Jack E. Wilkinson United Press International Jun 12, 2026

Good family fare, though it does get violent at times.

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Charlotte Simmons The Treatment (Substack) Jul 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...

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Sean Burns WBUR’s Arts & Culture May 22, 2025

Captain Jack Sparrow owes an awful lot to Madmartigan.

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Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Dec 21, 2024 2.5/4

Only partially successful in punching across the requisite excitement, which is often crippled by a nagging air of familiarity (it’s as much Tolkien as it is Lucas).

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Allison Rose FlickDirect Dec 15, 2024 3.5/5

Willow has received a much stronger response in the home video release market, and for fans of the film, the 4K steelbook edition is a true delight.

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Josh Winning Radio Times Nov 28, 2022 3/5

The creaky monster effects are a delight, and James Horner's rousing score elevates the story to epic heights, ensuring that Willow delivers a stirring jolt of old-school escapism.

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Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jun 21, 2022

[Willow] is a good movie for kids. [Full review in Spanish]

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Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Feb 18, 2022 2.5/4

In the wake of series like The Lord of the Rings and the later Harry Potter entries, Willow cannot help but feel catered to children with little awareness of how much it borrows from other sources.

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Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Oct 4, 2021 4.5/5

The underappreciated fantasy film from George Lucas and Ron Howard delighted the young audiences it was intended for, poked fun at its critics -- by name -- and is now set for a Disney+ reboot.

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Michael Sragow NPR's Fresh Air Dec 21, 2020

Willow mostly calls to mind dozens of other, better movies, ranging from Lucas's own Star wars to the Ten Commandments and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It's a malformed Tolkien-type fantasy.

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Jason Best Movie Talk Dec 15, 2020

Cult favourite Willow saw producer George Lucas attempting to recreate the fantasy-adventure spirit of his Star War films in a sword-and-sorcery setting.

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Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Sep 8, 2020 8/10

The character designs are fascinating, as are the creature effects (helmed by Industrial Light & Magic and nominated for an Academy Award).

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Gillian MacKay Maclean's Magazine Mar 27, 2019

Willow borrows shamelessly from sources as varied as the Bible, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Wizard of Oz and even from Star Wars itself, plastering it all together in a witless, muddled pastiche.

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Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune Dec 6, 2018 2/4

There isn't a single major character in the film who is engaging.

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Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times Dec 6, 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.

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James Berardinelli ReelViews Dec 6, 2018 2.5/4

Willow feels like the kind of movie that might have worked considerably better on the printed page.

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Ian Nathan Empire Magazine Dec 6, 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.

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Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune Dec 6, 2018 2/4

It takes forever for the story to get started, and once it does it holds few surprises.

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TV Guide Staff TV Guide Dec 6, 2018 2/5

The plot grinds on inescapably to its predictable climax, with the viewer fully aware of what awaits long before the events unfold.

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David Aldridge Radio Times Dec 6, 2018 2/5

It's forced, formulaic and sadly lacking in that sense of magic that's at the root of all successful fantasy.

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