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Everything Action Commentary: Willow (1988)
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For the latest Everything Action Commentary, Zach and Chris pay tribute to the late, great Val Kilmer by watching him in one of his most fun roles, the boastful swordsman Madmartigan in 1988's Willow.
Warwick Davis stars as Willow Ufgood, a Nelwyn farmer with aspirations of being a great sorcerer. When a human baby washes ashore near the Nelwyn village, Willow is tasked to try and return her, but finds himself caught up in a much bigger mission that has the entire world's fate in the balance. While watching the movie, Zach and Chris discuss how the Brownies feel completely separate from everything else happening, Madmartigan's one-man siege defense, Willow pretty much never using his magical acorns, the difference between a magician and a sorcerer, the horrifying pig transformations, and more.
You can watch Willow on Prime Video or Disney+, sync up our commentary, and watch along with the Everything Action crew.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Tribute to Val Kilmer & 'Willow' Film Discussion
00:00:26
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another Every Action Commentary commentary for April 2025. I'm your host Zach. And I'm your co-host Chris. yeah And this month we are paying homage to the late great Val Kilmer who passed away earlier this month by watching, I think, one of his most famous roles, Mad Mardigan in the Willow.
00:00:47
Speaker
um Which, you know, you have Iceman, you got Doc Holliday. I think Mad Mardigan's like top five at least, probably. Definitely top ten. Yeah, it's... Kind of like, and this one was like an age category because in the overall Val Kilmer career, yes, because it's unique of a memorable role.
00:01:10
Speaker
But it definitely is like, because Willow's a cult movie, it definitely becomes like a narrower appeal to a certain group. And I wish, like and I hope is that like more people get like find this movie again and are a fan.
00:01:26
Speaker
Yeah, because unfortunately they didn't find the the TV series, which is Wiped from Existence. The sequel show. very upsetting. But yeah, the original movie is still out
Licensing and Availability of 'Willow'
00:01:37
Speaker
there. It's on Disney Plus. It's on Prime.
00:01:39
Speaker
um I think because it's it's weird it's weirdly, it's an MGM um originally put it out, but then obviously Disney bought Lucasfilm, so I think that's why Disney technically owns it now, but then like MGM slash Amazon has like rights to it too or something. It's licensing is weird, but it's ah it's on both streaming services right now if you want to sync it up there. We're paused at zero right before the MGM logo pops up if you're on Disney+. plus
00:02:10
Speaker
I checked Prime Video as well. There's like a tobacco warning that comes up on the Amazon Prime version. So probably go past that a little bit and then get to the MGM logo. just like It's like the first couple seconds. It's like um tobacco depiction That's interesting. Yeah, I didn't... Thanks for the heads up, because i would have been shocked by that one.
00:02:28
Speaker
I'm like, is this fantasy movie? So it's not like they're they're lighting up, like, Marlboro Reds or something. Yeah, I'm sure it's just like, I'm sure, like, like I can't... I think Willow smokes a pipe, maybe, or something. But it's like... Yeah, it's not like... Yeah, it's not Marlboro... Like, Marlboro Reds, like, lighting them up or anything.
00:02:44
Speaker
Or, like, pot or something.
00:02:47
Speaker
Well, so I mean, they do that in, uh... What, uh... Lord of the Rings, there's like wizard hash. Yeah, wizard weed, gilly weed. or so Yeah, yeah, so it's like, they could have just said, yeah, this is another medicinal herb that you can party use.
Syncing 'Willow' Across Platforms
00:03:08
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's some sort of fantastical herb, probably. but Anyway, yeah, but if you're watching our private video yeah, just skip past that. Or if if you're watching on like DVD or Blu-ray, just get to the MGM logo as well.
00:03:21
Speaker
So I'll give a countdown and we'll get started here. So five, four, three, two, one, play.
00:03:39
Speaker
i do like that the Lucasfilm got the higher res, like reimagining. yeah it is it is It's weird to see Lucasfilm ahead of like non-Star Wars stuff. i mean it's so yeah but I would say for Indiana Jones as well, but it's so ingrained in Star Wars.
Cult Status and Appeal of 'Willow'
00:03:54
Speaker
Especially that design.
00:04:03
Speaker
Also, Willow is just basically Dune. Similar names. There's a lot crazy names you have keep of. similar names like there's a of like crazy names you have to keep track of
00:04:16
Speaker
I'm going to do the thing and I'm going to turn on subtitles on mine because I not going to know wizard names.
Practical Effects and Sets in 'Willow'
00:05:09
Speaker
she like a cigarette dealer? She's wearing the kind of like the the neck holstering of a person who's going to go around offering wears.
00:05:27
Speaker
Also, loss art of practical sets and effects. Oh, yeah. this This is like... I mean, there's definitely... There's this is like ah there's digital... like There's morphing tech in this later on.
00:05:39
Speaker
that this is one of the first big morphing technology you saw in Terminator 2 later on in the Black and White video.
00:06:00
Speaker
I do like that Bev Morda is in full like evil queen, like Disney, like Maleficent. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:06:11
Speaker
Willow, although Willow's not on screen. It is interesting that Willow isn't the main, like, but for the like prophecy one. He's not like, yeah, he's not Luke Skywalker. Technically, this is the Luke Skywalker.
00:06:24
Speaker
Yeah, this baby.
00:06:41
Speaker
It's only been a day and this baby's like yeah rapidly growing. Magic.
00:06:55
Speaker
The fellowship is making their trip on the other side of that one.
00:07:05
Speaker
Yeah, like how long is this trip?
00:07:09
Speaker
It's gotta be months.
00:07:39
Speaker
yeah I can't remember what kind of dogs they are, those hound things are just like dogs with like rubber costumes on. When you know that, it looks a little weird, but i mean those dogs were having fun and overheating.
00:07:55
Speaker
But yeah, they look like giant rat dogs. Yeah, I remember seeing this scene as a kid and was horrified.
00:08:10
Speaker
Yeah, like, there's no ambiguity there. Like, she just got torn apart by evil dogs. Evil demon dogs.
Fate and Prophecy in 'Willow'
00:08:24
Speaker
So, what's your stance on Prophecy Babies? when When it comes to, like, is is fate intervening where, like,
00:08:37
Speaker
The prophecy person has to do something in order fulfill the prophecy? Or is it more like... They just have to wait until they get to that key moment. And then it's like, does the prophecy come true or not?
00:08:54
Speaker
Yeah, I think... You're saying Fade is protecting the baby... fade is like protecting like the baby So everything's already predetermined. Yeah. Or it's like you are supposed to be like choosing the right moves out of possibilities. Like it becomes like a paradox each like or not so much a paradox. There's like a was it like splintering choices?
00:09:18
Speaker
Like fracturing possibilities?
00:09:24
Speaker
It's kind of like the Dune prophecy where like it isn't so much ah That it's like, this is the chosen, this is like the possibilities that came together. Yeah, like, like, like, because Paul like sees like all the choice, like possibilities and chooses like the one. and Right, right.
00:09:46
Speaker
So it's more like choice more than fate. But then it's like, what about the point where it's like got to you making that decision?
00:09:56
Speaker
Just push it back down the river to the hobbits. Yeah. Send it to the Hobbit Village.
00:10:07
Speaker
Pro tip. When you watch this movie the first time in, like, the 80s, with no subtitle options, at least more readily available, you do not know how to, like, remember these names. But with subtitles, it is way easier to know, like, race names.
00:10:22
Speaker
Like,
00:10:28
Speaker
you know You know, I ever heard like a name and you think that's not the way it's spelled? And then you look it up, you're like, oh my god, there are way more vowels.
00:10:48
Speaker
Oh yeah, it's and it's so obviously, like, Warwick Davis worked on Return the Jedi as Wicket, so then George was just like, I'm go get i'm gonna make get you your own movie.
00:10:58
Speaker
This is after the Ewok movies? I think, well, yeah, because Return of the Jedi 82, this was 88, so. Okay. At least like three Ewok movies.
00:11:10
Speaker
Yeah, when i I don't know when those TV movies come out. I don't i think it was like shortly after we Return the Jedi, so.
Val Kilmer's Career Transition
00:11:20
Speaker
And then George Lucas was waiting for like technology to like catch up in the mid-80s for what he wanted to do with this.
00:11:30
Speaker
mean, it's still pretty good for what it was. And they did the right thing by hiring ah actors that fit the role. So this is very progressive in like an 80s way.
00:11:52
Speaker
I also like that this is Willow as a dad. You know, it it yeah you forget that later in the movie that he's a father, at least, you know, to me. Like, I forgot he's more established. I thought he just, like, is ah like a recent wizard, and then it's like, all right, well, now it's a time to, like, be an adult now.
00:12:10
Speaker
He's raising two kids, like, owes a debt to a landlord.
00:12:18
Speaker
and he's a farmer, but he wants to be ah sorcerer.
00:12:23
Speaker
And he's just a magician.
00:12:26
Speaker
Which I guess is difference between magicians and sorcerers. I think it's like a... There is something. It's like a D&D thing.
00:12:35
Speaker
I think it's like a classic fantasy titles.
00:12:56
Speaker
See, the way Willow is talking, it's more like Luke Skywalker. Like, oh, I'm gonna be the chosen one. I'm gonna get go to Academy. But Luke is not raising, like, two kids.
00:13:09
Speaker
A third now.
00:13:20
Speaker
Also, how many fantasy stories does it begin
Uncommon Narrative Elements in 'Willow'
00:13:23
Speaker
with the guy having the family, and the family doesn't get killed in the first act? That's pretty rare, yeah.
00:13:31
Speaker
In any other kind of fantasy story, like, his house would be burnt down. Yes! Like, Bav Morda's forces would, like, roll through and would just, like, this kill everybody. As soon as that baby appears, that house is on fire.
00:13:46
Speaker
ah crap, they're having a Burning Man. Ha ha ha!
00:13:55
Speaker
You know, if you nowadays, if you want to go to something like this, you can go Ren Faire. So, like, what is this to them? Like, this looks like their Ren Faire, but this is just their festival? It's a sort of festival, yeah.
00:14:49
Speaker
Eat the pig. Eat the pig.
00:15:08
Speaker
Okay, so... In a world where magic exists for real... Yep. He is doing street magic. Yep.
00:15:18
Speaker
Pretending he knows real magic?
00:15:23
Speaker
Well, yeah, because, like, anyone can learn these tricks that Willows do, it but he like but there's you can learn, like, actual like sorcery and spells. And anyone can, like, do that too, I guess?
00:15:38
Speaker
It's most okay. Now, I'm not spoiling a lot about the magic world in our reality, but it's, like, all, like, sleight of hand. Tricks, you know, unless you do elaborate, like, um, like, patented design tricks that involve, like, the room.
00:15:59
Speaker
It'd be like, it'd be like, like, David Copperfield or something is doing tricks, but then he, like, he could potentially, like, do, like, act, like, learn actual spells and, like, cast spells.
00:16:14
Speaker
I feel like that's what the Nick Cage movie The Sorcerer's Apprentice was like. like They were all street magicians first.
00:16:23
Speaker
Until the Gandalf character shows up like this.
00:16:31
Speaker
See, but he's not doing magic. He's doing like logic prophecy tests.
00:16:40
Speaker
He's just guessing where magic and the fingers come from.
00:16:44
Speaker
You gotta like the dumb trick where you make like your thumb disappear. like Come off. It's like, oh my god! The trick question, Willow.
00:16:57
Speaker
Point to his face.
Magical vs. Logical in 'Willow'
00:17:11
Speaker
he's gonna get sucked.
00:17:16
Speaker
So you have 1 in 3 chances to pick the right finger. Like, 1 in 5. But then the odds get better after the last one. should have just been like, pick a number between 1 100.
00:17:29
Speaker
Is it 6? No. Alright. See you next year. See you in 20 years.
00:17:41
Speaker
The wizard's there. The wizard should do something. Yeah.
00:18:00
Speaker
Okay, so... is there just one? Is there just one dog running around? I think so. Also, to get that child to cry in that scene, what did they do? Ron Howard just ran in and just, like, poked her.
00:18:14
Speaker
Pitched her.
00:18:41
Speaker
There's no famous actors in this scene. that's button That guy I've recognized from Sabrina Teenage Witch. That guy's from Bad Santa. I mean, yeah, Tony Cox. They got... um but billy Billy Barty was the High Wizard. The High Aldwin.
00:18:57
Speaker
What was he known for?
Billy Barty's Role in 'Willow'
00:19:00
Speaker
i believe I think he was... He
00:19:06
Speaker
was in a bunch of stuff. He was in a bunch stuff.
00:19:11
Speaker
I think i he was in like a lot of like the Sid Marty Croft stuff. Okay.
00:19:17
Speaker
Did also know that C-3PO, the actor who played C-3PO, R2-D2 is in this? Yeah.
00:19:25
Speaker
I mean, they had to have called like every like dwarf actor in Hollywood. Little person. Get get to New Zealand or get to like like England. Yeah, yeah. mean, this is a great like all-star little people casting in this village.
00:19:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:20:04
Speaker
Why is the landlord guy the, like, speaking piece for this town? Is he like the mayor or something?
00:20:15
Speaker
Maybe. I kind of, like, glossed over that Willow owes, like, tax land debt or something.
00:20:57
Speaker
Feed it to the wolves!
00:21:14
Speaker
Throw her in the fires of Mount Doom!
00:21:40
Speaker
Vote say try again later. Ask tomorrow. Outlook not good.
00:21:56
Speaker
Come on prophecy baby say something.
00:22:10
Speaker
I've known her for like a day, but I do love her.
00:23:43
Speaker
You know, once a time you call BS on the scam... This. When the guy gives you acorns to, like, throw at things? To, like... Also, the wizard guy didn't do any magic to help the village.
00:24:04
Speaker
And he didn't really have, like, a good excuse.
00:24:15
Speaker
I have acorns.
00:24:27
Speaker
Okay. kids Whatever version of the internet they have around this time, get off of it.
00:24:56
Speaker
I don't know if that's ah safety harness regulated at baby carriage.
00:25:30
Speaker
Is that her hair? Or... It's like, she took that? Okay, it's hers. I forgot, didn't notice that that she had a braid.
00:25:57
Speaker
Great advice. The first person you find, give it give them the baby.
00:26:06
Speaker
Found the bird. Should people check if, like, Billy Barney is, like, does have dementia or something? The High Elf is, like, crazy. That's why he needs the apprentice.
00:26:21
Speaker
I do like this is, like, its own weird mini Lord of the Rings thing going on. Even though it's filled with, like, I don't know, just the warriors you don't want.
00:26:35
Speaker
At least the landlord. Why why have the mayor landlord?
00:26:42
Speaker
Yeah, they the mayor and like their best warrior is on this trip. They it could get killed.
00:27:11
Speaker
Quick, give her some baby cigarettes.
00:27:28
Speaker
Hello, I am not Vader.
00:27:43
Speaker
I know this is, uh, like... Okay, I was about to say, like, did... Jor-Lucas do the thing where we only see the main villain's, like, head for a while? Oh, like, that the, like, Vader's face for a while.
00:27:55
Speaker
Mm. They went straight in and checked out this guy.
00:28:01
Speaker
And he's named after movie critic Pauline Kael.
00:28:07
Speaker
which i think I think she gave like give it a bad review of the first Star Wars maybe something. there's There's some weird... there's yeah General Kale was like a jab at Pauline Kale, and then there's the the dragon later on is like an Eber Cisk, which is like a jab at Siskel and Ebert.
00:28:22
Speaker
sil and niebuh You see, whenever a film critic is ah like used like that in a movie, it's not going to be positive. It's going to be some sort of playful insult.
00:28:33
Speaker
Well, I was trying to find... like I think, yeah, Paul and Caleb gave not-so-great review of the first Star Wars, maybe. But I think Siskel and Ebert gave good reviews, especially Return of the Jedi before this, with four stars from Ebert.
00:28:48
Speaker
So I don't know what they reviewed. He was like, I'm going to get them. Or maybe it's like a playful nod just because they want to dedicate something to them. It's a mixed bag. It's how you use the name.
00:29:02
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think it's not as direct as Godzilla 98 when they made the bear Ebert.
00:29:10
Speaker
And they'll be like, fuck these guys. Yep, and there was the same like hand gestures that they did.
00:29:19
Speaker
Your approval rating? Thumbs down.
00:29:35
Speaker
So the bad guys are just, like, circling this. Like, them for a while. Because they, like, went the other way again to backtrack to see... Because bad guys seem like they can make it here really quick.
00:29:52
Speaker
But it took, like, that nursemaid, like, once to get here, seemed like...
00:30:06
Speaker
Put her in one those cages and leave.
00:30:55
Speaker
There he is, finally.
Val Kilmer's Iconic Entrance
00:31:06
Speaker
Was this before Top Gun? think it was after Top Gun.
00:31:28
Speaker
up
00:31:41
Speaker
Give me that baby. That's a pretty cute like baby gesture face. yeah
00:33:09
Speaker
I do look like Val Kilmer, like, like, Mad Mark and, like, but remember someone's name immediately. Just serve like, be like, yo, Volknar, Burkocut, like, give me. Are these common names in this realm?
00:33:29
Speaker
Heck, I guess it's like a really bad curse word back in this.
00:33:42
Speaker
um do Someone do some magic, finally. remember, do we ever find out like why Mad Margin's locked up?
00:34:05
Speaker
I yeah don't know.
00:34:09
Speaker
I don't remember. It's not really super important, I guess. I just think he's just, you know, a rogue. Instead of like a cool bar scene, you get um him in a cage.
00:34:20
Speaker
With two guys who basically are like trying to get rid of a baby.
00:34:53
Speaker
Dangerously handsome.
00:34:56
Speaker
They should done a Top Gun thing. it's like That's right, I am dangerous. Does the bite thing? the by thing That's rush hour.
00:36:17
Speaker
we're going to offer the baby to this horde. Yeah, the army will protect him. and The riders from Rohan would be good. Yeah. I
00:36:36
Speaker
guess Peck's a slurr?
00:36:48
Speaker
If you want a baby.
00:37:31
Speaker
yeah Is Gelidon like Rohan?
00:37:41
Speaker
Yeah. It seems like ah they had the town that he left. Or he's from the state. and He deserved it, maybe?
00:37:56
Speaker
mean, it's fine. world building. It's classic structure. You find out through context.
00:38:02
Speaker
Just, yeah, just, like, say proper names of things.
00:38:14
Speaker
But it still doesn't explain who caged him, though. It explains why he's here. He ran from, like, being one of the soldiers, but...
00:38:26
Speaker
I don't know what he did.
Parallels with 'Star Wars'
00:38:33
Speaker
Okay, you don know what's the crazy thing I'm realizing? This is like, what if, like, Qui-Gon Jinn and Ben Kenobi gave Anakin to Jar Jar Binks.
00:38:52
Speaker
Right? This is like, hey, we have a prophecy person. You seem like someone who is a misfit in this area. You want to come hang out? Do you want to protect the, but but like... The prophecy one?
00:39:48
Speaker
Ben Barker's just like under his breath he's like you're gonna cook up real good.
00:40:05
Speaker
He would steal from a baby.
00:40:31
Speaker
And that's the end of the movie. Roll credit.
00:40:43
Speaker
He immediately just like dumps her within eyesight.
00:40:49
Speaker
Like throws her into like a ravine.
00:40:58
Speaker
We're done. Our journey's over. We did the right thing.
00:41:32
Speaker
It's Iceman!
00:41:46
Speaker
i boy totally forgot
Comedic Elements in 'Willow'
00:41:48
Speaker
about this. The brownies.
00:41:59
Speaker
This is the weird Ewok, isn't it? This is the equivalent of the Ewok village. Well, this this is like, we need we need more Conker Leaf.
00:42:24
Speaker
That one little pail did a lot of water.
00:42:35
Speaker
Somebody read Gulf Coast Travels. yeah
00:42:45
Speaker
Okay, is this another famous actor who plays like the head brownie? I think one of one of them is Rick Overton. He was like in but like in a bunch of stuff, and then Kevin Pollack is the other one.
00:42:58
Speaker
Whoa, Kevin Pollack's in this one? he's like the second There's like the two main brownies that like go with them. I forgot how Pollock's in this movie.
00:43:15
Speaker
Colladriel?
00:43:28
Speaker
The kingdom sucks.
00:43:53
Speaker
I like how they didn't figure out like, ah oh, there's Kevin Palak. But they were trying to go for more of like a watery mythical feel, but instead they did like European model.
00:44:08
Speaker
Like, you know, like she just looks like her outfits attacking her face. just random fairies. Mm-hmm.
00:44:25
Speaker
See, every time she raises her hand close to her head, she has to watch out how far apart so the fabric doesn't get in her mouth. It's little distracting when you start looking at it. You're like, why wouldn't it just blow like behind you? Why would you design your magic to blow like in your face?
00:44:42
Speaker
See, even he's got questions, she just leaves. Mm-hmm.
00:44:58
Speaker
one more thing! This seems like a very important thing. You should start with this first.
00:45:13
Speaker
Pretty spooky, right?
00:45:19
Speaker
now I'm done.
00:45:27
Speaker
you at Christmas.
00:45:31
Speaker
She did look like the yeah like Muppet Christmas. Yeah. like Was that past? think future? Or present? Future's the Grim Reaper.
00:45:43
Speaker
Okay, okay. I think it's present. is like Present, yeah. yeah Because past is like the big guy.
00:46:29
Speaker
Migash just knows Samwise. He's just like, alright, I'll go home. i don't I'll let you bear all this burden. and
00:46:40
Speaker
You're fine with like two weird brownie guys.
00:46:54
Speaker
Why the brownies like Jamaican? Yeah, that's weird.
00:47:05
Speaker
Now he's Irish?
00:47:13
Speaker
But Kevin Palak just sounds like a tiny like New Yorker. Hey, stop waving that wand around over here.
00:47:27
Speaker
Also, he kind of looks like tiny Rick Sanchez. Like a feral Rick Sanchez. Yep.
00:47:50
Speaker
Meanwhile, in The Witcher...
00:48:40
Speaker
and Anyone want a baby? Free baby. Get out.
00:49:17
Speaker
Wow, that dust effect. It kind of looks like Hook's dust effect. I haven't figured out like good dust effect for like... I guess until like the late 2000s. Did ILM do the effects for Hook?
00:49:29
Speaker
I think so. Because Steven Spielberg, if I just had George's guys do it?
00:49:37
Speaker
i mean, it makes sense. If you look at the fairies, if you look at some of the designs, the choices, the forced perspective thing. That's definitely a ah signature look from IMO.
00:49:55
Speaker
Yeah. I feel like there's definitely there's definitely a little bit too much of like, they just give like the brownie guys just like random like little like so like comedy scenes.
00:50:06
Speaker
Yeah, this is definitely a design team to not just be gloomy depressing times. We're just like, we're going to stop the movie for like a couple, like a minute, just had the Brownies do like a comedy bit.
00:50:53
Speaker
Did they live and but in be the I don't know. It makes sense that they own the inn.
00:51:28
Speaker
um my God! you know, no dating. Just go straight for the breeding. You wanna breed?
00:51:48
Speaker
is, uh, Mad McGarth's awesome time. Just like, oh, people are willing to take this baby from me, like, left and right.
00:52:03
Speaker
I love how everyone's kind of fit like totally convinced about Ben Morgan's woman disguise. Totally decepful. She's like, ma'am, is that your baby? You're like six foot four. With like short hair, yeah.
00:52:42
Speaker
Bar fight!
Fantasy Tropes: Carriage Chases
00:53:20
Speaker
I feel like there's a bunch of movies around like around this time, maybe a little bit like afterwards, where there were like fantasy movies, so they couldn't have a car chase. But what's that, a carriage chase? Yeah. Like Cutthroat Island, and then like I think like it's like what the first Zorro?
00:53:36
Speaker
There's a few carts going around. Yeah. But it's like a requirement for that this error, like you said. But, I mean, it's thrilling. People like chasing each other.
00:53:51
Speaker
But, you know, name a movie where you have Val Kilmer in fake drag.
00:53:59
Speaker
With PG kills. I guess not PG. He's not really killing anyone. He's just knocking them out or like, yeah. He said he's the greatest swordsman, but he's just sort of like, doesn't have a sword. He's not worse. He's not picked up a sword yet.
00:54:15
Speaker
Yep.
00:55:14
Speaker
Don't you wish you were back on the pig? ah Back on the, like, pig farming? Yeah.
Magic and Action in 'Willow'
00:55:20
Speaker
Yeah, he uses acorns.
00:55:30
Speaker
Ooh. Right on his acorns. Yeah.
00:55:39
Speaker
Okay, so this is slowly becoming an Indiana Jones fight. I mean, it it is Lucas, like, George Lucas, Lucasfilm, so...
00:56:05
Speaker
Not the beer!
00:56:11
Speaker
Also, that guy had a shuriken in this new fantasy. They found the one ninja in like the kingdom.
00:57:02
Speaker
Classic Wilhelm scream. Yep.
00:57:06
Speaker
It's gotta to be in every Lucasfilm movie.
00:57:21
Speaker
Do you think that the Brownies were some sort of leftover alien race that didn't make it to Star Wars? Maybe.
00:57:29
Speaker
Maybe.
00:57:42
Speaker
It definitely feels like a lot of times like like it feels like they were like edited after everything was done. one's interactive. yeah Could be. There's like, we need that one scene and then then they're like, they they're great, gotta put even more stuff.
00:58:03
Speaker
Yeah, Willow and Val Kilmer doesn't seem like he sees them.
00:58:13
Speaker
That'd be great if they were like just like a delusion. But they didn't cut that barrel out, so they're they are real. Oh yeah, you're right. Yeah, but for all Val Kimber knows, that was just like blind luck that it snapped.
00:58:24
Speaker
Did he thank them? That'd be amazing if the only Willow could see them.
00:58:33
Speaker
This whole thing and his vision in the woods and everything was just like a total dream and not real.
00:58:40
Speaker
So, like, that part of the movie... Because, like, at this point, Val Cameron hasn't seen what Willow is talking about. Like, the the like forest and all that. Mm-hmm.
00:59:01
Speaker
Also, I think the actors didn't know to, like, look down. greeny i don't know if they the green screen technology was that advanced where, like, they knew their marks.
00:59:15
Speaker
Because would be another, like, a year or two to get to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Where, like, they kind started perfecting more green screen tech.
00:59:39
Speaker
He doesn't say anything to him. Yeah.
00:59:59
Speaker
Finally, some acknowledgement. Mm-hmm. So now that... Okay. He's not just... That was just like a digital insert that Bill Kilmer doesn't know. There's like, wait, but when did we do that in the movie?
01:00:31
Speaker
That was one heck of a slap echoed in his chamber.
01:01:13
Speaker
Oh, good. They also have night terrors. Oh, the kind of guys you want to team up with.
01:01:24
Speaker
They just start, like, night stabbing. Who knows? Who knows what brownie culture is?
01:01:33
Speaker
Willow became a wicket from the Ewoks. Yeah.
01:02:41
Speaker
Four men and a baby. This drama of raising the future heredish, like, empress. Empress, yeah.
Willow's Paternal Traits
01:02:53
Speaker
It is interesting that Willow gets to use his dad card.
01:02:58
Speaker
It doesn't really come into play so much, but least he knows how to raise a baby. I think that's what makes a difference in the other like ah people from his village. like They're not dads. But he's a good dad.
01:04:21
Speaker
ye
01:04:30
Speaker
Well, I like, ah you know, the thing is, it's hard to comment on that because it's like good acting. It makes sense what's going on. It's unfortunately, like Willow is a good movie.
Comparisons with Other 80s Fantasy Films
01:04:40
Speaker
You know, like I argue that it is.
01:04:41
Speaker
It's got moments that are silly, but the story is coherent. You know, like it's not like giant plot hole. Where would you rank it in like the other 80s?
01:04:53
Speaker
like Big eighty s movie fantasy movies.
01:04:58
Speaker
Are we allowed to keep Time Bandits in the mix? that's like Yeah, that's like a fantasy movie. Is this higher than Time Bandits?
01:05:10
Speaker
And then...
01:05:14
Speaker
What's the one with like like Silver Fox? The one with like Matthew Broderick and and ah Michelle Pfeiffer. Oh, Ladyhawk? Ladyhawk. I think I watched that once and I liked it.
01:05:26
Speaker
I haven't watched it again to see if it still holds up. I mean, I'd definitely put like Labyrinth above this.
01:05:34
Speaker
Yeah, but Labyrinth's not this, I guess. Like, if you're looking for combat. Labyrinth's good as it's fantasy, like, almost Alice in Wonderland-esque. This is like a hero's journey.
01:05:46
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, they they still count. and don't know. They just differ to me. There's like, there's there's like, k crawl. see like, if you're thinking that, if you're thinking like action, you know, fantasy, which is more, arc see, it's easier for us to gauge action than it is for just pure fantasy. And it like, don't know. um
01:06:07
Speaker
Coming of age.
01:06:10
Speaker
Like coming of age. Like this is not a willow coming of age story. This is a will willow. um Like becoming the hero or, or like his hero's journey.
01:06:22
Speaker
So it's like, how well can they introduce like crazy concepts and get away with it? Like this, for example, is he meets a talking like like animal or something.
01:06:34
Speaker
Yeah. And then like. Right. And then just like, come check out this baby. I believe your credentials. You're talking.
01:06:48
Speaker
See, I like this because it's like, look who's talking stupid.
01:07:01
Speaker
Someone find me a pig. Yeah.
01:07:16
Speaker
Mad Barton didn't get a far. They also like took his jacket or like his cloak he was wearing. Yeah, they they gave him nothing.
01:07:32
Speaker
But they made him sexier. It's tie those pants up tighter.
01:07:41
Speaker
Hike him up. I want to see thigh.
01:07:50
Speaker
I like how they knew to steal the animal. They just like grab whatever everything's around and just start grabbing things.
01:08:37
Speaker
Come on, Morty. We can do it. We can do yeah It's all up to the brownies.
01:08:45
Speaker
But it's like riokcke it's a Rick and Morty episode now.
01:09:01
Speaker
wonder if people still come up to Kevin Pollak and mention Willow. Willow? Like a A little headshot from this. Where he's wearing a dead like mouse head. yeah Like his cloak.
01:09:12
Speaker
And they're just like, ah like what what accent were you going for Willow?
01:09:26
Speaker
i want to say that's a giant sugar glider, but it's not a sugar glider.
01:09:34
Speaker
Wikipedia says it's a brush tail possum.
01:09:44
Speaker
Huh. Interesting. interesting
01:09:59
Speaker
she She's into me. This is is how you flirt. Next they'll be like, do you want to breed? You use that line.
01:10:23
Speaker
Welcome to our ski resort.
01:10:29
Speaker
Cool, right? Cool.
01:10:33
Speaker
We've got a big competition against the South Slope.
01:10:38
Speaker
Well, this is the era of, like, skiing and snowboarding movies coming up. like Ski school? Yeah, at least ski school.
01:11:44
Speaker
Now we're gonna go kill everybody!
01:12:00
Speaker
was this was this part of the ritual? I just wanted to like... I was hungry. It's blood magic. Uh-oh. Yeah.
01:12:22
Speaker
Yeah, when you make a bargain with your blood, it's not a great idea what's going happen next. That's usually like like the darkest magic is like blood magic.
01:12:39
Speaker
Ewok, Ewok, Ewok.
01:12:48
Speaker
Ewok. Ewok.
01:12:57
Speaker
Also, is there enough room for her to expand in this cage with them? It's the thing!
01:13:23
Speaker
never be sexy again!
01:13:50
Speaker
Uh-oh, he's going to have a Jim Morrison trip.
01:13:54
Speaker
It's the doors again.
01:14:21
Speaker
no, like, Mad Mardigan's got, like, the trimmers and then all the telltale addiction signs. Mm-hmm. Sounds like rubbing his gums.
01:14:38
Speaker
But see, Has Star Wars ever done this? Like, have the person who is intoxicated?
Intoxication Scenes in Fantasy Films
01:14:45
Speaker
Has anyone been intoxicated in Star Wars? No.
01:14:52
Speaker
No, they all can like hold their liquor properly. Or space juices, whatever.
01:15:09
Speaker
So I know Lord of the Rings. I know the but like hobbits get like stoned. That's like their thing. And then like they have to fight not being stoned.
01:15:33
Speaker
I can get away with this because I'm a handsome warrior.
01:15:52
Speaker
Man, the daughter fox. Like, what was the queen like?
01:16:22
Speaker
Does Dust also make you like a like poet?
01:16:27
Speaker
Well, he was good at his words. Like, he's clever, so it's all coming out when he's on love drugs.
01:16:50
Speaker
Yeah, just keep saying this. It's fine. Woman's got a knife to throw. Never give up on love, guys. Even if she's armed and you broke into her, like, private quarters.
01:17:01
Speaker
If you look like eighty s Val Kilmer, it'll work. Yeah, while her henchmen do the real work, like capturing the magic baby. Yeah. I like how she was like, alright, I'll give in, yeah.
01:17:17
Speaker
You're Val Kilmer.
01:17:30
Speaker
Time for Val to flex his, like, Conan skills. Yep. Finally! Finally can see his, like, sword skills.
01:17:42
Speaker
Imagine if, like, he lied, and this is only because the drugs make him a better fighter. ah
01:18:16
Speaker
How is this not a ride?
01:18:19
Speaker
or Or, like, was a ride or becomes a ride, yeah.
01:18:24
Speaker
turn Turn the Matterhorn at Disneyland into the Willow Sword experience. like I would pop up, just do it for one year. See how people like it. Changes the whole thing about the Matterhorn that I don't like.
01:18:39
Speaker
Like, if you ride the Matterhorn, the story is is you're in an out-of-control winter resort. Yeah, but it's like It's like poorly managed and then like like horribly out date in the story.
01:18:54
Speaker
You know, like that's the Manor Dorn ride.
01:19:01
Speaker
It's not like Pirates the Caribbean where it's like you visit your time traveling to like a period. You're like a you know, outsider viewing it. The Manor Horn is you were literally just at in in a shit theme park.
01:19:21
Speaker
Man, where where did they shoot this? like It's like different countries, and then the they definitely had to carve out some of that like ice path.
01:19:37
Speaker
That was blatantly like a stunt, even a stunt, but like a doll. That's like a real stunt actor.
01:19:55
Speaker
Well, we invented sledding.
01:20:29
Speaker
Your little Mad Mardukin almost got us killed. Yeah.
01:20:49
Speaker
Man, they got there super fast. Well, they were like up hills and they they know. Yeah, this like the sled only gave them like um A two-minute answer.
01:21:04
Speaker
They should all have been sleds. Like, that's a good idea. Everyone get your shields.
01:21:58
Speaker
I think it's the first time that Alana is actually almost giving away. Because most of the time she's been pretty quiet. Yeah.
01:22:09
Speaker
mean, a lot's been going on with this baby. At least it's like she's a real baby, not just like some magical quiet baby.
01:22:27
Speaker
Alright guys, we gotta seduce our way out of this. Alright, let me show the Iceman.
01:23:08
Speaker
What about Stay down there. Everyone's going up. It's fine.
01:23:38
Speaker
It's a bigger army, like, apparently doesn't care about what's happening in the rest of the kingdom.
01:23:44
Speaker
They're waiting for a baby to show up. And then they'll act. It's like, the baby's here, now we can fight. Our Empress. We have the magic prophecy baby. Yeah. What should we do, Empress? She's just like... Alright, we're attacking. Great tactical decision, prophecy baby.
01:24:04
Speaker
Take out why some people would be kind of doubtful if a prophecy person showed up and then it was like your first act was a war battle. It's not like, can you do something else? Can you predict the weather? Can you... Can you do, like, magic to give us some confirmation?
01:24:32
Speaker
Hey, Madrigan, I love you. Just start confessing love. Everybody. He gets hit with the the heartbreak dust or whatever it is. Broken heart.
01:24:45
Speaker
Why is it broken heart if it makes you like like it's like a love potion?
01:24:51
Speaker
Maybe because it's not real love? Oh, it ends in like a broken heart? Maybe. Because I feel like you gotta to keep taking it.
01:25:05
Speaker
So you're trying to force someone to love you, which does not end well, everybody. i think there's, like, at least three or four Tales from the Crypts. ah but thats
01:25:26
Speaker
Well, speak about, like, magic to make you fall in love. I think that genre kind of stopped in the Mm-hmm. right Now it's like if they do it in any movie, it's like catfishing instantly. It's like whoever's doing it is the villain.
01:25:42
Speaker
And last one that did that was like Ex Machia.
01:25:47
Speaker
I tricked you to fall in love so I can do like crazy things.
01:25:54
Speaker
But that like programming. like like yeah we There's no like potions anymore or anything. Yeah, it moved on.
01:26:03
Speaker
Did you say Fly You Fools?
01:26:06
Speaker
Is that Lord of the Rings got it from? Where the movies got it from? feel like Fly You Fools was in the book before this. It probably was in the book, yeah.
01:26:22
Speaker
They're moonlighting.
01:26:54
Speaker
I mean, he said the wrong thing.
01:27:11
Speaker
So, you know Ron Howard's a redhead, right? Yeah. Was this like a Ron Howard fantasy you got going on? Him and like Val Kilmer? It's like, what what if like I was the sexy redheader like, love Val Kilmer. You okay with that? Or do we see where he just puts, like, yeah, like, we gotta have a ginger in here.
01:27:41
Speaker
but think the baby's also red hair. Mm-hmm.
01:27:58
Speaker
Your relationship is so weird.
01:28:01
Speaker
Well, this is just like The Office, man. Mm-hmm. So is that more moonlighting where it's like they're bickering, but it's like, I hate him, but I also kind of love him. Oh, yeah. Okay, it's more like that. You're right.
01:28:13
Speaker
Office doesn't have that.
01:28:16
Speaker
It's more like, oh, she's in love with someone else. I'll wait my turn for like three years.
01:29:11
Speaker
Do trolls make people into stone? they like i know in Lord of the Rings they turn to stone if they're in like daylight.
01:29:56
Speaker
He's finally gonna put a shirt Use the force, Willow.
01:30:11
Speaker
So wait, how come, like, the pain isn't the same with, like, the blood thing? Like, it's like once you do it, you you just have to keep finishing it? He's gonna do the blood thing once?
01:30:28
Speaker
Yo, what's up with that outfit, man? It's like, where'd you find that? It's like a...
01:30:40
Speaker
It's like a writer's captain's outfit. Like, it's not... ah field soldier outfit. It's like a... It's like... Calvary wear.
01:31:03
Speaker
Also, nowadays, he looks like the fanciest medieval times like character ever. e
01:31:15
Speaker
He is doing a great job homelowing this castle.
Introduction of Trolls
01:31:45
Speaker
Oh yeah, least late minute introduction. Like, furry ninjas. Yeah. i mean
01:32:10
Speaker
Oh, those are the trolls. Okay. definitely Definitely not your typical trolls that you think of.
01:32:18
Speaker
That's horrifying. What is this? We rated a PG. It keeps getting worse and worse. like
01:32:31
Speaker
It's like the thing.
01:33:03
Speaker
Oh, here we go. The Eber Sisk.
01:33:29
Speaker
um like the kind of dumb humor this has. You know, it It's got definitely like a Spielberg thing.
01:33:44
Speaker
I can ah can't tell if Matt Morgan's that good or like... if Morga's troops are that bad. Because it's like one guy is is like holding off the entire army.
01:34:07
Speaker
One at a time. i'll like We don't have to destroy the beast. Just find the baby.
01:34:15
Speaker
Like, the beast has nothing to do with but mad more of with like what's going on here. and just And there's trolls. like Just wait to what's going on. There's a commando like in here.
01:34:27
Speaker
Like, Mad Market is not just a regular knight. He's a commando.
01:34:38
Speaker
This a great first day of magic for Willow. Oh, finally using the acorns.
01:35:00
Speaker
Okay, so, we've known that, like, when you transform, you are still you, like, the witch transforms. So, whatever the troll was before transform, as a regular troll, knew about that other troll, and was like, I'm gonna eat you now.
01:35:16
Speaker
Yeah. maybe it it was like Maybe it was like, fine it's like finally here's my chance to eat this guy, i hate him. Yeah, maybe. Because... Unless when you transform you become a different you? it doesn't seem that way. The witch, when she transformed, just was... the same person, different body.
01:35:43
Speaker
This is so her thing. This is...
01:35:48
Speaker
God, he kills so good.
01:36:35
Speaker
Wow.
01:36:38
Speaker
Yeah, see, there's nothing, like, don't think Breath the Water found the best troops. like Nope.
01:36:45
Speaker
Their first plan, there's the guy, let's just charge at him, no defenses, don't expect a counterattack.
01:37:16
Speaker
I'm so turned down by your killing skills.
01:37:28
Speaker
Jeez.
01:37:39
Speaker
Anyway, Riders Rohan are here. Yeah.
01:37:49
Speaker
Did the bros get Vincent to come?
01:37:54
Speaker
I GOT THE BABY! imbeciles. Let's leave. Like, he is such a, like, Skeletor-looking guy, but he doesn't insult his crew. He's actually charging into battle.
01:38:07
Speaker
With them. ah Refreshing.
01:38:20
Speaker
You guys got this.
01:38:56
Speaker
Wow, he rolled all the way back. Yep. It should be what feels like two, three days from the ride. My queen! i got the baby, but your entire army's dead.
01:40:03
Speaker
The best mother in the world?
01:40:22
Speaker
feel like they're really close within, like, Archer range, right? Can't they just, like, rain arrows on them? Yeah, normally you camp pretty far away, and then you siege afterwards. like Yeah, but like but where should we have our troops just like rain fire on them?
01:40:41
Speaker
I guess it's it's her hubris. She has so much hubris that she can't be touched.
01:40:50
Speaker
Oh my god. I remember this now. Yeah, this is another nightmare fuel too young to understand what's going on scene.
01:41:41
Speaker
Hey, did you bring your kid to see this movie in theaters? Time to freak them out. They'll be scarred for life by pig Val Kilmer.
01:41:54
Speaker
This is just a preview of an island of Dr. Monroe.
01:42:00
Speaker
He didn't turn into an animal, though. No, no, but... Just the idea that these humanoid pig people... Okay, now they got to, like, Star Wars level, but before that, the pre that pre-stage... Yeah.
01:42:12
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
01:42:15
Speaker
Willow's like, now's my time to shine! I got so many pigs I can make disappear. I am now a rich, like, farmer who owns, like, a whole... like, factory of pigs now.
01:42:31
Speaker
Oh, man, they're gonna hot topic that baby?
01:42:43
Speaker
ah Suck out all our baby juice.
01:42:56
Speaker
Man, this a great Def Leppard-like cover. Or one of those psychedelic rock. It's so metal.
01:43:54
Speaker
That one should work.
01:44:23
Speaker
yeah would your work tiger Now you're like the Lion, the Witch, in the Wardrobe. Just now you're Lion-Tiger.
01:44:45
Speaker
You did it, Willow! I'm back to my sexy, sexy self! Hey, be proud about it.
01:44:54
Speaker
Also, did we forget that, like, was that, like, just, like, a legend at this point, or she was real? Because there was that other fairy woman that they introduced, and then whatever now.
01:45:08
Speaker
Yeah, that was a different person. That was different, like, magical person that ah apparently can't help, but just, like, guides people to what they need to do.
01:45:22
Speaker
So she has to like turn a shitload of those pigs back into humans. One at a time. That's going to take hours.
01:46:10
Speaker
Man, she works fast at that. Yeah. mean Well, she's like a, you know, master level. She's like Gandalf, yeah. This is the second Gandalf character. no No, like, yeah, second Gandalf character they introduced already.
01:46:23
Speaker
Like, wouldn't this make more sense if they reintroduced the Gandalf guy? he shows up? Yeah.
01:46:33
Speaker
It's like, they're they're like the Riders of Rohan, but it's like all of those villagers. It's like, we come to help fight.
01:46:43
Speaker
Thank you for the Kool-Aid!
01:47:45
Speaker
He really likes skeletons and skulls. It's their thing. They're just the... Like, the bone people.
01:49:08
Speaker
I have acorns! yeah, he dropped one earlier. It didn't really do anything. It looks like it kind of... I couldn't tell if it made the wood ice, or it just like kind disintegrated like that one the wood beam on the bridge.
01:49:20
Speaker
But it was on fire already.
01:49:33
Speaker
Hold. Hold.
01:49:41
Speaker
Good thing that Val's wearing his golden camo outfit and they couldn't tell the difference.
01:49:49
Speaker
Those are some like really trained horses to be able like lie down under those tents.
01:50:00
Speaker
Wait, two Wilhelm screams? That's unheard of. So in this version, in Lord Rings, they're the orcs invading... the like two towers.
01:50:13
Speaker
Yeah.
01:51:03
Speaker
Man, luckily they had that hot vat of blood.
01:51:16
Speaker
and then it gets tipped backwards.
01:51:21
Speaker
Who decided it this way?
01:51:59
Speaker
like I gotta suck that baby's youth out!
01:52:04
Speaker
Wait, was that actually what she's doing? I don't i think don't think they've really explained what she's doing.
01:52:13
Speaker
It's an evil ritual, that's all we know.
Climactic Wizard Duel
01:52:45
Speaker
Magic fight. Magic fight. Wizard duel. Wizard duel.
01:53:15
Speaker
Three Wilhelm screams. Mad.
01:53:59
Speaker
Unlimited power!
01:54:44
Speaker
Poker in the eye!
01:54:48
Speaker
like how they can't physically fight each other. They can only do, like, magic fights. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:55:16
Speaker
Oh good, it's become a Tim Burton machine now.
01:55:21
Speaker
It's that, uh, is it like Elden Ring has like the walking pots or whatever? o but That's like a mimic. Mm-hmm.
01:55:49
Speaker
No, not Eric!
01:56:04
Speaker
Kale's just like, job's done! Yeah, he's just a single-minded guy. Like, I got the goal. Bye. Time for a break.
01:56:29
Speaker
Oh, I forgot that his super weapon is the sword gauntlet. Yeah.
01:56:38
Speaker
Which I don't think is, like, good compared to a regular sword. it's definitely more... I think you're you're you have less flexibility because it's, like, super rigid. Yep.
01:56:49
Speaker
Also, it's shattered already. Yeah. yeah He ditches it. He ditches it in, like, a minute.
Willow's Cunning Triumph
01:57:17
Speaker
I love that, like, did you buy it? do you think i you think I'm dead? I'm the greatest actor.
01:57:27
Speaker
Meanwhile, it's fucking chaos upstairs. Mario gets up and he's just like, what the hell's happening?
01:57:43
Speaker
You broke my face!
01:58:03
Speaker
This guy's getting stabbed, like, all different ways today.
01:58:10
Speaker
It's still going.
01:58:16
Speaker
Finally, that fight finished. Meanwhile, these old ladies finally throwing hands. yeah
01:58:24
Speaker
Give me that wide, you old bag.
01:58:34
Speaker
You don't see a lot of this of like, older people fighting. old Old women just like, strangling each other. yeah you don't see that a lot in movies.
01:58:49
Speaker
But you know it's like age-appropriate fighting. Like, it seemed like this is what two older ladies in a fist fight would do.
01:59:25
Speaker
Damn. Her one weakness. Acorns.
01:59:32
Speaker
You're gonna have to give a lot more acorns than that.
01:59:53
Speaker
Wait, so she's just trying to transport this baby to another dimension? To the netherworld, I guess? She can call in the power of the universe?
02:01:06
Speaker
So did she accidentally send off a curse at the same time? well
02:01:12
Speaker
Yeah, will Willow did, like, sleight of hand, and then they, like, told it that she just, like, destroyed herself.
02:01:21
Speaker
Was it just, like, too much time? Did she reverse the curse? By spilling the blood?
02:01:31
Speaker
Just the shock of, like, the baby's gone? How did he do it? Yeah. She literally street magic won the day.
02:01:42
Speaker
Dumb street magic luck.
02:01:49
Speaker
She got mind freaked. Yeah. She got willowed.
02:02:01
Speaker
I love that. She's like claw marks on her face. That a little detail, though. Yeah.
02:02:12
Speaker
Is he a real sorcerer? He didn't really use magic in the end. it was It was his it was his like stage magic that won the day.
02:02:22
Speaker
the magic was not in him? Because he needs to do magic only with the branch.
02:02:33
Speaker
He hasn't done real magic without it. Mm-hmm. Why is Robin Hood there? yeah There's like other characters that just showed up in the back that like, where are you from?
02:02:52
Speaker
It's weird to see like regular human sized people in like normal clothes and that's ever.
02:02:58
Speaker
After just seeing like all these fantasy stuff and then and just like, no, they went to like a party city equivalent in the 80s and just bought random outfits.
02:03:08
Speaker
And Medmargan and, like, Sorcher are just, like, the king and queen now, I guess? Until Allura Danim becomes empress? I guess so.
02:03:38
Speaker
Was that treat magic or real magic? Yeah.
02:03:47
Speaker
It's like, Willow, we remarried. I'm no longer wife. It's been ten years.
Conclusion of 'Willow's' Journey
02:04:02
Speaker
Actually, we owe so much money to the landlord guy because we just have not been paying rent. I had to marry the Wendor so we wanted to keep our farm.
02:04:15
Speaker
Where are the other guys? like Like, his Sam guy. Did he come back? I think he said, like, Miga. He's like, hey, Miga. Okay.
02:04:28
Speaker
I mean, that's like straight up the Shire. I mean, it's straight up the Shire. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Enduring Enjoyment of 'Willow'
02:04:37
Speaker
Nice way to end the movie in a fiddle-off. With a ho-down.
02:04:47
Speaker
So, I think this movie still holds up. like yeah it's it's fun it's Yeah, it's fun. it's fun. It's not too um overly complex. Like, there's no hidden bloodlines. There's no, ah like, surprise twist with the characters that are, like,
02:05:04
Speaker
too big, but it pretty much lays out exactly who you like all the main people are. I think the main the main thing is you gotta keep track of like everyone's names. It's like Lara Dannon, Brav Morda, Finn Raziel.
02:05:18
Speaker
like Yeah. And even then, even when I watched it with subtitles on, it was kind of hard to remember who.
02:05:28
Speaker
What was the skeleton guy's name? ah General Kale. Okay. Oh, general kale. least that stands out.
02:05:36
Speaker
At certain points, they're just kale, kale. So I'm like, I don't know if the bird is just caulking kale. like
02:05:43
Speaker
Crows talk weird this universe. They say kale.
02:05:48
Speaker
I mean, listen, there are like giant rat dogs. So different universe.
02:06:02
Speaker
like Overall, though, i like how like that not simplified, but like it's very approachable for a
02:06:12
Speaker
fantasy movie with like kind of a complex like prophecy thing, where this prophecy baby was going to be the end to this like kingdom, and the baby didn't really do anything.
02:06:28
Speaker
Yeah, I never saw the ah like tell TV show, so... Yeah, me neither. I missed out on that. So I feel like now I'm ready to. Like, I just wasn't in the mood to see Willow, but now that I know that, hey, like, at least the story can go any direction, and it's not like the fan lore is going mad.
02:06:49
Speaker
It's like, you know, Willow 2 doesn't take place with Willow, like, becoming king. It's like, the story's never about that.
02:07:11
Speaker
Any more facts you found about this movie?
02:07:18
Speaker
um um just i was just looking like it is like it did I don't think it did that well. but i mean I feel like they were thinking it was going to be like a big thing because got like like ah you know a tabletop role-playing game and ah like ah like multiple video games and a novel.
02:07:34
Speaker
and Yeah, the marketing went hard. I played the arcade game. It's okay.
02:07:45
Speaker
Yeah, I think... Did Capcom make the arcade game? I think it was like ah like a straight-up Capcom beat-em-up.
02:07:55
Speaker
And then I think and the NES game was like ah kind of like a Zelda. Yeah, i play like yeah i definitely remember the arcade beat-em-up game more than the RPG one. but I, you know, I feel like if you were limited and you really weren't exposed to, or maybe you were big fan, I mean, it's hard to like get into fantasy now because i mean, it's easy to get in. Let me correct this.
02:08:15
Speaker
But the thing is you're surrounded by like very curated, easy, accessible fantasy stuff. So if you're a kid who basically had to go to the library, read Lord the Rings, something like that way, then you get a chance that this is like in the theater. You saw this and you told people because you're,
02:08:31
Speaker
Your comparison was basically Lord the Rings, like the book and then this.
02:08:38
Speaker
So. I guess like it works for some people, like it was like, but it wasn't like if you release this now, I think it would do better. Like in this version, if you made like a Willow like movie.
02:08:50
Speaker
i'm just look I think this was kind of like the tail end of like the eighty s like ah like fantasy boom. Because everything else came Krull, Legend, Dragon Slayer, Labyrinth, they all came out before this. Yeah, it like was the exhaustion of it. So you have to wait for to get revitalized again. like If this came out a little bit after Game of Thrones, this would have done great.
02:09:14
Speaker
Way more people are accepting of medieval things in, like, high fantasy. Or, like, early 2000s when, like, thor the Rings came out. Yep. Like, you just, you figure out how to get the rights to Willow and then you start doing that.
02:09:26
Speaker
i feel I feel like that was, like, it was kind of dormant for a while and then, like, Lord Rings had kicked it, like, back up again. yeah like yeah Because youre I can't think, I'm trying to think of like, a 90s fantasy movie.
02:09:37
Speaker
and did that I don't think it really was a thing. Timeline? Timeline. Timeline.
02:09:48
Speaker
Because 90s was just like straight up like like like just regular like action movies. It went back to a realistic thing. The beginning of the grimdark phase of things. And then also... like Sci-fi probably more. Sci-fi more. ah And don't forget, like once Fast and Furious showed up, it was all about like you know ah bad boy realistic things.
02:10:09
Speaker
You're not supposed to like Vin Diesel. That's the point in the first Fast and Furious movie.
02:10:18
Speaker
uh but anyway with willow though it's got fun things like it i actually appreciate the like different little mini arcs they're doing but like find the baby save the baby like get kidnap a couple times uh like a lot uh and yeah like the I do like that each feels like a different arc, like a chapter. So it's not like, you know, he thinks about me, gosh, and he goes, repeats that or something. Or, you know, his kids don't show up to distract him.
02:10:55
Speaker
They don't get kidnapped or something. Yep. Like, there's no, it's just, it's focused on just the story that is taking place in a far off distance from his origin. Even though they set up his, like, town wizard to be this great thing and i don't I don't know if, like, that guy is also magical, or they are just really good scam artists? You
02:11:16
Speaker
know what's also funny, too, is, like, um... Like, Warwick Davis went from, like, this, and the next thing he was Leprechaun.
02:11:24
Speaker
And then he just did, like, all Leprechaun movies. But he went from, like, this, like like so like this like like, sweet, noble, like, fantasy hero to, like, I'm just, like, this, like... disgusting evil like leprechaun guy it's range it's good range uh i also think because he was physical in this he did probably a few of his own stunts and maybe like consulted on like how the scene would flow with basically the size stature because that's something that of the rings doesn't really take into consideration is that when like the hobbits fight they just look like kids so it's like okay like somehow they can hold their own during certain parts of the movie when they are in combat
02:12:04
Speaker
this, like, this is like Willow, I think the what the one time he holds the sword, he's very, like, it's committed and looking like what, like, a little person, magic person would do with a sword. Just run straight for no stabbing, just, like, it's a spear to them.
02:12:19
Speaker
Yeah, because it's like a full-size sword. like um like Like, hobbits get, like, you know, they get, like, a dagger. yeah like like It's the equivalent of a dagger to a human, but it's, like, it's like a sword for them. Yeah, that's why I'm like, at least they interpret that, so it's not, like, an easy thing for Willow to just pick up, and he doesn't have, like,
02:12:34
Speaker
dwarven weapon or like not dwarven but like you know ah was it new well weapons they just make spears that's all they can do their town is known for throwing acorns and then making like spears and following birds yeah they i don't quite understand about the bird thing the beginning the rock became a bird then the bird became and the apple became a bird i guess they just are if that's a level of magic they can do is when you can do bird magic you're the town town wizard The bird just guided to the crossroads where Mad Margin was being held.
02:13:10
Speaker
Okay. I didn't... I missed... I, like, did not notice that. Only because it's not instant. Yeah, because Billy Barney was just like, follow the bird!
02:13:21
Speaker
The bird will lead you to where you're going to go! But it seemed like it took days, and then the journey... And then, you know, it's like a lot of drama the drama that happens in that party, especially the town mayor guy. Like that was like you focus more on that. Then you forget about the oh, the crossroads. They're there. And that's where McGrath is or you know Mad McGrath.
02:13:42
Speaker
Mad Morgan. Yeah. And Mad Morgan.
02:13:47
Speaker
ah But. Yeah, I mean, it's still fun. Like, I think it definitely i was too young
Rewatching 'Willow'
02:13:53
Speaker
when I saw this. So the some of the reasonings and who's fighting what and remembering that because I think this is maybe my fifth time I've seen Willow ever.
02:14:03
Speaker
What about you?
02:14:05
Speaker
oh I think probably like my third or fourth time. Because I did not I think I saw this in TV and it was like really wasn't too common for this to be on like cable TV.
02:14:19
Speaker
Like a once a year screening, it would pop on TV. Yeah, think I think it definitely like kind disappeared. I think because it it was such a like a flop that kind like it disappeared. cause they Because i think I think they were definitely like, this is going to be, like, George Lucas is behind this. Like, this is going to a huge thing. And then it's going be like, it was like, ah I mean, it did okay, but.
02:14:40
Speaker
Well, here's the thing. I've seen probably the Ewok movies more times than I've seen Willow. Like, some of the Ewok movies are burned in my head where I know that... ah What's his face? ah there's well Wilford Bruegley. Yeah, he he gets on the spaceship with a like little girl and all that. like yeah I remember that instantly.
02:15:00
Speaker
Willow, I just remember key scenes because they're like really horrifying, so you can't forget them, like the pig scene. Or um like dumb and like goofy, like the Val Kilmer declaring his love, and then...
02:15:13
Speaker
i doing some awesome things. Yeah.
02:15:18
Speaker
And yeah, the whole thing, he's watching this Val
Val Kilmer's Performance and Conclusion
02:15:20
Speaker
Kilmer. he He's great in this movie. Just like he's great in pretty much everything he's he was in. So...
02:15:27
Speaker
yeah if if you If you watch this, go watch some other Val Kilmer movies. Like go watch Tombstone or Top Gun or... Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Very underrated.
02:15:37
Speaker
Yep. MacGruber. He's right in MacGruber. Yep.
02:15:44
Speaker
But yes, I think they'll do it for this one's commentary. be back next month with another one. And ahead of the site, we got for all of our usual stuff. We got the regular podcast. We got our news, reviews, trailers, all kinds stuff over at everythingaction.com.
02:15:56
Speaker
And yeah, so course, I'm Zach, and we will see you next time. For more Foreverly Action, head to www.everythingaction.com. You can also find us on Facebook. at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow us on x at evaction we're also on instagram and threads at everything.action find more episodes of the podcast on apple a podcast spotify or your at podcast app of choice and be sure to rate and subscribe