To a significant extent, Disney’s streaming strategy appears to involve raiding their archives for every last available property capable of being turned into a multi-season series. Arriving in the wake of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, High School Musical: The Musical – The Series and various Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars efforts—and ahead of The Santa Clauses and National Treasure: Edge of History—Willow continues that tactical trend.
Premiering Nov. 30, Willow revisits producer George Lucas and director Ron Howard’s 1988 fantasy film about a sinister queen, a prophesied child, a would-be sorcerer, and dashing mercenary tasked with saving the world. Those with warm-and-fuzzy feelings about that rollicking adventure will likely be drawn to this big-budget long-form follow-up. Sustained interest, however, will be stymied by a cast of largely bland new characters and, more pressing still, a dearth of sweeping excitement.
While Willow can’t be bothered to devise a title that differentiates itself from its predecessor—a common reboot-sequel approach that continues to make no sense whatsoever—it does concoct a novel quest for its pint-sized hero, Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis)—even if it doesn’t properly reintroduce him until the closing minutes of the premiere episode.
Source: Disney+’s ‘Willow’ Series Is Just Like the Movie—Except Much, Much Worse
