Blu-ray

Willow

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 19, 2013

Find out what happened when George Lucas tried ripping off J.R.R. Tolkien for a change

Having re-invigorated the sci-fi genre with Star Wars, George Lucas turned his attention to the fantasy world in 1988. Sadly, Willow failed to live up to expectations, thanks to the combination of its relentlessly formulaic narrative and Ron Howard's lifeless direction. Indeed, these days it's only really remembered for its use of early digital morphing effects.

The film does have a modest fanbase, though, and we're sure that they will be pleased to see that Fox has delivered a good hi-def package, including a gorgeous restoration and some informative bonus bits (including deleted scenes and archival featurettes - with newly recorded intros). The AVC 2.40:1 1080p image is a touch muted, but reveals plenty of fine detail and does a perfectly decent job of maintaining a film-like look throughout. Aural support comes from a enjoyably bold DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack.

20th Century Fox, All-region BD, £18 Approx, On sale now
HCC VERDICT:  3/5

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