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Willow

Play trailer Poster for Willow PG 1988 2h 6m Fantasy Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
53% Tomatometer 64 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Enter the world of "Willow." Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side ... to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.
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Willow

Willow

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Critics Consensus

State-of-the-art special effects and an appealing performance from Warwick Davis can't quite save Willow from its slow pace and generic story.

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Critics Reviews

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Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune 12/06/2018
2/4
There isn't a single major character in the film who is engaging. Go to Full Review Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times 12/06/2018
If it evaporates from memory with the airiness of a bubble bath, at least it leaves a friendly glow and a sense of a magical world lovingly evoked. Go to Full Review Ian Nathan Empire Magazine 12/06/2018
3/5
Willow is not without its charms -- the effects are more than special, the set-pieces suitably epic -- but it just doesn't fulfill the promise of certain other fantasy films. Go to Full Review Jack E. Wilkinson United Press International Jun 12
Good family fare, though it does get violent at times. Go to Full Review Charlotte Simmons The Treatment (Substack) 07/23/2025
Willow is better than “good,” because rather than trying to be another great fantasy story, it does something completely different -- it pulls back the curtain of mythmaking... Go to Full Review Sean Burns WBUR’s Arts & Culture 05/22/2025
Captain Jack Sparrow owes an awful lot to Madmartigan. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jerod S @jeroduptown Jun 10 All to save a baby - they fight and use magic and are generally unengaging. Kilmer is really the only acting... See more Jade G @RT34506467 May 15 As an adult not amazing i don't remember it if i watched this as a child. Decent enough for some kind of remake not particularly something I'd watch over and over again. But fun in the way of flim making for its time. See more Romas M @Romas Mar 3 Greetings from Lithuania. I've watched "Willow" (1988) for the first time in 2026 on 4K UHD disk that i bought on sale. I knew this film before but seeing it first time in 2026 is a different experience that it was when seeing it in 1988. It has good story created by George Lucas, clearly inspired by Lord of The Rings movies. Special effects, pre-cgi, are pretty good and there is a lot of practical effects, makeup that still hold up pretty well. Acting is mixed, but on a positive side. There are many silly moments that do not work, but majority of them do work and that makes for a fun adventure fantasy quest movie. Overall, "Willow" isn't a great movie, but it is solid enough to recommend it even in 2026 if one has never seen it before. The heart is in a right place in "Willow" and there is plenty to enjoy here. See more Steven A @RT08632818 Nov 5 In a world where the fantasy genre has yet to get it's fair shake, this movie is an entertaining romp that satisfies like fast food. You'll get it out of your system before you know it and be hungry for something better. On the plus side the pacing is good, the story holds up well, and the practical effects hold up better than most fantasy movies of it's time and can still be watched without inducing a rag session. All it ultimately does for me is make me wish we had more fantasy movies of good caliber to enjoy. See more Bobby E @RT23212962 08/26/2025 Its a kids movie . Its fantastic . See more Stephen C @bob25009 07/12/2025 Success in 2 hours and 6 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $55,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Val Kilmer as Mad Martigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Read all reviews
Willow

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Cast & Crew

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Ron Howard

Director

Val Kilmer

Madmartigan

Joanne Whalley

Sorsha

Warwick Davis

Willow Ufgood

Jean Marsh

Queen Bavmorda

Patricia Hayes

Fin Raziel

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Willow

(L-R) Ruth and Kate Greenfield as Elora Danan and Warwick Davis as Willow in "Willow." (L-R) Kevin Pollak as Rool and Rick Overton as Franjean in "Willow." Jean Marsh as Queen Bavmorda in "Willow." Pat Roach as General Kael in "Willow." Val Kilmer as Madmartigan in "Willow." Willow (1988) Willow (1988) Willow (1988) Willow (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Enter the world of "Willow." Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side ... to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.
Director
Ron Howard
Producer
Nigel Wooll
Screenwriter
Bob Dolman, George Lucas
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Lucasfilm Ltd., Imagine Entertainment, Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
PG
Genre
Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 20, 1988, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 5, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$55.6M
Runtime
2h 6m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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