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Willow (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - United Kingdom - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak & Samuel Scott (15th March 2013). |
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The Film
 Adventure doesn't come much bigger than this. There was a time when movies were magical, made with care and love to entertain, where movies like Back to the Future, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Willow ruled. They were the voice of a generation, these were adventures not just seen on screen, but lived out by children in their back yards, during lunch at school and on the weekends with friends alike. These were films that bring back great memories now. For me, Willow was one of those films that I re-played over and over again with friends. Now, as an adult, I can relive those memories all over again (hey don't laugh, I may be in my 20s but I'm still a kid at heart). Willow's plot is very simple. In fact, for this genre it's been there, done that territory. Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) finds an abandoned baby who is found to be a sacred child that can end the reign of a wicked sorceress queen and Willow must protect the child and make sure it does not get in the hands of the queen. Joined at his side by a swordsman, Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), they must overcome evil and the forces of darkness to prevail. Let's face it, there's nothing real technical about this story. In fact, after watching this film through-out, it reeks of material stolen from J.R.R. Tolkien, but isn't that what uncle George Lucas (Story by Lucas, film directed by Ron Howard) is famous for anyway? Well, that and innovative story telling (with the exception of Howard the Duck, and Star Wars Episodes I through III). And that's what makes this film so endearing: the storytelling, the magic we see on screen, the special effects, and the motley crew of fun characters in this mythical universe. Who cares if it's been done before? If you're out for an enjoyable film that can be watched by the whole family that's full of adventure and excitement, then Willow delivers. Recommended.
Video
Fox have released Willow with a 1080p/AVC transfer in the original aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and to put it simply, it's absolutely stunning. There is very minor grain and absolutely no noticable damage at all. I saw no scratches or blemishes at all here, colours were solid and the overall presentation was sharp. It looks as natural as one could expect for an eighties title and this may well be one of the best transfers of a back catalogue title yet. It isn't perfect - the brightness of the transfer looks ever so slightly out at times (sky looks overly white every now and again) but it's a cracker nonetheless. George Lucas might be hated for what he has done to some movies (*cough* Star Wars), but I'd happily let him oversee the transfer on any future release.
Audio
As with the picture, Fox have done a great job with the audio. Surrounds in the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track are used to great effect and with accuracy. The sounds of wildlife and weather in the background as dialogue is spoken is spot on, as are the volume levels. There is no damage and James Horner's score gets the treatment it deserves. Not quite reference quality, but certainly close. Audio options on the disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround French DTS 5.1 Castilian Spanish DTS 5.1 German DTS 5.1 Italian DTS 5.1 Latin American Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 The available subtitles are: Catalan Spanish, Danish, Dutch, English HoH, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian and Swedish
Extras
Willow: Deleted scenes with Ron Howard (12:32) - Ron Howard presents us with three deleted segments but first tells us about how George Lucas helped him create the story and how their job was to make you feel a part of the adventure. The first deleted scenes are a sub-plot that revolves around Sorsha and her father in which nearly all references were removed to edit down the runtime (though her father does make an appearance in the final cut). The next deleted moment is a fight with a troll which does some acrobatic stunts but eventually Howard felt the scene didn't quite work and the technical ability to remove the wires used was not quite there at the time. The final deleted scene is the infamous "Fish Boy" scene, where a human turns into a giant fish and attacks Willow on a boat. The reason it was removed was they had trouble making the monster look effective and real. Overall, you can see why all these scenes were deleted and Ron Howard's explanations are very interesting to listen to. "The Making of an Adventure with Ron Howard" featurette (23:39) - This is quite a standard making of featurette but is from when the movie was originally released, so unlike many of todays movies, it actually features some good information and isn't just a backslapping love-in between the cast members. George Lucas, Ron Howard and all the principal cast members are interviewed and there is narration which slowly reveals the synopsis as it introduces the different aspects and characters of the movie. "From Morf to Morphing with Dennis Muren" featurette (17:24) - Dennis Muren was one of the visual effects supervisors on Willow and works for Industrial Light and Magic. Originally made in 2001 it explores how they created the special effects, in particular, computer graphics work and how the aesthetics of the visual effects can enhance the story. Like the previous featurette, there are plenty of interviews but they are of a more technical nature. It's interesting viewing and we should note that it includes a brand new introduction from Denis Muren. "Willow: An Unlikely Hero - Personal Video Diary of Warwick Davis" featurette (10:53) - As the title states, this is a look at the film through the eyes of Willow himself, Warwick Davis. He talks about his experience on set and shows us footage he documented himself with a cheap video camera. It gives quite a good insight into the less glamourous side of things, including horse riding training and the smell of the pheasants in the tavern. "Matte Paintings" montage (1:09) - The final extra on the disc is a selection of matte paintings which runs as a slideshow and the differences to the final composite and film are interesting to view. There is an easter egg available: Go to "Willow: An Unlikely Hero - Personal Video Diary of Warwick Davis" and press up. The letter W on the top of the screen will be highlighted. Press "Enter" to watch some trivia about the letter W with Warwick Davis (0:29). Unfortunately, the blu-ray is missing the following extras that were available from Fox on DVD: - Audio commentary by actor Warwick Davis - 2 teaser trailers (2:39) - Theatrical trailer (2:07) - 7 TV spots (3:00) - Photo gallery (46 images) - "The Making of Raziel’s Transformation" easter egg (8:16)
Packaging
Willow is available in both steelbook and standard keepcase packaging. The steelbook is available in limited quantities.
Overall
Willow is a fun adventure and the disc is technically great. Unfortunately, Fox decided not to give us all the previously available extras, which is highly annoying. Film reviewed by Noor Razzak. Technical aspects and extra features reviewed by Samuel Scott.
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