hile George Lucas was filming Return of the Jedi, he noticed the talent of an 11-year-old actor portraying a young Ewok. That actor was Warwick Davis, who was 2'11" at that time. Although new to acting, the young Davis had decided an Ewok would respond in a very inquisitive way to R2-D2, which grabbed Lucas's attention. After working with Davis, Lucas developed a story of a character based on him. Years later, Davis starred in Willow.
It's been 13 years since Willow was released theatrically, and it's finally available on DVD. Although Willow didn't enjoy the same blockbuster level of success as Lucas' Star Wars movies, it found its audience once it was released on video and shown on television. Davis himself reports he often hears from parents whose major complaint about Willow is having to replace worn-out tapes because their children watch it so often.
Much of the marketing of Willow focused on the concept that heroes come in all sizes. Willow (Davis) is a family man who takes on the task of returning a baby to its race of giants. On his journey, Willow hooks up with a swordsman of seemingly questionable character (Val Kilmer) and two brownies (Rick Overton and Kevin Pollak). Along the way, Willow encounters fairies, a dragon, a good sorceress and the evil sorceress queen.
Although the DVD doesn't contain many extras, it's a matter of quality versus quantity. What is included on the DVD is fun and worthwhile.
Highlighting unsung heroes
The Willow DVD is a one-disc package. The film has been digitally re-mastered and is presented in a letterbox widescreen format. The sound options include 5.1 Dolby Digital (English only) or Dolby Surround (in English or Spanish). The film is organized into 36 chapters, organized into groups of four. The special features include two featurettes eight TV spots, three theatrical trailers, and a photo gallery of 45 production stills, including a glimpse of some of the models used in set design and special effects.
The real gem is the 17-minute featurette, "From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking." Lucas and Howard describe the challenges they were facing in regard to special effects, and the special effects gurus describe how they invented the technique of morphing. Because Willow was made before the days of CGI, the filmmakers faced a special challenge: How to show the metamorphosis of Fin Raziel when she changes into a series of different animals and then finally into her human shape.
This featurette reveals the combination of techniques used to make the metamorphosis happen. Even better, it describes how morphing was created specifically to solve the challenges posed by Willow and how morphing was later used in the entertainment industry.
Also of note is the second featurette, "Willow: The Making of an Adventure," a 21-minute behind-the-scenes film shot during the production of Willow. Viewers get to glimpse how some special effects were shot, both on location and inside Industrial Light & Magic. Don't miss the interview with the brownies and how they view their role in the movie.
The DVD offers an optional audio commentary by Davis, who tells tons of insider stories about the actors, the filmmakers and the process of making the movie. Davis even recalls questions most often asked by fans and answers them. His style is lighthearted, fun, and charming.
