sites like Rotten Tomatoes give the film a high score, and as I said it received mostly praise from the critics of the time and retrospectively. I must say in this case I agree with the critics. The film has a nice pace, and a simple but well told tale of love, magic, and dragons, and finding the bravery, strength, and magic within ourselves. The film also looks good, and it creates this nice gritty dark atmosphere that fits the setting for the film really well. As I said this is not a typical Walt Disney film, it is more of an adult fantasy film, that is accessible to children, opposed to Disney's typical formula of making child fantasy films that are accessible to adults. I honestly feel like this might be one of the few Disney films that I truly love, as I feel like most of their films are rubbish.
If you have not yet seen Dragonslayer I highly recommend checking it out, and honestly though sure some of the effects are dated, they honestly for the most part still look amazing even now 39 years later.
Also, I must mention the amazing artwork and look of the movie posters that this film had, these look like they should be adorning covers of Dungeons & Dragons manuals, these are absolutely beautiful looking, and I am shocked that more people didn't flock to the theaters because of the amazing art on the posters.
The 1980s was a great decade of fantasy films, it is hard not to love these great classics, and I can promise you that I will be doing my 1980's fantasy double features in the future, so please keep an eye out for those in the future.
The film is well cast, with Val Kilmer, who was a rising star in Hollywood at the time, and with 18 year old Warwick Davis, and the beautiful Joanne Whalley as Sorsha. It is nice seeing the young Warwick Davis having a chance to star in a film, because often times dwarves (by the way if I am using the wrong term please politely correct me, I looked into it a bit and it seems Dwarf or Little Person are the preferred terms, if I am wrong please politely let me know so I can fix it), are used as either comic relief, or as little more than props in films, but in Willow they are treated with respect and given lead roles. Sadly in many films, where casting a dwarf to play lead character would make the most sense, non-dwarf actors are cast and through effects made to look smaller (Lord Of The Rings is a great example of this, because casting dwarves for the Hobbits would have made more sense than using special effects to make the actors that played the Hobbits look smaller than the rest of the cast. So it is nice to see a film like Willow where dwarves are employed to play the large parts in the film that they play, rather than casting non-dwarves and using effects to shrink them down. Also Davis isn't used as comic relief, as Dwarves often are in films, he is a serious compassionate character, that the viewer cares about and feels for, and the viewer is meant to be annoyed when the Daikinis call him "Peck", which in the world of Willow is a derogatory term used to dismiss the Nelwyns. Warwick plays the role really well, and establishes himself as a great young actor, keep in mind he is only 18 at the time this film was made, but he has the wisdom and compassion of an adult, and is perfect for this role. Val Kilmer is also perfect playing the mad Madmartigan, he is so convincing in the role, honestly everyone cast in this film are great.
Willow is really recognized for its groundbreaking special effects, and the film helped to pioneer the technique called Morphing, which would get mastered in the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The film is a beautiful work of special effects, as well as beautiful set designs and costumes. Willow is really a beautiful film, with a great (albeit generic) story, and wonderful characters. The film is filled with magic and beauty, and this wonderful struggle of good versus evil, and some of the characters have some decent growth and development, especially the character of Sorsha, who is probably my favourite character in the film. Yes, the pacing sometimes seems to drag in places, but overall, it is a great high fantasy story of swords and sorcery, of the little guy (literally in this case) taking on a big evil (which is similar to the theme in Star Wars, where a small group of Rebels take on the great and powerful Empire, because really that is a common theme in fantasy, whether it be Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, or Willow, small but passionate people take on the giant powers of evil). Overall, I love this film, and it is one of the great fantasy films from the 1980s, and should be on every must-watch list.
However, though I give this film a rave review, that is sadly not the case by most critics. The film was made with a budget of $35 million and in the box office grossed $137 million, which is a decent success, however the critics did not agree with the filmgoers and it received mixed to negative reviews by the critics, and even still on sites likes Rotten Tomatoes holds an average score. Many of the critics sighted that the film fails to actually entertain. I disagree, as a fan of fantasy films, including bad fantasy films, I would honestly say that this film is very entertaining, and among the best fantasy films ever, sure it might be a bit slow going in parts, but honestly it is a feast for the eyes and it is a fun and exciting fantasy film with some wonderful characters. So nevermind what the critics say, and go and experience the magic of Willow for yourself.
Also if you like classic RPG video games, Capcom released a nice RPG of Willow for the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and I highly recommend checking it out as well.
As I said Dragonslayer was directed by Matthew Robbins, with a screenplay by Hal Barwood and Robbins. The film would receive a PG rating for the scene of brief nudity, and for the violence. This is not a typical Disney release, it is a dark and gritty fantasy film, set in the 6th century in a time of magic and dragons, where a dragon is plaguing a small kingdom, and the king made a deal with the dragon that if he fed it the occasional virgin that it would leave the kingdom alone, so developed a lottery that all virgins daughters must be entered in, but it seems that not all people are created equal, because the King and some of the wealthy people's daughters were secretly exempt from the lottery. A small group of villagers set off to another kingdom to enlist the help of a sorcerer to help slay the dragon, but after the death of the sorcerer they are stuck with the sorcerer's apprentice. But does he have the magic and power to become a Dragonslayer?
Dragonslayer stars Peter MacNicol as Galen Bradwarden, Caitlin Clarke as Valerian, Ralph Richardson as Ulrich of Cragganmore, John Hallam as Tyrian, Peter Eyre as King Cassiodorus, Albert Salmi (Norman Rodway) as Greil, Sydney Bromley as Hodge, Chloe Salaman as Princess Elspeth, Emrys James as Valerian's father Simon, and Ian McDiarmid as Brother Jacopus. The film has a great cast that plays there roles really well, especially young Peter MacNicol (who might be best recognized from his part in Ghostbusters 2 as Dana's boss as the museum that becomes the thrall of Vigo), and Caitlin Clarke, who is better known for her stage performances on and off Broadway than for her film acting roles (sadly she passed away at in 2004 at the young age of 52).
What Dragonslayer is better known for though is its special effects, especially with the effects of the dragon Vermithrax. The likes of Guillermo del Toro and George R.R. Martin have said that Vermithrax is among their favourite on screen dragons in film history. My roommate walked in during the climactic scene with the sorcerer fighting the dragon, and they were quite impressed, and commented on how they appreciated that it is one of the few anatomically correct dragons that they've seen, because a four legged dragon wouldn't be anatomically correct because it would require that there be two shoulders stacked on top of eachother, making a two legged dragon more realistic, as the wings would act as the front limbs, like on a bird, or a bat, or pretty much any other large flying creature. Of course my defense for four-legged winged animals, when they said that most examples of flying animals the wings are the front limbs: I said "well what about a pegasus? What about a harpy? What about a succubus?" To each they responded that those are magical creatures, and of course to fulfil my point, I said, and what about a dragon?, is it not also a magical creature. Which they conceded was a fair enough point, but they still appreciated the more realistic anatomical look of the dragon Vermithrax. Seriously these are the kinds of conversations that happen in our household, I love it.
Dragonslayer was a critical success, however it was a box office flop. With a budget of $18 million, the film only grossed $14.1 million in the box office. However, the film would quickly go on to become a cult classic, and did really well in the home video market. Online review sites like Rotten Tomatoes give the film a high score, and as I said it received mostly praise from the critics of the time and retrospectively. I must say in this case I agree with the critics. The film has a nice pace, and a simple but well told tale of love, magic, and dragons, and finding the bravery, strength, and magic within ourselves. The film also looks good, and it creates this nice gritty dark atmosphere that fits the setting for the film really well. As I said this is not a typical Walt Disney film, it is more of an adult fantasy film, that is accessible to children, opposed to Disney's typical formula of making child fantasy films that are accessible to adults. I honestly feel like this might be one of the few Disney films that I truly love, as I feel like most of their films are rubbish.
If you have not yet seen Dragonslayer I highly recommend checking it out, and honestly though sure some of the effects are dated, they honestly for the most part still look amazing even now 39 years later.
Also, I must mention the amazing artwork and look of the movie posters that this film had, these look like they should be adorning covers of Dungeons & Dragons manuals, these are absolutely beautiful looking, and I am shocked that more people didn't flock to the theaters because of the amazing art on the posters.
The 1980s was a great decade of fantasy films, it is hard not to love these great classics, and I can promise you that I will be doing my 1980's fantasy double features in the future, so please keep an eye out for those in the future.
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