History Film / Willow

* NoSell: When Willow throws a magic acorn at Bavmorda, she catches it in her hand. Her hand gets turned to stine, but then she's able to revert the effect.

* DefiantToTheEnd: Elora's birth mother, exhausted from her labor and in despair at the knowledge that her child is TheChosenOne, still has enough courage to send her newborn daughter away and talks smack to Queen Bavmorda ''to her face''. She was going to die either way, but this lady's got guts.

* BornAgainImmortality: The reason why Queen Bavmorda can't just have Elora Danan killed; the baby's soul would only reincarnate in a new body, and the point of the banishing ritual is to banish her soul to oblivion, thus killing her for good.

* BornAgainImmortality: Elora has this power.

* ThirdTimesACharm: Raziel makes three attempts to coach Willow through turning her back from a possum to a human. He gets interrupted by the Brownies the first time, which turns Raziel into a crow; the second time, the approaching army of Nockmaar breaks his concentration, and she shifts to a goat; the third time, Willow forces himself to stay focused, and while this time is longer and far more painful than his first two attempts, he eventually succeeds and Raziel is human once more.

''Willow'' is a 1988 HeroicFantasy film directed by Creator/RonHoward and written by Bob Dolman, from a story by Creator/GeorgeLucas (who also produced it). The story is about a young farmer named Willow Ufgood (Creator/WarwickDavis), one of a {{Hobbit|s}}-like short race of people called Nelwynns, who is drawn away from his sheltered home to save Elora Danan, a baby girl with a destiny, from the evil queen sorceress Bavmorda (Creator/JeanMarsh), who would see her destroyed.

** The movie is clearly influenced by ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (and released thirteen years before the [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings film series]]). Willow is a little person protagonist who has Frodo's [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]] status and Sam's courage, Madmartigan is a darker version of Strider/Aragon, and Raziel is a female Gandalf.
** Arguably, the film has an even closer influence: Lucas's own ''Star Wars'' series. Virtually all the major characters in ''Willow'' have a clear counterpart in the first ''Star Wars'' trilogy: Willow is Luke, Madmartigan is Han, Sorsha is Leia (a bit of Vader too), Airk is Lando, High Aldwin is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fin Raziel is Yoda, Bavmorda is Palpatine, Kael is Vader,[[note]]Particularly Vader as he appeared in ''Film/ANewHope'', prior to his BreakoutCharacter status in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.[[/note]] and the brownies are the droids.

* {{Fanfare}}: The music is by Music/JamesHorner, so yeah.

* FantasticSlurs:
-->'''Willow:''' Don't call me a peck!
-->'''Madmartigan''': Oh, I'm ''sorry!'' ''Peck.'' Peck. Peck, Peck, Peck, Peck, Peck!
** "HELP!! [[FauxHorrific THERE'S A PECK HERE WITH AN ACORN POINTED AT ME]]!!"
** [[HypocrisyNod "These Pecks make terrible nursemaids."]]

* MrFanservice: Madmartigan. He runs around with his shirt open.

* NoSell: When Willow [[spoiler:throws a magic acorn at Bavmorda, she catches it in her hand and nullifies its effect]].

%%* HeroesWantRedheads: [[spoiler:Madmartigan to Sorsha]].

%%* OurMonstersAreWeird: The Eborsisk, full stop.

** Madmartigan {{Paper Thin Disguise}}s himself as a woman to dodge an angry husband, only to catch the hulking oaf's eye (which is pretty darn chauvinist of him, considering he barged into the room in a jealous rage). HilarityEnsues.
-->'''Llug''': Wanna breed?
-->'''Madmartigan''': Tempting, but... [[NoJustNoReaction no]].

--->'''Sorsha''': You're no woman! (tears off Madmartigan's [[strike:PaperThinDisguise]] wig)
--->'''Llug''': '''''Not a woman?'''''
--->'''Madmartigan''': Gentlemen... (smirks)
--->'''Llug''': '''''NOT A WOMAN?!'''''
--->'''Madmartigan''': Meet Llug! (ducks)
--->'''Llug''': '''''[[MegatonPunch RRRAAARGH!]]'''''

* DefiantToTheEnd: Elora's birth mother, though exhausted from her labor and in despair at the knowledge that her child is TheChosenOne, still has enough courage to send her newborn daughter away and talks smack to Bavmorda's face.