Movie Review: Labyrinth (1986)

Hello, friends!

From time to time some of us probably think it would be great if we could wish all of our mundane problems away and instead go to a magical world where we are fighting against dark powers with a group of loyal friends. Since that's not possible, a good substitute is immersion through stories, so today I'm reviewing a film that transports the viewer to the world of the goblins, the world of the movie Labyrinth. 

A note about spoilers: This majority of this review is spoiler-free as I will not talk about the ending of the movie. I'll be talking about the characters and their dynamics but not what happens to them so feel free to read without fear of the secrets being spoiled. NOTE: As I get into the general thoughts section I'll talk about some events that are further along than I usually talk about (normally I don't go further than the inciting incident) but will still refrain from talking about the ending itself.

Labyrinth (1986)

Premise: Sarah is full of daydreams, but her dad and stepmom leave her to babysit her half-brother, Toby, when he just takes her things. She finds it absolutely unfair and when he won't stop crying she wishes that the king of the goblins would just take Toby away so she didn't have to worry about him. Turns out, her wish comes true as Jareth, the very king of the goblins himself, appears and does just that. Now Sarah has to find her way to his castle before time is up to get her baby brother back and come home, or else he'll belong to Jareth forever. The only problem is, to do that, she has the face the labyrinth where the rules are always changing and Jareth isn't above cheating to get what he wants. 

If only there was a worm to guide her...

Genre(s): Adventure, Family, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 101 minutes.

Age Range: This is rated PG. There's a bit of peril that might be too much for really little kids, but nothing gory ever happens so kids over 8 would probably be okay. The goblins can be a bit alarming but they're more bumbling than (think of Maleficent's minions in Sleeping Beauty (1959)) scary. Jareth is probably the eeriest thing in this world.

Crew: Directed by: Jim Henson. Produced by: Eric Rattray. Written by: Terry Jones, Dennis Lee, and Jim Henson. Music by: Trevor Jones and performed by David Bowie.

Starring: David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, and a whole slew of voice actors and puppeteers! 

Personally, I'll always choose the blue option.

General thoughts:

Coming after Henson's earlier work The Dark Crystal (1982) (which I am now curious about to see if it's in the same world), this film is in the classic "girl goes to another world to learn about herself" canon, up there with The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, and Jim Henson himself didn't mind the comparison. However, this story didn't stop at garnering inspiration, but was substantial in influencing future stories in this niche micro-genre. Some other films that come to mind with a similar premise are:

• Spirited Away (2001): spirits instead of goblins fill this world, but our main character still has a spiky-haired antagonist to face.
• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999): this may not count because it's a play on Alice in Wonderland already, but what it has in common with Labyrinth is puppets, so I think it's still of note. It also features something that is lost and claimed by the antagonist (in this case, it's a blanket instead of a baby).
• Pan's Labyrinth (2006): I have yet to see the film itself, but have seen a couple presentations about it so I have a pretty good idea about the plot. My basis of comparison isn't just the title, but also the dynamic between a girl and her brother.

As far as I know none of those films have credited Labyrinth as an inspiration, they just stood out to me so this is my own un-researched hypothesis. What is known is that this film has a cult following and there have been discussions of a sequel since 2016. While there haven't been any updates since 2024, it was still thought to be sincere.

And besides, Mr. David Bowie is no longer with us and who else could play Jareth?

Though, it would be hard to follow this up because this film is so distinctively 80s, so something made 40 years later would invariably feel out of place and not even in the same world. It's hard to pinpoint a tone for this story as the stakes are high--Sarah's brother's life is in the balance!--yet then there are puppets, the occasional crass joke thrown in, and musical numbers.

Quick tangent: These songs are low-key insane. I get it, they couldn't bring in someone as famous in the music world as David Bowie and NOT have him sing, but at the same time it's not a musical? And David Bowie is the only one who is singing?? The muppets sing along sometiems, too, but Sarah never has a song which is what keeps this from feeling like a musical and more of a pop experiment. It just plays into Jareth being dramatic that he breaks out in song from time to time, usually just to sing things he could've just as easily said with a few words. I somehow have them stuck in my head even though I don't know what the words are.

Is that a magic 8 ball?

With that out of the way, back to defining the tone. As strange as it is for me now--and strange doesn't mean I don't like it!--it's not too far out there for the time frame, as it is believably in league with other 80s fantasy films, such as The NeverEnding Story (1984). I'd classify this as funky fantasy. That's not an official genre, but it's as close as I can get to describe it, as opposed to things like high fantasy or dark fantasy or...romantasy.

And that's what leads me to what I really want to talk about: I think this film inspired a generation of fans who also love romantasy (romance + fantasy), and explains so much about people being obsessed with the "romantasy" genre even if the film itself isn't part of it. 

For those of you who are not around the current book spheres, romantasy often involves characters from opposing sides (enemies-to-lovers) as the main couple, frequently including a brooding character who has for much of the story been seen as the villain/antagonist/or just plain dangerous. You'll notice that Romance isn't in the genres listed for this film, yet there's a scene where Jareth is up to his usual manipulation and is trying to make Sarah forget why she's there until time runs out, so he traps her in a time-loop and the common reading from the cult following is that this is romantic. 

I'm here to argue that it isn't and that the movie isn't trying to show that it is.

Sarah has been longing for an escape this whole time, and that's all Jareth is offering her, to be stuck in a time-loop forever. In this hazy escape world Sarah is clinging to things that have a sense of familiarity, not attraction. There are other options for escape given later and they are just as attractive options to Sarah as this scene, and so that's no indication of feelings on either side. The goblin king is never in love with Sarah, only ever trying to trick her. And she's never in love with him, just under the spell.   

I think that's more to do with the dress, if we're being honest.

Romantasy as a genre is fine on its own--let people read what they like!--but I think it's problematic if it's read into things that are not there. Remember: he's the villain and she's 16 years old. I think the film itself does not support that as we are constantly reminded of the true motivations (only a villain would nearly drop a baby so many times).

And who knows, maybe people don't see it this way; that's just the impression I had of this movie for years now before watching it and was impressed that it actually had such a hard line of just being manipulation and nothing more, and it's up to the characters to break free.

And while we're here, let's talk about the characters.

Preciousssssss

I really liked Sarah as our progatonist. At first she is somewhat petulant, whiney, and has her own idea of what is and isn't fair in life (the "I wonder what your basis for comparison" line is ICONIC), but like all great stories, her worldview changes and she becomes strong and kind. Her arc is about growing up, grief, and coming to appreciate those you have, not those you lost.

To continue the comparison to The Wizard of Oz, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus remind me of The Scarecrow, The Tinwoodsman, and The Cowardly Lion. There is not an exact counterpart for each member of the trio, but instead all have parts of intelligence, compassion, and bravery.

I would also hold Ludo's hand.

Those characters are bold in their personalities but also in their appearance, thanks to the work done to bring them to life and I so appreciate the effort of all of those puppets. I mean, it's Jim Henson, so that's kind of his forte. To our modern eyes, some of the transitions aren't perfect, but that's part of the charm.

In addition to the puppets, I was constantly blown away by the set and the utter commitment of dusting everything in gold. I mean it, there's glitter on everything. I could not find a great picture to demonstrate this, so you just have to watch it to see how in-depth they go. This alone makes me think of it as not being as "dark fantasy" as it is often portrayed. Yes, there are dark moments, but there's also enough humor to keep things light. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, or at least, at the end of the Labyrinth.

Look at the sparkly walls!

For the blogathon:

This is my entry to the "Eddie's Year" Blogathon hosted by Sally Silverscreen at 18 Cinema Lane. This blogathon is celebrating the character Eddie Munson from Stranger Things and through that the year 1986, the year he would've graduated. I haven't watched Stranger Things, but Sally also opened this blogathon up to movies made in 1986 and when I saw Labyrinth back in February I sprung at the chance to talk about it. Last year around this time I reviewed The Breakfast Club (1985) for a blogathon celebrating movies from 1985, so this felt like the next logical step.

From what I understand about Eddie and the world of Stranger Things, Dungeons and Dragons is a part of it. This film feels very much like it could be in that world with the twists and turns and changing rules. If this were a Dungeons and Dragons set-up then Jareth feels like the Dungeon Master--one that nobody likes--as he changes the scenarios from minute to minute. I've never played D&D but would love to give it a go, so my character that I'll claim is either Hoggle or Sir Didymus. Pretty simple when anything comes up: Hoggle runs away from danger and Sir Didymus runs towards it. But as I talked about above, they have development of their own, too, so the story is never dull.

This review of mine is last minute, at the thirteenth hour, but thanks to Sally for hosting this! Readers, if you liked this article and want to revisit more of 1986, check out the other entries in the blogathon HERE.

13 is prime time.

Thank you for reading! Have you seen this movie? Do you think this fits into the romantasy genre? I'd love to discuss it with you in the comments! Who do you think of Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus is the best fit for each Wizard of Oz character I listed? What are other 80s fantasy films you enjoy? What should I know about Stranger Things?

Until next time,

Chloe the MovieCritic

Movie Review: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Fee-fi-fo-fum, the time to talk about tall tales has begun!

A trend for fantasy movies in the early 2010s was to embrace a darker and grittier version of well known fairy tales. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and Maleficent (2014) were two popular examples, but sandwiched between them was another entry in this sub-genre that had hopes for being killer. So let's see if, as folks say nowadays, it "slayed."

Spoiler warning: This movie follows the basic outline of the fairytales Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer and as those are relatively well known in their outcomes, I'll reference those more than I usually do when talking about the endings of movies in my reviews. As for the unique elements of this film, I'll talk about some details but leave how it actually turns out a surprise for you!

Jack the Giant Slayer (2013):

Premise: Jack is a big dreamer, having developed a love of reading from a young age by the stories his father read to him. Unfortunately, dreaming doesn't create food for one to eat, so Jack's uncle sends him to market to start selling some of their belongings. However, the legends about giants may have an element of truth, and evil Lord Roderick is looking for the way to the skies, and that way falls right into Jack's hands: magic beans. Meanwhile, Princess Isabelle keeps trying to escape her arranged marriage, much to the chagrin of Elmont, the captain of the guard assigned to keeping her safe. Both Isabelle and Jack are thrown into a bigger adventure in the sky as they try to get home before a clash between the worlds is created.

Genre(s): Fantasy, Fairytale retelling, Adventure.

Length: approx. 114 minutes.

Age Range: It's rated PG-13 for some intense violence, usually in the form of CGI/fantasy brutality rather than one on one combat.

Crew: Directed by: Bryan Singer. Produced by: Neal H. Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer, Patrick McCormick, & Ori Marmur. Written by: Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney, & David Dobkin. Music by: John Ottman.

Starring: Nicholas Holt, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy, Ewan McGregor, Eddie Marsan, Ralph Brown, John Kassir, and Cornell John, Andrew Brooke, Angus Barnet, and Ben Daniels (credited as giants with the names Fee, Fye, Foe, and Fumm, which I appreciate).

General Thoughts:

This movie is relatively unknown as compared to others in this sub-genre, and I think it suffers most from critics due to the quality of the CGI. The visuals were laughably bad, which makes the violence (which, warning, includes popping eyeballs and skewered tongues) all the more eyebrow raising because THIS is what they came up with? For me drags the movie down a little but to give it some credit, there is also motion capture involved not just computer simulations. Battle choices aside, what impacts the quality the most is in the design of the giants. All of the giants are purposefully made to be grotesque and unnatural, when I feel like it could very well have just been made with people and special effects or makeup.

Comparatively, Snoke is a masterpiece.

It makes me wonder if making the giants look as gruesome as possible is an attempt to compensate for the body counts later, because the viewers surely wouldn't care! It's their comeuppance! In a fantasy world it is typical to make an us vs. them (see the orcs in Tolkien's work), but here it lacks nuance. I would've liked to see the fairy tale element of one outside the norm, i.e. one of the giants helping the little people out. In fact, the original tale is marked by the compassion of the giant's wife who helps Jack hide but there is no such show of heart for these giants in the sky. It did feel like it was missing something (maybe the Bechdel test?); making everyone bad or good and not have any grey area feels a little lazy. Maybe I'm used to Big Friendly Giants, but it rubbed me a little wrong.

This isn't to say I don't like the movie! I'll talk about what I liked it a minute, and it will show how the rest of my nitpicks made me go "huh" but didn't really change my enjoyment of it. 

The script isn't anything spectacular, as it has some cliches, but those can also be seen as part of the fairy tale genre that starts ("Once upon a time...") and ends ("happily ever after") almost every story the same way. The film walks the line between being serious and being tongue-in-cheek so I think it would've been more successful if it had picked a lane? But success is overrated, as I vibed with the nonchalant yet adventurous attitude, which felt apropos of fairy tales, even if it was unconventional in the movie sphere.

I'm not sure if it would go as far as being called plot holes, but I definitely have questions about how the magic works in this land because it seems conditional; I counted the beans getting wet many more times than the plot counted them getting wet. That is, if this even is a different kingdom, as suddenly--with a jolt--we were England? I don't know if they ever considered a sequel, but there was some potential through some loose threads that didn't get wrapped up. If they had considered a continuation, it would've been fun to see even more classic fairy tales included!

Now to talk about what I liked, it's time to mention the blog party this is for!

For the blogathon: 

This review is my last contribution to Hamlette's We Love Fairy Tales Week!

My favorite part of this film is that it is an ode to storytelling and fairy tales themselves, as both our young protagonists grew up listening to and believing in fairy tales. While that is frowned upon at first by others as a foolish pastime, it is their creativity and ingenuity that was nurtured by these stories that helps them to solve problems and get out of sticky situations.

This is a combination of two fairy tales: Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer.  For an adaptation, they did a good job of keeping enough of the elements so the story feels familiar and comfortable, but also adding in new plots and goals to keep the viewer wanting more. They introduced and developed characters to make it suitable for a 2 hour format, and I'll always be won over by in-depth characters.

I relate to Jack and his tendency to dream, as shown by my frequent daydreaming when I should've been writing this post that I said I would over a month ago...

Jack was sweet and I liked how he was clever and just distracted at times. The scene where Isabelle is blaming herself and Jack totally reshapes her perspective was darling. 

There's a bit of a romance, which makes my reviewing this on Valentine's Day appropriate. 

This film's biggest asset is the cast because you can tell they are all having so much fun. They take their roles seriously, but in a way that is also lighthearted? I can't really describe the attitude, but it's a fun time.

Evil Stanley Tucci played up the villain role to the max. I also really liked Eddie Marson as Crawe, the second in command for Elmont as well as Ewen Bremner as Wicke, the minion to Lord Roderick. I love a good sidekick and I thought they played their opposing archetypes with the right amounts of camp.

Warwick Davis has a cameo which was a delight but also not enough! I wanted more because it was great fun contrast for telling a story about giants.

The whole cast pulls its weight and at times I thought "why are we focusing on Jack!?" when I was equally intrigued by what was happening to the other characters and I had to remind myself that he is indeed the titular character, so it checks out.

Though, if it was up to me, this movie would be about my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE, character, Elmont. He had the exact right amount of snark, loyalty, and energy. He was brilliant and along for the ride. As a bonus, Ewan McGregor just looks like he's having the time of his life. So I can count this a Valentine's Day movie for me watching him.

Thanks to Hamlette for hosting this blog party! Check out the wrap-up post for the blog party to make sure you didn't miss out on any of the entries.

What do you guys think of this sub-genre of gritty fantasy fairy tales? Do you have a favorite "ode to storytelling"? Who are some of your favorite characters who are not the main character? Do you think there should be some nuance for fairy tale creatures? What fairy tales could you see connected to this one in a sequel?

Thank you for reading and happy Valentine's Day!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda (2008)

 Hello, friends!

I've found it to be a common theme that when I was little I would enjoy a movie, but then I got to a phase where I just thought it was silly or inane. Eventually I grew out of that and once again saw many of the films for how brilliant they are. Kind of like that C. S. Lewis quote, "One day you will be old enough to read fairytales again."

Today, I'm talking about one of those movies! I remember just missing Kung Fu Panda when it came out in theaters in 2008, but I've seen it countless times since. Since my years of shunning it I now claim this to be one of the most humorous films I've ever seen. It always cheers me up to watch it, and likewise to talk about it, so let's get down to business (wrong movie) let's get to kung fu fighting.

The following is me talking about why I enjoy the movie and the messages therein but not what actually happens in it, so this article is spoiler-free. Enjoy!

Kung Fu Panda (2008):

Premise: Po eats, sleeps, and dreams thinking about kung fu. Due to an accident, Po gets chosen to be the new "Dragon Warrior" and disgruntled by this, Master Shifu is determined to make him quit. The Furious Five are disappointed at not being chosen but they aren't the only ones as word reaches Tai Lung, an exiled former student of Shifu. Tai Lung will stop at nothing to get the Dragon Scroll given to the Dragon Warrior and the way to defend is through kung fu...that is if a panda can learn how to master this ancient martial art.

Genres: Comedy, Family, Action/Adventure, Animated films.

"There is now a level zero."

Length: approx. 92 minutes.

Age Range: This is rated PG, for some mild violence (the titular action of kung fu is part of it!). Some tiny kids might be scared of Tai Lung, but all in all this works for any age.

Crew: Directed by: John Stevenson and Mark Osborne. Produced by: Melissa Cobb. Written by: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger based on the story by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris. Animation by: DreamWorks studios. Music by: Hans Zimmer.

Kung Fu...red panda?

Starring the voices of: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Jackie Chan, Randall Duk Kim, and James Hong.

General thoughts:

How I look when I'm acting out what happens in this movie.

Me watching this movie is like Po being tickled: I'm just in stitches the whole time through. There's one scene where Po is in a hall of ancient kung fu weapons that my sister and I can't reenact without giggling. It is marvelously quotable, so much so that I couldn't even begin to tell you how many times I've said lines from it over the years. It is a movie that is as satisfying as the dew from a ginkgo leaf.

While the majority of the movie is in 3D animation, the beginning and credits have a 2D animation style that links back to other Chinese art forms. The score by the brilliant Hans Zimmer is mystical and magical, and I love the song "Kung Fu Fighting" performed by Jack Black and CeeLo Green.

"One often meets his destiny on the road to avoid it."

As for the story itself, Po is quite a relatable and sympathetic character. He goes through real struggles of trying to achieve things while everyone doubts him while staying cheery himself. This movie deals with real moments in small ways, such as having to communicate to family member that what you love is different than what they love. Po's dad runs a noodle shop and wants Po to take over, but Po wants to do "kung fuuuuuuuuuu!"

The rest of the characters are so lovable, from wise Oogway to impatient Shifu to the strengths of the Furious Five, each character has their own goals and sense of humor.

This film was so successful that it has since received three sequels. I've only seen the first of them (Kung Fu Panda 2) and think it's one of the most solid sequels I've seen. It is missing one aspect that is quite prominent in this film: food.

Food in the film:

"Well done, students...if you were trying to disappoint me."

When I was younger I was told that I was a stress eater. This was not in an official diagnosis, just observation from others, and it immediately confused me. First of all, I was never all that stressed, and second, I just liked to eat. It seemed like something that was wrong with me, but I took comfort in the character of Po, because he eats when he's upset. College since taught me that I'm not a stress eater; I eat when I'm bored. When I'm stressed, I just don't eat. Which also isn't a healthy thing to do. Po learns that what he wants to be (a kung fu master) and who he is (a panda) can be possible when he does it the way a panda would. It's not going to be the same for a snake, a bird, or a tortise. 

"I guess my body doesn't know it's the dragon warrior yet." 

Through this lens, I think this movie subtly looks at abelism. It starts because Po cannot get up the stairs. He's called "just a fat panda" many times but learns to take ownership of it and who he is actually becomes an asset. Already there are many different animals that are the kung fu experts as within the Furious Five you have Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper. The characters in this movie already understand that one can be small and mighty, but this looks at the other end. What that would like to have a panda as a kung fu master? It would be wrong for a panda to not be cute and cuddly, but Po shows other possibilities of what to do. He is made how he's supposed to be and he just needs the right training.

"Oh, careful! That soup is...sharp."

Which involves food. 

Once Shifu figures out the lengths Po will go to get a snack, he uses food as a way to train this panda. Thus commences one of my favorite training sequences in film. I've always loved this approach of maybe you're not doing it wrong, maybe the teacher just hasn't found what works for you. In Po's case it is through food and once Shifu realizes this, he becomes a better teacher himself.

From Po's dad running a noodle shop to Po making food for his friends to the idea of "secret ingredient soup," food is a medium for the characters to learn and grow.

Mmmmmm, delicious.

Why am I talking about food so much? This is my submission to Sally's Food and Film Blogathon! 

Thanks for hosting, Sally!

For my readers, what motivates you to achieve the impossible? For me it would probably be food. Or getting to watch a movie or read a book. Do you have a favorite movie in the Kung Fu Panda series? What would ideal kung fu training look like for you?

I guess all my talking here would be what Shifu would consider "flapping" so by response to his request of "Would whoever is making that flapping sound please quiet down?" I'll take my leave.

Chloe the MovieCritic

Movie Review: Solo: A STAR WARS Story (2018)

 May the fourth be with you!

All my fellow STAR WARS fans know what today is! The day to celebrate one of my favorite film franchises! For anyone who hasn’t seen STAR WARS and is confused, let me explain it to you. In STAR WARS a common saying is, “May the force be with you”, and since today is May 4th, you get the gist.

What are all of my fellow fans doing today? I’ve been busy all day admiring my STAR WARS gear, watching one of the films, and drinking chocolate milk. Right now after all that I’m reviewing one of the spin-off movies for you! Before I get started, know this:

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!

Interested in the other movies? I highly recommend watching them in the following order (with links to my reviews):

IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: The Return of the Jedi (1982), I: The Phantom Menace (1999), II: Attack of the Clones (2002), III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), VII: The Force Awakens (2015), VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), & IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Watch them in that order, ignoring those pesky numbers and all of the surprises will be intact!

If you want to watch the first spin-off, Rogue One (2016), then you can watch it any time, really, but in the timeline it goes between what happens in III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and IV: A New Hope (1977).

What about this one? If you want to watch this movie then you can once again watch it without previous experience, but you’ll get a lot more of the references if you’ve seen the original trilogy (episodes IV-VI) because that is where they drew inspiration even though in the timeline this comes around the same time as Rogue One (2016). Warning, if you have seen the prequels (episodes I-III) but haven’t seen the TV series STAR WARS: Clone Wars, then something near the end will really confuse you. My sister and I were bewildered and didn’t understand what happened because it wasn’t consistent with the rest of the series. That is, until a friend who had seen Clone Wars explained it to her.

Now, what we’ve all been waiting for, the review!

Solo: A STAR WARS Story (2018):

The orphan Han manages to get off the planet Corellia, escaping from a gang. Time passes and he has gone through several army positions until he gets thrown in jail. There he meets a new friend and later runs in to some smugglers. Working together they want to steal coaxium, a valuable fuel. When plans fall through they have to work specially for Dryden Vos of the Crimson Dawn where they strike a new difficult deal to make up for a mistake: Make a Kessel Run to get unprocessed coaxium. What with faces from Han’s past as well as new shifty accomplices, whom can he trust?

Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure.

Length: approx. 135 minutes.

Script: 8. A smattering of mild common swearing, but not too bad.

Crew: Directed by: Ron Howard. Written by: Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan, based on characters by George Lucas.

Starring:

Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo.

‘“Sorry I punched your face.”

“Happens more often than you think.”’

Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian.

Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra.

Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett.

Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos.

Erin Kellyman as Enfys Nest.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37.

Thandie Newton as Val.

Jon Favreau as the voice of Rio Durant.

Linda Hunt as the voice of Lady Proxima.

Ian Kenny as Rebolt.

John Tui as Korso.

Charlotte Louise as Margo.

Sema-Tawi Smart as Chanteuse.

Clint Howard as Ralakili.

Dee Tails as Quay Tolsite.

Attila Vajda as Sagwa.

Anthony Daniels as Tak.

Kiran Shah as Karjj.

Lily Newmark as Lexi.

Samantha Colley as Ottilie.

Costumes: 8. For some reason today anything I put here seems like it would be weird. Don’t know what that’s about. I don’t have anything bad to say about any of the outfits, I thought they were cool!

Cinematography: 7. Typical for an action movie. Lots of CGI with the space travel which was overdone in a few places but other than that fine.

Cinematography by: Bradford Young.

Music: 8. I don’t love it like I do the original, but I still like it! It was distinctly its own thing yet as the movie went on started using more STAR WARS themes which was very cool. I especially like the track for the Marauders.

Music by: John Powell with a few contributions by John Williams.

Quotability: 5. Has a surprisingly low score for a STAR WARS movie, I know. I haven’t even considered quoting it at all since I watched it, and neither has my sister. But there were some decent lines that I found.

“I admire anyone who can crawl their way out of a sewer.”

Content: 7. There is death, killing, and one or two suggestive lines. There are some scary things like creatures and powers that people have, but it didn’t bother me excessively.

Originality: 9. It was much more original than I expected! It took an idea and expanded on it, adding fun characters. I was impressed!

Good For: STAR WARS fans.

Age Range: It is rated PG-13 because of the violence and that’s not far off. I can see younger kids liking this a lot, but it would depend on what they personally like already. That’s me stating the obvious, sorry!

Overall Score: 7.5.

Worth watching?: Yeah, I’m glad to finally know what all of the hype is about.

Will I watch again?: Well...when I first started this review I was sure that the answer was no, but thinking about it this much has made me want to try it again.

Bonus thoughts:

Here’s what you guys have been wondering the whole time: Did I like it? Some of you might have guessed my feelings, but I assure you that there is more to it!

The story was fun, the design of the movie was rad, the characters were well constructed, and it was a neat journey.

Just one big problem:

It wasn’t Han Solo.

Before you turn on me know that I liked it quite a bit! The thing is, I would be very engaged then I would think, “Wait, this is Han?” It would completely throw me off track because it. isn’t. him. Han is a mysterious character whom we first see in A New Hope. I don’t need a backstory made up for him. Alden Ehrenreich was trying his best, so I don’t blame him in any way as he was great to watch, but I prefer to think of him as a whole new character in the fabulous STAR WARS universe.

The most believable character of the ones we are familiar with was Donald Glover’s Lando. He was very charismatic yet without a lot of maturity. I love Lando so I highly approve. I think of this movie as Lando with a bunch of new never-before-seen characters.

My favorite part of all of this had to be Dryden Vos. Paul Bettany rocked acting him! He was so creepy with a spoilt elegance. It was revoltingly awesome. He was an epic villain.

I have to say that I didn’t like L3-37, but that’s just me. Qi’ra was a fascinating character whom I want to know more about!

I liked a ton of concepts here. The Marauders, the Crimson Dawn (such a neat name! Every organization needs to have such an incredible name), and Enfys Nest and crew! It had great potential.

This film was definitely an ordeal to make! They went through several directors before landing on Ron Howard as well as some change of cast and crew involving several reshoots. Knowing this beforehand I thought that it would be easy to spot where things got changed around, but I was wrong and didn’t notice.

The climax was one of the craziest that I’ve ever seen! I was getting whiplash from everything that was happening so quickly! At first I was just stunned (and a little irritated) but thinking about it now, it was really cool. Probably my second favorite part of the movie after Dryden Vos. If, like me, you are a hardcore STAR WARS fan yet are wary of trying this then I would say it is worth a shot! You don’t have to believe that everything is cannon and just enjoy it as something completely different like me, or if you enjoy it as it is then I’ll be happy for you!

Well, there’s the scoop from me. Thanks for reading this! Tell me if you’ve seen this and what you think of my thoughts! Was anyone else unsure of this film? Was it better or worse than you expected? Let’s just talk all things STAR WARS! Who else likes Dryden Vos as much as I do?

May the fourth be with you, and Godspeed rebels.

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Willow (1988)

Hello, everyone!

We all have films that we were introduced to when we were very young and have stuck with us ever since. Today I’m going to be talking about just such a movie so I’m very excited! Are you looking for a movie where someone goes on a journey to keep people safe in a dangerous world? All you have to do is read on!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free in its entirety!

Willow (1988):

Queen Bavmorda is searching everywhere for the child who, according to a prophecy, is going to bring about her doom. This baby is Princess Elora Danan and she ends up in the Aldwin village. The villagers are scared she will only bring them trouble and give one of the Aldwins who found her, Willow Ufgood, the task of taking her to the border where the Daikinis live. He meets some who are willing to help like Rool and Franjean, some with questionable motivations like Madmartigan, and some out to kill the baby, like Queen Bavmorda’s daughter, Sorsha. He needs to find the enchantress Fin Raziel as his magic isn’t strong enough to grant any protection. What lengths will Willow have to go through to make Elora safe?

“All creatures of good heart need your help, Willow. The choice is yours.”

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 125 minutes.

Script: 10. I am very sure that there are no bad words.

Crew: Directed by: Ron Howard. Written by: George Lucas & Bob Dolman.

Starring:

Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood.

Val Kilmer as Madmartigan.

Joanne Whalley as Sorsha.

Not gonna lie, this sword might be the most terrifying weapon ever.

Jean Marsh as Queen Bavmorda.

Patricia Hayes as Fin Raziel.

Kevin Pollak as Rool.

Rick Overton as Franjean.

Pat Roach as Gen. Kael.

Gavan O'Herlihy as Airk Thaughbaer.

David Steinberg as Meegosh.

Julie Peters as Kiaya Ufgood.

Mark Vande Brake as Ranon Ufgood.

Dawn Downing as Mims Ufgood.

Ruth Greenfield & Kate Greenfield as Elora Danan.

I'd been searching for photos to use for a few minutes then I looked at the photos that I downloaded and they were almost all of Elora. She is so stinking cute! I can't handle it!

Billy Barty as High Aldwin.

Phil Fondacaro as Vohnkar.

Tony Cox as Vohnkar Warrior.

Robert Gillibrand as Vohnkar Warrior.

Mark Northover as Burglekutt.

Maria Holvöe as Cherlindrea.

Michael Cotterill as Druid.

Sallyanne Law as Mother.

Costumes: 7. There are a few times when someone isn’t wearing a shirt or much clothing besides that, but that’s all.

Cinematography: 8. There is nothing too special. You can tell the special effects are a very much what were happening in the 80s and some are terribly cringy, but I like how minimal they are compared to nowadays. Here I’m also counting how much I love the overall aesthetic and vibe of the movie.

Cinematography by: Adrian Biddle.

Music: 10. I can’t scream enough about how much I love this score! I always forget how good it is, yet every time I hear it swell, I’m swelled up with happiness! It is the epitome of adventure music.

Music by: James Horner.

Quotability: 10. My sisters and I have been quoting this line, and many others, for years (you really need to hear how it is said to get how hilarious it is, but I did my best with typing what it sounds like):

‘“We go that way!”

“No, we go that way!”

“That’s what I saidah!”

Content: 6. There is one rather suggestive line, but other than that this score is because of the violence. There is a war going on so battles, fighting, and death are to be expected. In addition to that, it’s scary. There are some gruesome and terrifying creatures (dogs, trolls, other monsters) as well as some frighting dark magic. Both Willow and Fin Raziel have good magic which is a great contrast to Queen Bavmorda’s horrid ways so I’ve never minded it.

Originality: 10! Everything about this plot is so good and creative. Quests are iconic and this one is fully unique! The use of magic is well done and the world is teeming with possibilities!

Good For: anyone who wants an epic adventure!

Age Range: I don’t remember the first time that I watched this. It has always been a movie that I’ve seen! Granted, I remember being freaked out a few times and hugging a friend’s dog for comfort while watching this, but at the same time I knew how everything turned out. It is rated PG and that’s fine, but I think this depends on the personal tolerance level of the person watching it. It almost always depends on that, but this is an extra special case. I would say unless it was someone like my sisters and me who were raised on it, maybe 10 and up. It might even be more PG-13 by today’s standards.

Overall Score: 9!

Worth watching?: Yes! I feel like I’ve been saying this with everything I’ve reviewed recently, but it has so much HEART. It’s about courage and doing the right thing and those are lessons well worth remembering.

Will I watch again?: Count on it! I last saw this in October, but I feel like seeing it again already! Maybe the next time I see my older sister.

“Oh, she’s so cute!”

(Do you know who’s cute? Mims and Ranon! They are the most adorable kids EVER!)

For the blogathon:

This is my entry in Heidi at Along the Brandywine’s Of High Stakes & Daring Deeds Epic Story Month! This has been going since April 5th and will continue to May 14th, so there’s plenty of time to join in on the fun!

You know how so many people love The Lord of the Rings? I’ve read the books and watched the movies and I enjoyed it a lot, it’s just not my favorite story in the universe. But I completely understand that feeling of adventure and awe in a fantastic and epic story! That exact same feeling is what happens in me every time I watch this movie. I love it so much! I have been watching it for as long as I can remember and it never fails to fill me with joy and expectation! I know that it sounds pretty absurd, but it's awesome. It was written by George Lucas, guys!

The characters carry the story which is the best! Willow is an absolute sweetheart. I love him and his family so much. He doubts his potential and feels like an impostor but he is trying to find bravery as he just wants to protect the ones he loves. And speaking of people he loves, the way he cares for Elora is so precious! I love them. Even the short time we see his best friend Meegosh shows how much he cares.

Madmartigan. What to say about him? I think he might have been my first experience with a morally grey character! He tries to be all tough and be the “greatest warrior”, but he really is soft and cares. One of my favorite parts is the whole “blackroot” scene.

(I won’t talk about Arik because too much because he and Madmartigan don’t get along, but long story short, I love him, too.)

I’m going to pause and talk about these names for one quick second. They are so cool! My sisters and I love to randomly say, “Meegosh”! Hearing “Queen Bavmorda” sends a chill down my spine every single time! Her fierce daughter Sorsha is always trying to prove herself and it works so well with the competition between her and General Kael. Sorsha also just has the best lines.

Rool and Franjean add in some perfectly timed comic relief. These two best friends are hilarious and get into so much trouble. What else can you expect from Brownies?

This is an epic if you are ever looking for one, and it is my favorite.

(Did I go overboard on the photos? Maybe I tiny bit. Sorry, but I love this movie!)

Thanks to Heidi for hosting this! Check out the rest of the party (including a giveaway!) HERE.

Thanks for reading, dear friends! Has anyone else seen this? I would love to chat about it. What were the first examples of morally grey characters that you ever saw? What is a movie that you know by heart and can’t imagine a time without it? Talk to you soon!

MovieCritic