Written by Star Wars conceiver and believer George Lucas and directed with vibrant flair by Ron Howard (who�s �Splash� fantasy was a box-office hit in 1984, just 4 years before �Willow�), the scenery of the mythical kingdom is so jaw-droppingly grand and idyllic you wonder if the landscapes were created as if by magic via SFX, but what you see is what you get in Wales and New Zealand where most of the movie was filmed, preceding The Lord of The Rings� presence in New Zealand by over a decade.
The sole thing that spoils this movie is the crap serpent monster that guards the castle at the end. The �monster� in the movie �Loch Ness� looked crass, but this one is harder to believe than the rumour that David Blaine has vanished. This monster would even look out of place in a �Troma movie�� you know, the low-budget and low-key horror movies that are meant to look tacky!
That aside, Willow is a cool. But obviously not as life-changing as �Labyrinth.� (STEVE RUDD)