Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Willow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 14, 2019

Disney has released the fan-favorite 1988 film 'Willow' to Blu-ray. The film was previously released by 20th Century Fox in March 2013. Unfortunately I did not review, nor do I own, that release. It has become exorbitantly expensive on the secondary market so this review will offer fresh audio and video critiques, though there is little reason to believe that much has changed on those fronts between the two releases (though the soundtrack does appear to have been fiddled with in terms of volume output). This disc additionally offers all of the extras from the Fox disc while adding a few more, including an audio commentary track that many were disappointed was not included previously.

In a faraway land, ancient prophecy foretells of a child who will bring about Queen Bavmorda’s (Jean Marsh) downfall. Fearing the end of her reign, the queen orders all pregnant women seized. When a baby girl named Elora (Kate and Ruth Greenfield), who may very well be the girl to fulfill the prophecy, is born, she is hurried away from her fate, placed in a basket, and sent downriver in hopes that she will survive, grow, and play her part in history. She is discovered by the children Ufgood, son and daughter of Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), a kindly Nelwyn farmer who initially rejects responsibility for the baby but eventually comes to care for and love her. Willow aspires to be more than a farmer; he's an amateur magician who has repeatedly been overlooked by his village's elder sorcerer, High Aldwin (Billy Barty). When Aldwin learns that the baby is in Willow's possession, he sends Willow and a band of adventurers on a quest to return the baby to its people. Along the way, the party meets a human warrior named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) who aids the Nelwyn on their increasingly dangerous quest.

For a full film review, please see Casey Broadwater's writing here.

Willow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is a very handsome and agreeably filmic image. Detail is almost uniformly terrific throughout, particularly various examples of attire that reveal fine fabric definition, including various flaws and stitches, while faces are complex, hairs are well defined at the individual strand level, and natural vegetation and various example of terrain look great. There are a few photographic soft edges and several shots that appear filtered to some degree, but the image is largely very filmic and crisp, maintaining an agreeable, natural grain structure that elevates the presentation to that desirable film-like level. Colors are healthy, with the film blending a number of earthy shades with some colorful splashes of natural green, red hair, and variously colored clothes. Contrast and saturation appear natural with no severe push to over pump the colors or drain them. Black levels hold nicely deep, whether shadowy interiors or dark clothes. Skin tones appear accurate. A few blink-and-miss print blemishes appear throughout but no serious source or encode anomalies are present in quantity. This is a very nice release from Disney and it appears fairly consistent with the well-regarded Fox transfer.

Willow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the Fox disc, Disney's Blu-ray presents the film's audio in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless configuration. The track is shallow at normal reference volumes. It's clear Disney tampered with the track in that way at least, but once the volume is adjusted, it sounds quite nice. A festival in chapter four springs to life with wide, rich, and surprisingly deep instrumental details. There's plenty of audible detail in various action scenes, with the track proving fully capable of distinguishing its various characteristics while painting a harmonious, unified sonic front. A horse and buggy chase scene in chapter 16 is a perfect example, blending music, rolling wheels, hooves, weapons, and other effects very well. A sled escape in chapter 22 is another highlight, while the film's finale, of course, offers various sound elements in enjoyable harmony. On the other end of the spectrum, rich wildlife ambient sounds, gently flowing river water, weather, and other world elements naturally position around the stage to draw the listener into the film's early scenes when Willow and his children find the baby along water's edge. Effortlessly flowing score, away from the aforementioned action scenes, plays with quality front end stretch and instrumental definition, while the backs fold in modest support bits. Dialogue is always clear and naturally positioned in the front-center channel.

Willow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disney's Blu-ray release of Willow includes all of the extras from the Fox disc while adding a few to the list. New extras are marked as such below, and reviewed. For full coverage of the carryover content, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. A DVD is not. The release does not appear to ship with a slipcover.

• NEW! Audio Commentary: While not a "new" commentary it is new to Blu-ray. Warwick Davis, who portrays Willow in the film, offers an incredibly insightful track, eloquently and engagingly sharing the film's production history, his casting and performance, additional cast and character details, scrapped concepts, anecdotes from the shoot, sets and shooting locations, visual effects, film construction details, story and themes, and much more. This is a truly wonderful track; kudos to Disney for bringing it over. It's worth the price of admission alone.
• Willow: Deleted Scenes with Ron Howard (1080p, 12:30 total runtime).
• The Making of an Adventure with Ron Howard (1080i, 23:38).
• From Morf to Morphing with Dennis Muren (1080i, 17:23).
• Willow: An Unlikely Hero -- Personal Video Diary of Warwick Davis (1080p, 10:51).
• Matte Paintings (1080p, 1:08).
• NEW! "W" (1080p, 0:28): Warwick Davis discusses the importance of the alphabet's 23rd letter in his life and career.
• NEW! TV Spots and Trailers (480i): An assortment of promos for the film.
  
  
  • 15 Second TV Spots (0:49 total runtime): Included are Heroes, Lucas/Howard, and Wizards and Warriors.
  • 30 Second TV Spots (2:31 total runtime): Included are Heroes, World Awakening, Sorsha, Butch & Sundance, and Madmartigan.
  • Theatrical Trailers (5:25 total runtime): Included are Theatrical Teaser 1, Theatrical Teaser 2, and Theatrical Trailer.
• NEW! The Making of Raziel's Transformation (480i, 8:15): In this vintage supplement, George Lucas opens the piece by sharing his vision for the role of visual effects in the film. Following a lengthy clip from the film on which the discussion to come is based, ILM's Dennis Muren sits down to share the secrets, in some detail, that made the scene possible.

Willow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Willow liberally borrows from the Biblical Old Testament story of Moses and well as from The Lord of the Rings. God and Tolkien aren't bad places to find inspiration, and Willow isn't a bad movie for it. It's a fun Fantasy/Adventure that holds up all these decades later, even with some mediocre visual effects in play, thanks to its heart, performances, pacing, and, yes, familiar but still fairly fresh storylines. Disney's Blu-ray suffers from the studio's low volume audio syndrome but seems otherwise fine once the dial is cranked upwards. There appears to be little difference, if any, in the 1080p video transfer. Disney carries over all of the Fox supplements and adds a few more. For fans who missed Willow the first time around, buying this one is a no-brainer. For those who already own the 2013 Blu-ray, the new supplements and digital copy code might just be incentive enough to upgrade. Highly recommended.