Warwick Davis' life movie isn't bad, but it's not really good either.
Fantasy cinema has experienced moments of brilliance thanks to the creativity of a good number of directors and screenwriters, and also due to the possibilities brought by technology. However, in the past, things were simpler: directors and technical teams of fantasy films were those people used to improvising a lot and thinking outside the box. That skill is a talent, surely, and sometimes it's preferable to do something more traditional than to use CGI resources so absurdly fake that they don't even deserve to be there. This film, despite being far from being good or deserving a praise, is not a waste of time and there are several details where we can observe redeeming qualities.
The film's value begins with the more or less direct involvement of several prominent people in the film industry at the time: a film written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard cannot properly be considered a B-movie. Howard directs impeccably, but the truth is that Lucas could have made an additional effort in the script: the story that guides the film is funny, it has good moments, but it is also full of clichés and strange little peculiarities that do not fail to lift us up doubts every moment.
Despite the projection given to Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley in advertising (it is an understandable maneuver since they are well-known actors), the real protagonist is the dwarf Warwick Davis. Yes, it's not a pristine performance worthy of an award, but he couldn't be much better: the actor was still young and inexperienced, but he managed to show talent and resoluteness, making the most of this beautiful opportunity that appeared in his life. Val Kilmer, although more famous, doesn't need to do much and has few real challenges, while the beautiful Whalley and Jean Marsh are authentic attention grabbers and do an equally satisfying job.
Technically, it is a film whose value lies in the very well-designed sets and costumes, and also in the soundtrack, skilfully composed but a little forgettable. It has several special effects, most of them quite dated, but functional. The problem is that, for a film of the fantasy genre, it ends up having a little less "magic" than would be desirable. And despite the story being a little convoluted, the film picks up a high enough pace that this ends up not being a problem.
