Willow

Warwick is ok, the rest of the actors, accents and all the rest is so far terrible. Willow was a childhood favorite including the books but this does not come remotely close to capturing the magic that was the original Willow.

This how ever starts so poorly in episode one and just keeps getting worse. The sword play is laughable, sets below average and the costumes are a complete joke. If you loved the original movie I recommend steering well clear of this joke of a show which I had high hopes for. Warwick and the music are ok but everything else is a let down with Val Kilmer unable to reprise his role as Mad Mortigan due to his previous cancer struggles and loss of voice.

Its a pity as this could have been a wonderful and amazing show.

I felt that the first episode was OK, 6/10. Unfortunately, each episode presented so far is worse than the previous one.

I don't want to harp on the modernization prevalent in each episode, because, in other shows it doesn't bother me at all. For some reason though, it just grates on me here. It's like fingernails on a chalk board.

Since I'm airing my laundry, let's touch on other things that are sub par, or just plain bad. The two lead actresses are not very good, and the way their characters are written makes them fairly dislikable... a major negative in a show like this. Top that off with appalling humor, or rather, attempts at humor, no tangible bad guy, and a lackluster supporting cast, and you have the makings of a show that is going nowhere.

I'll keep watching, hoping for improvement; but, color me skeptical.

This didn't even feel like Willow. It felt like people were attempting to use what little clout the franchise had and use it as a vehicle to introduce a story/characters that should've been written into their own series in the first place. Here's some issues:

1.) Willow isn't even the main character. Imagine going to watch Wednesday only to find out it's about her friends, and she's just kind of 'around'. That's what you get here.

2.) Remember the beautiful orchestral music from the film? Gone. Replaced by completely inappropriate songs, many of which are terrible covers. Hearing The Beach Boys in a high fantasy setting completely detaches you from the show...or Crimson and Clover during a weird forest rave. There's a reason the fantasy genre generally sticks with basic music...anything else feels out of place.

3.) The series changes things with little to no explanation. Why has everyone aged decades except one specific character? Why do certain creatures suddenly have an extensive vocabulary and look completely different? You'll be left with more questions than answers.

4.) The forced modernization. Every race and sexuality are represented. I've said before, diversity is great but not when it feels forced. When it feels forced it's almost as offensive as no diversity, because you're essentially creating 'token' characters. There also shouldn't be social commentary on war/pollution in a fictitious world. We're watching a fantasy series to escape our world for a while, not to be reminded of what exists in it.

Bottom line, I'm fairly confident this series won't be renewed, and with good reason. Warwick Davis deserved way better than this.

If you disliked the acting and dialogue, you clearly misunderstood what was going on in the show. It's not meant to be a serious and heavyweight fantasy like LoTR for example, but a fun ride that you can sit, relax, and enjoy for 40 mins. For me it even felt a little bit like fantasy satire. At some points it was almost breaking the fourth wall even, like when they were talking about "the quest" they were on (as if it's a video game) and mocking the tropers they were getting themselves into.

So having said all this, acting and actor choices were spot-on, especially the Graydon actor - he did an amazing job with the role.

I really wish this gets past the audience thickness and score bombing and renews for volumes II and III.

Willow (the movie) is a darling of a movie, great production, writing that works for the world building and has excellent performances throughout.

Willow (the series) forgets the foreshadowing of the movies and reduces it to a level of superficiality. The world does not feel textured or well built.

The dialogue is random at times and leaps to inject emotions that don't fit with the context of the conversation. They've ramshackled conflict between Sorsha and Willow that doesn't really need to exist or add value to the story.

Elora's reveal as a petulant teenager doesn't fit with the background of the character, not in the context in which we are first introduced to her.

So much about this is lacking it's as if the Director's and writers spent no time with the source material and tried to force the key facets of story telling upon characters and arcs where it doesn't fit.

Two episodes in and there's a density to the villains that doesn't provide any sense of clarity as to the villains main aims. In the movie Bavmorda had purpose, and intent, corrupted by dark powers in the pursuit of power. In the series, we lack this.

From a production standpoint, the world doesn't seem lived in. It seems purpose built to look pretty. Tir Asleen also seems to have moved from being inside of a crag in Wales to now resting on a hillside. Which I wouldn't mind so much if everything else married up.

The young cast also seem out of place but really, that's again because they don't feel like they're part of the world in which they inhabit. Their clothing is all laundry fresh, their skin is clean as though they've just emerged from the shower and each of them is bathed in perfect lighting for the duration.

It makes the production look cheap. There's jarring elements that pull you out of the world also, like the store bought, machine made clothing of Elora.

The aesthetic is different from the movie, less textured, less reality based and it shows. The throne room set piece is about the only exception. It feels in world. Also, the Nelwyn are Fraggles now... living underground.

There was so much opportunity with this show that just seems squandered because it was lead by someone who didn't understand the confines of the world it's about... and doesn't know how to write for characters in that world.

I hope that it improves... but for now, I'm just going say..."Forget all you know... or think you know," they've made something with the Willow name, but it is not Willow.