An unknown baby is born deep in the dank dungeons beneath the castle of the sorceress Bavmorda, a lady who sounds like she eats lowing calves for breakfast and had a previous career as outside linebacker for the Cleveland Browns.
Bavmorda knows of the prophecy which says that the child will end her rule. She decides to switch to the Herod the Great baby-rich diet, but a midwife snatches the child away and flees. Pursued by Bavmorda's hellish hounds, the midwife is forced to abandon the child, throwing her into a river, which is where she is discovered by our dwarf hero Willow (Warwick Davis).
Willow then takes the baby to a good witch, who will protect her. The journey to safety is filled with a variety of trolls, fairies and other Sunday afternoon strollers, including charming rascal Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) who falls in beside Willow until he develops a crush for Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), the daughter of Bavmorda, and promptly rushes off set to marry her.
George Lucas and director Ron Howard go back years. Howard, who has made several box-office breakers since Willow (Apollo 13, How The Grinch Stole Christmas) starred in an early Lucas effort, the seminal American Graffiti.
Willow is a Film programme that first aired in 1988 and has been classified a PG certificate.
