‘Willow’ Review: Jon Kasdan Delivers a Delightful Return to Tir Asleen

Thirty-five years after Willow first arrived on the silver screen, Jon Kasdan has ushered in a much-needed return to Tir Asleen that is brimming with the same mischievous joy, spirit of adventure, and unbridled hope that its film predecessor possessed. The aptly named Willow series picks up years after Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) and Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) found their happily ever after as the credits rolled, but as these kinds of stories are wont to do—it wasn’t entirely the happiest of endings. 

With Madmartigan no longer in the picture, Sorsha has been left to rule the realm of Tir Asleen, as well as raise their children Kit (Ruby Cruz) and Airk (Dempsey Bryk) who are exactly what you might expect the children of Sorsha and Madmartigan to be. While Tir Asleen appears to be mostly peaceful in the wake of Queen Bavmorda’s terrifying rule, the kingdom is thrown into chaos when an unseen force steals Airk away in the dead of night, pushing Kit to lead a quest to rescue her brother. And this is where all of the pieces start to fit together for Willow as it transforms into one of the most delightful DnD-like campaigns. 

Image via Disney+

Kit sets out on her quest with her knight-in-shining-armor Jade (Erin Kellyman), her would-be fiancé Prince Graydon Hastur (Tony Revelori), a sweet servant named Dove (Ellie Bamber) who was romancing her brother, and the warrior Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel) who offers guidance and brute-strength when needed. Along the way, they face perilous dangers, emotional crises, friends-turned-foes and foes-turned-friends, and of course, they make their way to Willow’s (Warwick Davis) doorstep. Willow, now the High Aldwin, welcomes the ragtag heroes into his home and commits himself, once again, to help with a mysterious cause that is inherently linked to the baby Elora Danan.  

Willow is Disney+’s family-friendly answer to the murderous violence of House of the Dragon and the grand epicness of The Rings of Power. It so perfectly captures the spirit of the original film, while delivering something refreshingly new in the process. Instead of the enemies-to-lovers trope at play in the first, Kasdan has set out to explore a burgeoning romance between a young woman burdened with royal duties and her knight who is similarly burdened by her dedication to knighthood. But they are not the only characters who get to embark on a journey of self-discovery that runs parallel to their quest to rescue Airk—the entire party gets an equal opportunity to shine and prove themselves. 

Image via Disney+

Willow may find itself facing the same kind of slow-burn reception that the film was met with, but there is no doubt that once it finds its audience it will become a fantasy cult classic. Kasdan has so lovingly taken the lore and magic of the world of Tir Asleen and found places to expand upon it and build out a fully-realized realm that is ripe for further exploration. Even with modern technology and the ever-expanding capabilities of ILM, the series still possesses a quality to it that feels distinctly like a fantasy made in the 1980s. 

Prepare to get swept up into another sprawling fantasy, as Willow arrives on Disney+. And unlike similar fantasy series, Willow is one brimming with hope and joy and a sense of adventure that will reignite childish wonder in its audience, even as uncertainty looms low over Tir Asleen. 

Final Verdict: A-