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Don’t call the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day “peck!”
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
I must admit I have a soft spot for Ron Howard’s Willow. One of the benefits of being 7 when it came out was that I was in that perfect boyhood age where the monsters were still scary and the goofiness was aimed right at me.
Between Willow and Return to Oz, Jean Marsh can rot in hell… I mean that in the nicest possible way, Ms. Marsh. You’re a fantastic actress but you terrified me as a child and, if I’m going to be totally honest, a little bit as an adult man, too.
I haven’t revisited Willow recently. I’m kind of nervous to, actually, because I have fond memories of the film and I have a feeling a revisit might not hold up. However, no matter what I feel I do love the design of the two headed firebreathing monster known as the Eborsisk, designed and built by Phil Tippett and his team.
Legend has it that the creature got its name because they believed the thing looked like a combination of Siskel and Ebert, which is a huge fuck you to both men since the Eborsisk is ugly as sin. Still, if it were me I’d be super proud.
Hope you guys enjoy the image. Thanks again to the Practical Effects Group. Click to enlargen.
If you have a behind the scenes shot you’d like to submit to this column, you can email me at quint@aintitcool.com.
Tomorrow’s pic raises hell!
-Eric Vespe
”Quint”
quint@aintitcool.com
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Click here to visit the complete compilation of previous Behind the Scenes images, Page Two
Readers Talkback
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Please Hollywood .. don't remake ...
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Aug. 22, 2012, 4:33 p.m. CST
Kilmer in his prime. Great childhood movie. You have Labrynth, I have Willow.
by kindofabigdeal
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Willow has several sequels.... in book form.... Did you know the movie was originally meant to be a trilogy?
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Aug. 22, 2012, 4:35 p.m. CST
Also, between General Kael and Eborsisk, I don't think the naming happened that way....
by john
seems like it was a fuck you to the critics they knew were going to savage it. Or a nod in hopes of getting it better reviews. Either way, Willow is great.
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I haven't seen the movie in ages (I'm also fearful it will make another cut into my inner child's soul), but the score still very much holds up. KRULL is like that too, a score fit for a better movie. Although, to defend Krull, that movie would be great if you could just cut/paste in a better lead actor.
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I mean, I am a giant wolf monster, and if forced to go on record--sure, I'd devour the little fellow. He appears to be a bit stringy, but his spear-wielding companion seemed quite succulent. Anyhow, a fun movie.
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Don't ask me why, but this pic made think about Time Bandits. Any chance you have a BTS pic of that?
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Aug. 22, 2012, 4:43 p.m. CST
AND one of the first practices of morphing onscreen.
by openthepodbaydoorshal
And it still holds up well today.
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I'm surprised this film is not on Blu yet when it should be.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 4:51 p.m. CST
Val was the man in this! For a fantasy flick there's alot of it that still holds up
by nephilim138
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_(film)#Legacy
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The publicity for it was horrible -- I remember reading multiple articles about it where they just flat out said Willow = Luke Skywalker, Val Kilmer = Han Solo, the skull face bad guy = Darth Vader, the old queen lady = the Emperor. This was so common that I suspect that it came straight from a desperate, post-HOWARD THE DUCK Lucasfilm publicity dept. FROM THE CREATOR OF STAR WARS STAR WARS STAR WARS -- WILLOW! directedbyronhoward Visually it was flat (especially compared with CONAN THE BARBARIAN & LEGEND) and the story was so weak I can barely remember it. LORD OF THE RINGS for mallrats, I think. I found the "funny" side characters ("These are our C-3P0 and R2-D2" WILLOW executive producer Lucas tells STARLOG's Jean-Marc Lofficier) played by Kevin Pollack & Rick Overton to be horrifically obnoxious and the second of three major clues (after the Ewoks and before INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE's portrayal of Marcus Brody) of what would come of the STAR WARS prequels.
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She still springs to mind as the hottest redhead I've seen on the big screen. Oh, I"m sorry. Peck. Peck! PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK!
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I want them!
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It was, and remains to be, one of my all time favorite movies. It nails the action, the adventure, the comedy, and the fantasy, heck even the drama! Some of the effects certainly date it, but when have we ever cared about that. The story, direction, and acting all carry this flick.
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Don't listen to these dolts knocking the film. It is still full of charm and heart. Shorsha is smoking hot and Kilmer fucking rules. WILLOW has one of the most overlooked, best lines in cinema history: "Give me a sword. I'll win this war for you". End of.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:10 p.m. CST
Really, REALLY don't get the hate for this film. I still love it. One of the few films that should have had a sequel.
by Farrokh
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I forgot about that. That costume was awesome
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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:12 p.m. CST
I actually love Willow but have never liked the two-headed monster.
by jellypop
I have always thought the design was really rather awful and not so scary. Aside from that Willow rocks.
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don't you agree??
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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:16 p.m. CST
I used to think Krull was the same as Kevin Sorbo's Kull
by Adelai Niska
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Sure, there are goofy parts, but the acting is great (Kilmer, Marsh, Sorsha, Warwick Davis, and the baby are all superb), and the story is a nice reduction of Lord of the Rings that you can watch in a single sitting. I love this movie, and people I've introduced it to within the last four years have really enjoyed it, too. I get into it every time. It's a joy.
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This movie ruled, rules, will rule.
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...but, yeah, you'd think someone would have dropped it on us long before now in either HD format. (Hmm...I remember loving this when I was younger, too. Maybe I'll have to score the DVD off eBay or something.)
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Heck, the film even managed a decent romance in the middle of everything else!
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remember hearing everyone poo poo on it, never understood why. still can't put my finger on it.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:28 p.m. CST
We must consult the bones. The bones have spoken: "This film is still fantastic!"
by Mark Jones
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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:29 p.m. CST
at least they cast actual midgets unlike that cunt Peter Jackson
by Mugato5150
midget hater.
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Warwick Davis being awesome is as much as I can remember.
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...because you're adults now. Jesus. "It'll hurt my childhood!!" No, it won't. Your childhood is passed. It's gone. It can't be harmed any more than you can get your baby teeth back. Enjoy adult things now. Like a movie as a kid? Fine! But don't think that seeing and not liking something now that you're an adult is a bad thing. It's a sign of progress. Be proud of it!
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Your leg. ....I'd like to break it.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 5:37 p.m. CST
Yes, the antagonists were named after Pauline Kael and Siskel & Ebert after HOWARD THE DUCK was lambasted.
by justmyluck
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now it's Dinklage. In fact, they should remake this shit with Dinklage.
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What LOTR have you been watching? There are tiny people all over those movies. Granted they're doubles, but they are present.
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Please, for the love of god, give a hungry director with promise and good fantasy chops and let him have at it. The Matrix was rated R. I see Krull as that kind of R-rated film. Shit, I'll write it.
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It is quite well animated, but not scary - because it resembles an odd-looking an elephant seal.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 6:38 p.m. CST
Maaaad Marrtigan! I'm Willooow!!! Love me.. love me!!(like blue velvet)
by UltraTron
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LOTR recently set the bar, but lets be honest, it was a Special Olympics bar when it comes to fantasy. Willow also tops that bar .
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Underrated film. Still holds up.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 7:08 p.m. CST
Oh, Willow's still a cracking film. I think it holds up just fine.
by Mr Nicholas
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My little brother had them, still has the wolf and Val Kilmer. They sucked. No articulation, like big green army men.
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Not on purpose, but missed it in the theater and by the time we got a VCR its time had passed. Any good?
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Had a bit of a chat with him as well, he seemed a genuinely nice fellow with some nicw anecdotes and seemed more than enthusiastic when I talked to him about Willow. Though I had to giggle to myself when he asked me to reach to the top shelf so he could buy a game for the Wii (oh, the irony). I re-united with the rest of my friends and spent the next ten minutes telling them I'd met Wicket/Willow/whatshisfaceprofessorfromharrypotter. At that point we'd all realised he's been in so many blockbusters. Not bad for a peck. BTW He told me that "Val kilmer was a really nice guy to work with and nowhere near the c**t he was expecting him to be".
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WILLOW, though fun and entertaining, remains at best a poor man's LORD OF THE RINGS, which Lucas was either too cheap to get the rights to, or too lazy to do right. He admitted the LOTR influence on STAR WARS but by the time this thing came out he seemed nary to acknowledge it. But he knew he couldn't get away with calling the little people "hobbits", much as he probably wanted to...because in every other way, this movie is a shamelessly derivative ripoff, unleavened by the flashes of inspiration that made his other derivative films so good. Still, it was an important step forward for Ron Howard and ILM, and yes the cast was great, so it did serve a purpose. I just wish it had been a lot better. With that much talent involved, it should have been.
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Madmartigan!!!!!!!
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I've always loved that line. I use it often when stuck in slow-moving crowds.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 8:34 p.m. CST
Kevin Pollack & Rick Overton's Brownies were great too!
by obijuanmartinez
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Help! there's a peck with an acorn pointed at me
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Aug. 22, 2012, 8:54 p.m. CST
tensticks----you do realize almost every fantasy film out there
by thelordofhell
is a poor man's Tolkien.........Willow was fun and underrated ;-).........oh yeah, and watch The Hidden Fortress for more of what Star Wars ripped off.
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It is a great movie, that is tons of fun with great music.
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Well said, good sir.
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I know a guy with the last name Peck, and every time I see him I am SO temped to speak that line. hahaha
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Me? I wouldn't be able to help myself. That guy would hate me!
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I'd constantly be saying "Yes, this man has no dick." :-)
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saw this movie like seven times at the dollar theater whn i was a kid. i grew up thinking everyone loved it, because I've never met anyone who didn't. Didn't find out it was a flop until about five years ago when people on this site were bashing it.
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Aug. 22, 2012, 10:28 p.m. CST
I've seen this countless times. More so on DVD as an adult. It holds up wonderfully...
by Jay
Movies like Willow, Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Return To Oz, Neverending Story, Legend, etc. are all one of a kind. A unique product of their decade.
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...was originally Richie Cunningham's older brother Chuck on HAPPY DAYS, but the character just sort of wandered off like Towelie after a season. Always liked WILLOW. Doesn't completely hold up, but Madmartigan was one of Kilmer's finest.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 12:32 a.m. CST
Love this movie. Saw it as a teen on the big screen.
by Bedknobs and Boomsticks
I agree with jellypop. The two-headed dragon was a terrible design, though. Two Star-Wars-y.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 12:33 a.m. CST
The commentary on the DVD by Davis is one of the
by Bedknobs and Boomsticks
most informative commentaries, ever. No dicking around.
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The commentary track on Willow is incredible.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 2:28 a.m. CST
I WANT TO SEE CONAN THE BARBARIAN BEHIND THE SCENES
by Balkin Flabgurter
COWBELL
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And it still doesn't hold up. I was really looking forward to this movie when it first came out, following its progress in the magazines, etc. But I was disappointed by it. Some of the acting is cool, Jean Marsh is great as Bavmorda and Kilmer makes for a likeable rogue, but the movie misses the mark in many respects... some of the "little people" are downright annoying and ILM's early forays into digital FX such as the morphing sequences looked pretty ropey even back then.
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I hope you're joking when you say Krull might be saved by a better actor. The score was fantastic, I give you that - still humming it now and then while cycling :) Willow otoh is really not bad - I can recommend revisiting it, it's got as nice production values as Krull plus it got a big heart. And better comedy. And better romance. And better dialogue (which is sayin very little, admittedly). And a better villain. And better heroes. So even if it's not Top-10-material, every Fantasy fan's inner child should find Willow very enjoyable.
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It was a disappointment, financially. But it doubled it's budget in domestic ticket sales (if I recall properly), plus international and video. At the end of the day, it probably broke even for Lucasfilm. Maybe a little bit into the black. They thought they were going to have a HUGE hit, but it didn't work out that way. The critical bashing probably scared a lot of people away - and the bashing really wasn't fair. The myth of it being a massive flop has been exagerated over the years (a lot of it from jokes on Warwick Davis' BBC show Life's Too Short). I love the movie. Saw it opening weekend. Sure it was a poor man's Tolkien, but it was a lot of fun being that.
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They did suck for their complete lack of articulation, but do you recall that there were versions of the characters that were mounted and could be taken off their horses if you wanted? You could switch their mounts between them and put them back on horseback as needed... and unusually for such toys, they weren't so 'loose' on the horses that you couldn't play with them without them falling off. Not the greatest toys, but a decent variety for the days right before every single movie had an awful action figure line aligned with it.
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I saw this at the theater when It came out, I guess I was 8 or so...... Val Kilmer was a hero, and I developed a fetish for red haired women. One of the better thrills I ever had at a theater. A few years later they dropped Jurasic Park on us and that changed EVERYTHING folks!!!!!
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Aug. 23, 2012, 8:30 a.m. CST
Warwick Davis is young enough since he was only like 20 for the first Willow...and Lord KNOWS Val Kilmer could use a role as charismatic as Madmartigan again!
by Dogmatic
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Aug. 23, 2012, 8:34 a.m. CST
Oh yeah, Lucas outlined the Chronicle of the Shadow War Trilogy, and Chris Claremont wrote it....NOT too shabby, eh?
by Dogmatic
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Willow rocks. Madmartigan was awesome and Sorcha was smokin' hot.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 9:28 a.m. CST
darth scourge: Hahahahaha. Oh that's so funny. Ilm's digital effects on willow looked ropey. That's hilarious. So
by UltraTron
like.. They invented the technology and that was like.. The first time anyone on earth had ever seen anything remotely like that. In the theater I was gobsmacked at the transformation scene and had to get stoned and see the movie again.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 9:32 a.m. CST
Had no clue a computer was even used at the time. This was after young sherlock Holmes but before Abyss. Here's a breakdown of digital evolution:
by UltraTron
Future world with Peter Fonda shows Ed Catmull animation of a human face and hand in vector, 11 years pass before Tron shows all kinds of shit that freaks people out so bad and scares the shit out of practicle effects crews and they put the kibosh on it for years. Then ILM makes young Sherlock and willow. Cameron sees it and makes Abyss, Teminator 2- Jurassic Park nuke goes off and here we are.
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Willow is on my TOP 5 list of Greatest All Time Movies!!! Has the PERFECT amount of Action and Comedy in it and I think it's one of Val Kilmer's Best Roles. I've always been a fan of Ron Howard and I always love to try and find his bro Clint in all his movies but could never find him in this one. Then I did some looking around and found out the two headed dragon was designed to look like him. Thought that was pretty cool.
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Having seen it on the Big Screen with I was 7 too I had the same feeling you did. I was fascinated with the special effects, score and cast. I bought the VHS as soon as it came out, then DVD and I continue watching it on a monthly basis. I can't wait to someday own the Bluray. James Horner's score in this movie is Superb!!!
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That is perhaps the best description of Lucas I have heard in quite some time! lol
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Any AICN article about Willow will generate (usually within twenty post) some gimp posting something deragatory about LotR or Peter Jackson in the Talkback. And equally predictable...that poster will have some Star Wars related handle like, oh I dunno, starwarsredux. I've been coming to this site since it was a site and nothing has changed in that respect. I'll try again. Here's a clue: It is actually possible to like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings AND Willow. Really. Liking one does not have to be at the expense of the other. Really. The human brain is entirely capble of handling this concept and I have over a decade of empirical evidence to back up my assertion. Really. Loved Willow...hope there's a sequel someday. See?
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Aug. 23, 2012, 1:05 p.m. CST
Willow, Masters of the Universe and Roger Rabbit - my three earliest memories of going to the cinema. Shat myself when thhey turned to pigs though.
by Mark Jones
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:12 p.m. CST
Still use that line "Out of the way, Peck!" all the time
by Darth Macchio
It's actually quite fun to say to anybody at any given moment. Of course..the peck part isn't as awesome as the dismissive and glib "Out of the way.....!" Something about saying that phrase in that same quasi-superhero/stout-warrior voice, as in the movie, to complete strangers when you're just trying to walk past is hilarious to me.
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Aug. 23, 2012, 4:13 p.m. CST
I like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Willow. And have a cheesey anti-Lucas aicn handle...
by Darth Macchio
Imagine that!
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They loved it. I found it to have aged a bit but oh man that Sorsha was something else. Wow. Glad Val was able to tap that at least for a while.
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...I'm well aware that the morphing FX in Willow were developed from scratch by ILM and were very much a never-before-seen breakthrough innovation at the time. But innovation or not, that still doesn't mean those FX looked great, does it? That's the point I'm making. Nobody's saying they weren't a pivotal step in the evolution of CGI in movie making. Yes, that morph sequence was certainly one of ILM's quantum leaps forward in the field.
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Ignore the bird, follow the river
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Its still an entertaining film now, but theres something that stops it from being as good as (original trilogy) star wars, indiana jones or lord of the rings - i cant put my finger on what though . Maybe its the flat characters, or the very straight forward script..... i dont know, whatever it is , it stops the film from being first rate. Having said all that, willow isnt a bad movie at all - its visually strong, has a fantastic score and it gave the world morphing. Its a shame that it flopped, i would have loved to seen a sequel.
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