It seems odd to refer to 1988's "Willow" as "the Willow movie," but that's because every nostalgic intellectual property is ripe for refreshing in the modern franchise era, and "Willow" finally got a sequel streaming series on Disney+, also called "Willow." Over 30 years passed between the two, and that's a lot of time for actors to change or even pass away. Warwick Davis' passion for his biggest lead role without special effects makeup never waned, and his enthusiasm is palpable still as he struggles to get the series reclaimed from the Disney vault into which it quickly vanished (and we know the annoying reason why).

The original movie, written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, was an attempt to do for fantasy what "Star Wars" had done for science fiction, and it even featured groundbreaking special effects, like the first use of digital morphing. It was a box office disappointment in its day,...