Today, Matt & Todd discuss Willow—a fantasy epic directed by Ron Howard, starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, and Joanne Whalley.

Released in 1987 with massive marketing and high expectations, Willow had the powerhouse backing of George Lucas and cutting-edge visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic. While the film found moderate success both critically and commercially, it never quite soared to the legendary heights of Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Perhaps its biggest limitation? Familiarity.

Let’s be honest—Willow follows a well-worn path in the fantasy genre: an ancient prophecy, dark sorcery, thrilling wagon chases, sword fights, dragons—you name it. But to its credit, it doesn’t shy away from those tropes; rather, it embraces them wholeheartedly. The creators understood the genre and let the cast revel in its magic, making Willow an adventure worth revisiting.

Matt reigns as the wise and benevolent ruler of more than 100 meticulously curated lists on Letterboxd—follow the wings of his ravens on Bluesky [@MovieMattSirois].

Prophecy speaks of Marcus, his cunning twin, who haunts Facebook’s  ⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful tearing through the desolate wasteland of low-budget, underdeveloped Z-action films—shrouding the land in eldritch snark.

Join in wonder at the tales of lore of ⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠The Fade Out Podcast⁠