The Ewok Adventure (1984 TV Movie) User Reviews (55)

By no means "Star Wars", but still charming

[peefyn · 6/10 · 9 December 2015]

Caravan of Courage is not a bad movie, and does not deserve to be forgotten. If you hold it up against the Star Wars saga, it obviously pales in comparison, but that's comparing apples and oranges. This movie, a made for TV-movie intended for children/family-viewing, serves a completely different purpose.

The story is simple and easy to follow, two lost children searches for their parents with help from the Ewoks. I must admit that the story did very little for me, and especially Walker's character were at times especially annoying (mostly to create smaller scenes of conflict).

The highlight of the movie is the stop motion, the costumes, the matte paintings and sets and the special effects. If you like practical effects, it's fun to see how the ILM-crew managed to get quite a lot of a small budget. It's obviously far from perfect, but very charming.

In keeping with the Star Wars Holiday special, it does not subtitle the alien characters, or dub them. It does, however, employ a narrator, explaining some of the things which is hard to understand by body language alone. The Ewok community is also similar to how it looks in episode VI. The human characters do at some points seem a bit unfamiliar with the fact that the Star Wars universe is filled of all sorts of unknown creatures - but it's hard to say exactly what their background is.

At its best, the movie is the like other 80s fantasy/adventure classics about children, like the Time Bandits, Labyrinth and the Goonies. It does not manage to reach the level of imaginative storytelling that any of these other movies display, but the heart is definitely in the same place.

Despite it not being a particularly fun movie, or that well made, it's still an interesting movie. If you are interested in Star Wars-lore, special effects, popular culture or film making, you might enjoy this movie quite a bit.

Ignore the dated effects and just have fun!

[tenthousandtattoos · 6/10 · 10 July 2007]

When I was a kid, playing with my star wars figures, I used to make a hole on the floor with a towel wrapped in the shape of a donut. This was the Sarlaac from Return of the Jedi. Now, I didn't use any paint, crayons, or anything else to make it LOOK like the sarlaac, i said "its the sarlaac" and therefore it was.

What I'm getting at is, when I view these films i am very nostalgic for, like this one, I can simply ignore the fact the sets/matte paintings/stop-motion-animation etc might not be up to say, Lord of the Rings quality. But let that simple, irrelevant fact spoil my enjoyment of films I LOVED as a kid? No way, not on your life! I adored this movie as a youngster, and I just had the great fortune of finally finding it on DVD (with the added bonus of the sequel, which I have NOT seen, so I can't wait to curl up in front of the fire and experience that one) and I am looking forward to showing it to my young nephews. It's got a great setting, a rolling little adventure for the kids, a cute-ness factor that is through the roof thanks to the little fuzzball Ewoks and little Cindel. Now it's no great epic installment to the Star Wars saga we're talking about here, but I refuse to believe they made this film JUST to cash in on Star Wars' success at the box office. This tiny film wouldn't have made them much money anyway! Why would a creative bunch of people get together and spin a wonderful yarn for kids simply to line their own pockets. There are a LOT of ways to make money, but there are less ways to bring a smile to a child's face, and that's far more important.

I love this movie, it's a near-forgotten gem now, lost in the swirling CGI-miasma of the new "Star Wars" movies...and I use the term Star Wars there, lightly indeed. This film probably cost 5% of the Phantom Menace budget, but the Ewoks can visit my lounge-room anytime...Jar Jar however, will be shot on sight...

Another kids' adventure film on the other side of the galaxy.

[emm · 6/10 · 15 May 1999]

These furry little bears known as "Ewoks" had been related to the STAR WARS legend, but this made-for-TV concoction (and the one following this) has nothing to do with the legendary movies. It is, of course, an expansion of the STAR WARS universe that reaches into the realms of mystical adventures, while still holding on to the familiar science fiction theme that George Lucas once created.

THE EWOK ADVENTURE isn't going to win any awards for its basic storyline, plot, and acting routines, and it may remind some of us about the silly live-action Filmation programs that once dominated Saturday mornings in the 70s. The leftover sets from JEDI and its costumes are a real help along with Burl Ives' narration. Don't expect BIG results here; it's VERY predictable! While its fun for virtually all ages, leave this to the kids.

Interesting

[bigdaddyjeffc · 17 April 2001]

Some things to keep in mind when watching this movie: 1) It was made for TV. 2) It was 1984, and 3) It was intended for children. Although many people think this is just a cheap movie made to capitalize on the popularity of the Star Wars films, I see this film and it's sequel as an interesting way to look at the Star Wars Universe when Luke and company aren't around. It's not perfect, but neither was Phantom Menace, after all.

P.S.: I'm not in any way saying Phantom Menace was a bad movie, it was one of my favorite movies of 1999. I'm just saying it's not perfect. Anything less than A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back has to live with that fact.

Gunda? Feech!

[aremeny · 3/10 · 26 February 2015]

A Star Wars spin-off for children. Well, Star Wars is for children as well. All right I know, Star Wars is very much enjoyable for adults. This movie isn't.

Everything is about the Ewoks here, those fuzzy little furballs from The Return of the Jedi. They are as cute as ever, even though the way their faces aren't moving is a bit creepy. On the positive side these Ewoks are the same ones we saw in The Return of the Jedi. They talk the same way they did there, by operating with such words as 'gunda' (good) or 'feech' (what seems to be an Ewokian cuss-word).

Of course there are also humans in the movie, 2 children, who are lost and are looking for their parents in the vast forests of the moon of Endor. The storyline covers the journey of a little girl and her brother to the hideout of a giant, who apparently holds their parents hostage, with the local Ewoks helping the children throughout their quest. No more, no less.

As I said, this movie is definitely for children. For adults it might be tedious to watch because of the lack of dialogues (everything is told by a narrator, for obvious reasons), and the overall silliness of the movie. And I mean tedious even to adults who are otherwise Star Wars fans/addicts. But for children it can be enjoyable. It's important to note that George Lucas wrote the story, so it's actually the creation of the father of the Star Wars universe and it's got a bit darker, grimmer sequel named The Battle for Endor.

Charming and fun!

[warren-87235 · 7/10 · 6 April 2021]

First off, I should point out that the two Ewok movies are made for little kids, and that should always be taken into account when reviewing them. Some people seem to forget that. It doesn't mean the writing is stupid or bad (As _some_ "children's" films often are), but it means the plot is kept simple and fun.

There's an innocent charm to 'Caravan of Courage', and it's great to see both Ewok movies released in HD finally. I had not seen them since I was a kid, on VHS, and I was a little worried they would date terribly. Instead, they're perfect entertainment for little ones and adults enjoying a nostalgia trip. As made-for-tv products they are good quality for the time, with some nice effects.

As the 'human' brother-and-sister heroes, Eric Walker does well as teenager Mace (A pre-prequel-trilogy introduction of the name!), walking the fine line between what could have merely been "annoying" and instead being "arrogant teen who learns to grow up during the adventure", while Aubree Miller is adorable as Cindel, and acts surprisingly well given her age.

Warwick Davies also brings his distinct performance and mannerisms to the role of Wicket, which help to make the character clearly 'him', as opposed to another actor in the costume.

Between the two films, I think you can see some of Lucas' ideas that eventually became Willow, which adds an interesting angle when reviewing. Are they ground breaking incredible adventures? No. Are they heart-warming and innocent fun? Most definitely.

Very silly and outdated cash-in, but I used to love it

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 3 November 2005]

It's unfortunate that sometimes nostalgia can turn out to be a deceiving pain. I used to watch "The Ewok Adventure" on VHS when I was younger and was a huge fan - I'd view it frequently (probably even before I saw all the original "Star Wars" films) and, although I recognized it was cheesy even as a child, I still enjoyed it.

Today, it simply doesn't hold up. It comes across as a desperate and silly cash-in on "Star Wars: Episode IV: Return of the Jedi." The "lovable" Ewoks of that film return here to wreak more havoc - they find a boy and his younger sister after they crash land on the planet. The boy and sister have lost their parents, whom were apparently grabbed out of the space ship by some scary alien creature.

The alien creature's special F/X are absolutely terrible which explains why his full frontal view is saved until the ending - which is ludicrous and way over-the-top.

If you're a "Star Wars" fan you'll need to own this simply because it's got the Lucas "stamp of approval" - but to any casual viewer it comes across as a desperate and pathetic franchise cash-in.

Written from the point of view of having watched it for the first time in 2021

[DoctorThotcer · 7/10 · 15 May 2021]

Having heard terrible things for so many years, I actually thought this was pretty good.

It started a little slow, and the dubbing took some getting used to, particularly as the Ewok's mouths bear no relation to their speech.

There's really nothing original in the main story, a ragtag band of brave hearts go on a quest together to free a Princess trapped in an ogres cave, except the Princess are parents and the braves are Ewoks, but it's all done very well, filmed beautifully and there's never a dull moment.

For fans of practical effects, once the band gets questing, there is one in almost every scene, tons of interesting matte paintings, puppets, stop motion, animation, superimposition, playing with film speed and scale, there's lots to enjoy.

I was entertained, and that's all one could ask of any movie, really.

Decent Kids Movie At Best

[zwjonas · 3/10 · 14 January 2022]

The main actor is bad. He feels like they found the closest thing they could to a 12yr old Mark Hamill. The kid is the most repetitive dialogue character i have ever seen in a film. He repeated every other line like 2-3x. The best part was definently the Wispies. Also they took a big knock at Star Wars world building/lore with like 3 quarters of the creatures all being no effort real animals like horses. The few creatures they did use special effects with they did a good job. Not much to say pretty boring. As of now in 2022, I believe there are a total of 15 Star Wars films including animated (i have seen them all now) and this is undoubtabley the worst. The other ewok adventure wasnt good but it was much better.

A nice movie for the kids

[TheHande · 6/10 · 30 December 2006]

Caravan of Courage, the first of two Ewok films is a nice adventure film for kids, but too slow for adults to enjoy. The film captures the essential elements of what an Ewok film should be like but fails in certain other areas.

Firstly the film looks rather messy in comparison to other LucasFilm productions and particularly when compared to its immediate sequel. The narrator is also more distracting than anything and would sound more appropriate in a nature documentary rather than a children's fantasy adventure film.

On the other hand, the film sets itself apart from the bigger SW films quite nicely, feeling more like a fantasy than a science fiction film and having some fairly good special-effects and interesting creatures. But as said, adults are more likely to find the film numbing rather than enjoyable.

Mediocre Film-making

[alecton99 · 4/10 · 29 June 2005]

It's not the worst, but it's certainly close. I bought the Double Feature DVD, and... to my horror... It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen(yes... even Direct to TV movies).

It is very slowly paced, which only degrades the storytelling because it is a good story once you RETELL it in another medium, this slow pacing makes the movie seem to have almost no noticeable conflict in objectives and obstacles, it has vague character definition and you barely get involved with the characters, acting is as bad as it can get: When Cindel faints in a scene it seems like she just turned her head down so the director could yell cut; in another scene, Mace yells at some of the Ewoks, he screams at them, but the camera keeps rolling for seconds with the ewoks standing there doing nothing, which made him look less menacing (also badly paced).

The casting was surely to blame for the bad acting performances. With the exception of wicket (Warwick Davis).

The only upside may be the visual effects of 1985, which were not cheap, but not too expensive either. I checked out the DVD on my 27" TV and my PC monitor... the transfer is so incredibly pristine, it looks even sharper than other recent PAN&SCAN titles (and I mean recent). I'm guessing some enhancement was done, but not any I could notice (again, this is just a guess). The compression of the DVD is also the best I've ever seen (Attack of the Clones being in first place, Jurassic Park pan&scan being the last).

On the Other hand, the sound is strangely low, you have to turn up the volume various times during the movie, I do not know why, but I doubt it's from the source.

The technical aspects of the movie are very respectable, but the pacing and acting were completely overlooked at the time of production. The story is good (it would make a great kid's book), but the magic of film editing didn't do it's magic here.

Great entertainment for all

[konover · 10/10 · 31 December 2004]

I bought the DVD, feeling that the nostalgia of watching this when I was 9 with my little sister was worth the 10 bucks. I even joked with a young couple at the check-out counter, (who remembered the movies), about how we all liked it as kids.

What I didn't expect was that the movie would hold up after all these years, and mind you, I haven't seen this since the mid or late 80s.

A lot of movies we liked as kids age badly due to the fact that we all grow up. But I found The Ewok Adventure, now called Caravan of Courage, to be just as exciting, fun and charming at 29 as I found the film when I first saw it 20 or so years ago when it debut. I think that's a compliment given to only the very best of films.

There is some, (not all), stop-motion animation special effects that have aged to be sure, but that is to be expected of a made-for-TV movie with a decidedly less expensive budget than the actual Star Wars films. Most of the time, I was impressed that the Star Wars magic extended beyond the big screen and onto a TV movie.

When Return of the Jedi came out, I was like a lot of other hardcore Star Wars fans: I didn't like the seemingly overused furry creatures. I wanted more Han Solo and Darth Vader and lightsaber battles. I've lightened up on the little guys, but I don't think hardcore Star Wars fans have anything to fear though. I found the Ewoks to be even more endearing, brave and charming in their own adventures, which play off as a kind of Goonies: Star Wars style.

Above all, I recommend this movie to anyone because it's one of those special films, (like the original Star Wars movies themselves), that entertain adults and kids. The film has great characters, has a very fast pace, has a good story and is nicely acted. In other words, it's a winner.

And for 10 bucks, I don't know that I ever spent 10 bucks as well as I did when I picked up this DVD---which also features the sequel that I can now see for the first time. Definitely worth watching and buying.

EnriqueH

Decent Star Wars spinoff featuring the Endor natives

[Keyan-the-Eagle144 · 6/10 · 9 October 2019]

I used to watch this movie all the time when I was younger and especially loved the antics of those forest-dwelling Ewoks and their human counterparts. Most of the cast I didn't recognize though I do remember Burl Ives as the narrator, who also did the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special. And Warwick Davis returned to play the Ewok Wicket. There are some suspenseful moments, but nothing too scary, plus some stop-motion animated creatures.

This is about family, and courage and hope. I probably won't look at the movie the same way again now, but it was decent for its time. It was a welcome return to the Endor moon and its denizens.

A hardly memorable addition to the excellent Star Wars franchise.

[The_Depressed_Star_Wars_fan · 3/10 · 19 June 2011]

It's actually kinda strange to think that out of all the characters in the Star Wars films that could have been given their own spin-off films, it happened to be the ewoks. Personally I would have liked to see the Bounty Hunters get a spin-off, but hay what are you going to do? Let's move on to the film itself. I'll start with the story. There aren't really a whole lot of surprises in it. From start to end the film is predictable as hell. The characters in this story....well they aren't bad, but aside from the ewoks none of them are memorable by any. The acting is film is not bad either. Again, there is nothing memorable about it, but still it isn't bad. Now the special effects in this film are well done, I think. In the end, there isn't really much to say about this film, nor is there anything memorable about it.

definitely not for Star Wars fans

[andre-71 · 2/10 · 22 April 2003]

Phew, I did sit through this one... I thought a real Star Wars fan would have to see the Ewok movies, too. Well, this one is extremely bad. The special effects look like they came from the 60s, the story has uncountable flaws, and the characters are extremely weak. I do not recommend this film for Star Wars fans ...well, to be honest: I don't recommend it to anybody.

Loved it

[starhorsepax · 7/10 · 1 April 2017]

When it came out I was a kid and it was a good movie. It's true it doesn't have the high quality of the movies released in theaters, but it was made for TV and had a lower budget. But the story is great and a fun adventure. I still love it years later. I found it interesting to find that apparently Lucas made this for his daughter who loved the Ewoks. So that makes it a 'family' adventure for him too.

What a cheap way to cash in on an already celebrated franchise.

[johnnymacbest · 4/10 · 30 May 2008]

I can tell you a thing or two about the dirty aspects of commercialism. For one thing, greed and marketing plays a prominent part in the merchandising phase and two, for all "their good intentions" it dampens the appeal of the original product despite the fact that said material has already been established. Ahhh, the power of corporate politics. In this case, Lucas tried to do the same thing with the prequels (though Episode 3 was great, don't hate me) and failed horribly and Ewok Adventure is another example albeit from a much less commercialized era. About the film itself? well I could say its cute in a "Star Wars geek" kinda way but then I'll be lying to myself if I do. As the title of this review states, this is nothing more than a cheap cash in on an already established universe. The fact that two, count 'em TWO movies were made featuring those despised little walking "rugs" is cringe-worthy of morbid epic proportions. To me they kinda resemble those Teletubbies of late; only with fur. Why? Why try to milk something that was so successful to begin with for what its worth? Why didn't he scrap this crap and just make a Star Wars TV series, live-action style?!?!?! Instead he made this sci-fi excrement. Purely and fundamentally useless. It serves nothing more than a nuisance to anything worthy of mass appeal and critical praise. This was made for kids aka THE TARGET AUDIENCE of the world. At least its nice to know that adults don't have to even look at....this...thing dipped ever so eloquently in sweet dippedy-doo-daa candy laced fudge even if that was Mr. Lucas and co original intent. Are they're good parts? The special effects are nice. That's just about it.

You could do a lot worse and I MEAN A LOT WORSE seeing this vomit-inducing piece on Lucas's now-corporate-minded part or if you want a more "humane" solution you could check yourself into a mental health facility where you're most likely stay for several years if you can't erase those horribly disturbing haunting images from your ever so delicate psyche. The sky is falling in this Orwellian age of psychotic pop stars, weak US dollar, Tom Cruise's fax paux religion, and other bizarre things happening in the world today, one can only hope that a resistance movement is formed to combat and defeat the evil forces of commercialism to ensure the rest of humanity that crap like this NEVER is made to be seen AGAIN. Ever.

Nostalgic fun

[kwo_bubba · 7/10 · 31 May 2022]

I recently rewatched the Ewok films after several years, and they still hold up well for me. I know they're looked down upon by a lot of Star Wars fans, but I always liked the Ewoks as a kid and still remember seeing these for the first time. As others have stated, they're no where on the level of Star Wars story wise or with special effects. If you're kid of the '80's though, and still appreciate that era of kids movies, you might enjoy these if you missed them back then. Like a lot of my favorite childhood movies, these take me back to simpler, less complicated time.

For Kids Okay

[Tweetienator · 4/10 · 15 February 2022]

Well, lets be honest, kids maybe like this kid's version of Star Wars but without doubt this was the first sign of all the bad stuff ahead in the future. The Ewok Adventure - the announcement of doomsday. But for sure this kind of movie was and is a merchandiser's dream of the ultimate cash flow machine. Well, if you got young kids, you may dare to survive this one ;)

Cute, but slow with poor acting.

[Growlyted · 6/10 · 30 March 2004]

I love the Ewoks but this film doesn't do them justice. Wicket is cute but is unable to communicate at this stage with the wooden humans. Cindel was chosen for cuteness, rather than acting ability. Her brother, Mace, is a very unlikeable lead. The narration, delivered by Burl Ives, is excruciating. Fortunately this is absent from the second half. Basically the children set out with a small band of Ewoks to rescue their captured parents. The journey is long and nothing interesting happens. Wicket and Cindel become firm friends. Only the Ewoks kept me watching. If you don't like Ewoks, don't bother. Luckily the second film, "Battle for Endor", is better. Don't miss that because of this misguided affair. 3/10

A halfhearted attempt to get "Star Wars" out to the children...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 31 December 2015]

Even as a "Star Wars" fanatic it is a bitter pill to swallow with the "Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" movie. Sure it had ewoks, but the "Star Wars" atmosphere was not present in this 1984 movie.

And while it is a children's movie, it just wasn't particularly entertaining and seemed more like a series of random events rather than a continuous storyline.

The ewoks were the same as in "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi", and as such that was a good thing. However, the other creatures, aside from the gorax, were abysmal to look at; fake and poorly animated.

For the two main roles they could have cast two children with at least a bit more talent; Eric Walker (playing Mace) and Aubree Miller (playing Cindel) were not really delivering on their roles.

The children will most likely find more enjoyment in the animated additions to the "Star Wars" franchise, such as "Clone Wars" or "Rebels".

All in all, no wonder this came without a fanfare and faded into oblivion as quickly as it had arrived. A more than generous four out of ten stars rating from me.

My inner child smiles

[jennifermch · 10/10 · 4 May 2005]

I loved this movie as a child and still do. A great adventure with no cursing and little to no violence. I will be happy to let my son watch it when he is older. Great characters and how I love it when Wickett says, "Lardo". There are great outdoor settings and I thing the Ewok costumes are just adorable. They shine all on their own, and are great to see in Star Wars as well. Quirky antics and always seeming to land in trouble, that is what a children's sci-fi adventure should be about. I know it may seem a little goofy to those of you who are big sci-fi buffs and are looking for in-depth high caliber writing, but for those of you who are looking for light hearted fun, this is the movie! Two thumbs up.

Bizarre fairy tale plus Ewoks

[MissSimonetta · 6/10 · 24 February 2016]

I would not call Caravan of Courage (1984) bad exactly. It has some charm reminiscent of The Hobbit or an old, dark fairy tale. The Ewoks aren't annoying as they are in Return of the Jedi. The plot does meander but there are cool moments, like a creepy monster spider in the climactic battle.

The only thing that keeps this movie from rating a respectable seven out of ten with me are the kid actors. The little girl playing Cindel is wooden as can be, but considering she was five years old, I can forgive her a little, especially when she improved so much in the sequel. The official protagonist, Mace, however, is just obnoxious. Actually, I won't blame the boy playing him; he does well with what he is given and let me tell you it is not much. Mace is whiny and rude. I so wanted to slap him and he changes at the last minute.

Otherwise this is a competent movie; however, its sequel, The Battle for Endor, is much superior, with a stronger sense of fantasy, emotion, and character.

ewok adventure

[marmar-69780 · 2/10 · 17 September 2019]

Was movie about ewoks necesery i think not, just another cashgrab for toys