WILLOW
★★★★
OUT NOW (DISNEY+) / EPISODES SEEN 7 OF 8
SHOWRUNNER Jonathan Kasdan
CAST Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley, Ralph Ineson
Most 1980s fantasy films were cheap and looked it; Willow was an exception. So this TV sequel has something to live up to. The good news is that, with its bunch of bickering Gen-Z misfits, it offers all the necessary swashbuckling and pratfalling. The inevitable quest begins when dark forces kidnap Prince Airk (Dempsey Bryk); his sister Kit (Ruby Cruz) leads a rescue mission — with the first stop being Warwick Davis’ Willow. This is an unapologetically traditional fantasy, with no pretensions to Game Of Thrones grimness or Lord Of The Rings seriousness. But it also has vivid new characters, scary moments and fun obstacles. It relies less on nostalgia than you’d expect, too.