Willow - The TV Series

[Gommy]

Completely agree on some of Warwick comments, in the 1st episode really was bad.
He does seem to be improving in the 2nd episode.  

Overall enjoyable - it's not too serious and it also doesn't have what I would describe as that young adult feel that we seem to have had a lot of fantasy doing in recent years.
I wonder how it will go outside of those of us that remember the film.

[Masterbeef]

Is this any better than Rings of Power or House of the Dragon as, boy, did they run out of steam very quickly. 

[neoELITE]

1 hour ago, Masterbeef said:

Is this any better than Rings of Power or House of the Dragon as, boy, did they run out of steam very quickly. 

 

It's completely different. It's more Princess Bride than LOTR. The film is a family, comedy, adventure film. 

 

I watched episode 1 just now. It was very fast paced indeed. One thing was jarring for me

 

Spoiler

The old fella who is obviously a close family friend to the Princess is killed and nobody cared at all 

 

Warwick was a bit dodgy too. And he was wearing what looked like a Ray Mears waistcoat.

 

"Jog on" got a laugh.

 

The fight scene was too dark to see what was going on. My pet hate of ultra HD stuff is it's often too dark. Netflix and Disney+ is often like this. I was watching The English at the weekend on iPlayer and that was brilliant in dark scenes. Why does some UHD stuff need to be so dark.

 

 

 

[MardiganX]

Well episode 3 is great! Much more assured all round with some brilliant and surprisingly touching moments. It does suffer the darkness issues mentioned above again but that has nothing to do with the show itself.

 

Feels like it’s going to get better with each episode. Roll on next week

[gone fishin]

Watched 20 mins of the opening episode, utter garbage. It’s like watching some CBBC teen drama set in Middle Earth, but with slightly more budget. 

[gone fishin]

One bonus, I didn’t realise the guy who played Chris Finch in the Office is the one that also does those really awful voiceovers like the Dacia and Wickes ones. You know, the adverts that sound like he’s belching out the words in a Yorkshire accent.

 

 

Recognised him from his voice in this. 

[Skull Commander]

4 hours ago, gone fishin said:

One bonus, I didn’t realise the guy who played Chris Finch in the Office is the one that also does those really awful voiceovers like the Dacia and Wickes ones. You know, the adverts that sound like he’s belching out the words in a Yorkshire accent.

 

 

Recognised him from his voice in this. 

Bloody good rep.

[Adrock]

I'm watching the series because I enjoyed the film as a youngster but it isn't very good, really. It's still enjoyable to watch but it's just objectively a bit rubbish.

 

Warwick Davis can't act, the Kilmer replacement isn't anywhere near as charismatic and the lady playing Elora Danan isn't very good either.

[Monkeyboy]

Terrible episode. The action was poorly shot and lit. I couldn’t tell what was going on for most of it. Warwick’s acting continues to be poor. He looks overwhelmed by it all, really stiff and unnatural. Although I think it’s partly to do with the writing as well.

[jonamok]

Thanks. Yep, I’m out.

[Hamus]

Well I really enjoyed episode 1, I don't have time for the others yet.

 

It's escapism and has some fun characters in. They were never going to Andor this up, it wouldn't be appropriate, for anyone wanting something else.

 

Looking forward to more silly adventures in the rest of the episodes! 

 

Sometimes not being too critical and enjoying the random fun has its advantages.

[Monkeyboy]

Was anyone expecting Andor? I don’t think so. I do think the action in the first episode was pretty good. But in episode 3, it’s terrible.

[Hamus]

2 minutes ago, Monkeyboy said:

Was anyone expecting Andor? I don’t think so. I do think the action in the first episode was pretty good. But in episode 3, it’s terrible.

 

No they weren't but you know people and their expectations.

 

We will see. I feel people are massively spoiled with everything these days and there's a lot of head shaking that isn't really needed.

[Hamus]

See I didn't mind Ep 3, sure it was a bit janky.

 

The real issue was the darkness. It's all so dark. I can't see anything. On my TV It's awful.

[neoELITE]

This is terrible. It's a chaotic mess. 

 

I don't care about a single character in it.  Not one.  Not even Willow.

The script is atrocious - there's barely any back story, if any, even when Willow starts droning on about the back story it doesn't mean anything and it's not explained.  It is a drone too as Warwick delivers his lines like a bored old fart.

"Funny" tall man isn't funny.  There's literally no comic relief - there should be. 

The bad guys - who are they?  We've barely seen them really.  Where are they from, what are their motivations?

It's too bloody dark.

Episode 4 (maybe it was 3 but I think it was 4, last week in the castle) - that was probably way too much "horror" for a child audience - it's also a little gory for them too but it doesn't appeal to me as an adult.

 

It basically has no identity. 

 

 

 

 

[Fireproofradiator]

On 02/12/2022 at 00:12, Monkeyboy said:

It sounds like he’s doing a Thornton Reed impression during those bits, which is why the acting seems bad.

Can’t believe someone else thought that before me. 
 

I’m enjoying this plenty after two episodes. There’s fuck all happening but the boy Kasdan can write a zinger alright and the rest of the central performances are lovely. 

[Phantoon]

14 hours ago, neoELITE said:

This is terrible. It's a chaotic mess. 

 

I don't care about a single character in it.  Not one.  Not even Willow.

The script is atrocious - there's barely any back story, if any, even when Willow starts droning on about the back story it doesn't mean anything and it's not explained.  It is a drone too as Warwick delivers his lines like a bored old fart.

"Funny" tall man isn't funny.  There's literally no comic relief - there should be. 

The bad guys - who are they?  We've barely seen them really.  Where are they from, what are their motivations?

It's too bloody dark.

Episode 4 (maybe it was 3 but I think it was 4, last week in the castle) - that was probably way too much "horror" for a child audience - it's also a little gory for them too but it doesn't appeal to me as an adult.

 

It basically has no identity. 

 

 

 

 

I'm on episode 3 and we still know nothing about the

Spoiler

Crone. Which means she's either someone we know or the writing is appalling. We know no more about the world than we learned in the film. There's no world building. Which is a problem when the stakes are specifically that the world will end.

I don't really know or care who the characters are. There's nothing to show that the villains actually have the ability to do what they're supposed to be able to do, or what they hope to achieve by doing it.

 

And it really relies on you knowing the film. The end of episode 3 the big thing is that the next episode will take place in

Spoiler

Nockmaar

. It's completely unearned tension that's lost on anyone who doesn't remember the film. And what threat is there anyway

Spoiler

with Bavmorda gone?

 

 

Willow had quite a lot of potential - it's fantasy Star Wars. You wouldn't know it from this.

 

Edit: thinking about it this suffers from the worst aspects of The Force Awakens. Too scared to spend time setting up the state of the world for fear of boring people with tiny attention spans, making everything that happens pretty stakes free. And at least in The Force Awakens you got to see the villain and why they should be fought.

[christaylor]

Watched all 5 eps now, it's equal parts baffling, awful and awesome. Tonally it's all over the place, sub-Hollyoaks cringeworthy teen drama scripting one minute, then a laugh out loud quip out of nowhere the next, completely incongruous soundtrack in parts and random swear words unexpectedly thrown in that take me completely out of it.

 

I can't decide whether I like it or not. 

[Masterbeef]

22 hours ago, christaylor said:

Watched all 5 eps now, it's equal parts baffling, awful and awesome. Tonally it's all over the place, sub-Hollyoaks cringeworthy teen drama scripting one minute, then a laugh out loud quip out of nowhere the next, completely incongruous soundtrack in parts and random swear words unexpectedly thrown in that take me completely out of it.

 

I can't decide whether I like it or not. 

Sounds as confused as the Boba Fett show was ( which I just finished yesterday )

[Darwock]

I just started on it (only at episode 1) and I’m wondering why there are complaints about Warwick Davis’s acting when static faced, monotone voiced flag smasher girl is here in all her drab dullness. How does she keep getting this kind of high profile job?

[IcEBuRN]

8 hours ago, Darwock said:

I just started on it (only at episode 1) and I’m wondering why there are complaints about Warwick Davis’s acting when static faced, monotone voiced flag smasher girl is here in all her drab dullness. How does she keep getting this kind of high profile job?

Oh no, she's in this as well? I'm sorry this is a sexist post, but how many people did she blow at Disney to get all the roles, on all the shows, when she's this terrible? 

 

Something fishy is going on there. 

[Monkeyboy]

Who are you guys talking about?

[Darwock]

After that one episode I don’t know the character name - the girlfriend of the princess that was supposed to get married off to Peter Parker’s school douchebag.

[drmick]

It's easy enough to work out why she keeps getting jobs.

[Masterbeef]

17 hours ago, Darwock said:

I just started on it (only at episode 1) and I’m wondering why there are complaints about Warwick Davis’s acting when static faced, monotone voiced flag smasher girl is here in all her drab dullness. How does she keep getting this kind of high profile job?

It’s not that one from Falcon and Winter Soldier is it?

[Festoon]

4 hours ago, Masterbeef said:

It’s not that one from Falcon and Winter Soldier is it?

 

Yep, very blank actor.

[Monkeyboy]

Erin Kellyman? Can’t say I noticed anything particularly bad about her. I’ve not seen Falcon and Winter Soldier.

[Waggo]

Yeah I have no problem with her either.

 

Falcon & Winter Soldier was not great, but I hardly think she was the main issue with it.

 

As for Willow I have watched 4 episodes so far and I will definitely see it through.  
 

Totally agree with the sentiment that tonally it is all over the place though, with slapstick comedy one minute and then heavy duty violence, deaths etc literally in the next scene.

[Hamus]

It is a weird thing. It feels like it's been put together by students.

The last episode they're all hanging out and chilling and having a good time. Two episodes earlier they were absolutely insistent they need to crack on and rescue Val killer's son.

Seems they've kind of forgotten about him now.

 

It's just a bit weird, it has violence and some nasty looking baddies, then Grange hill style romance.

 

Episode 3 was weird too. Ohhhh all in a scary castle, let's all split up! Come on

 

[Masterbeef]

11 hours ago, Festoon said:

 

Yep, very blank actor.

Christ, I’m probably going to avoid this then. Not a huge fan of the film anyway, but I’m a big Davis fan. 
 

I find her to be terrible.