Ewoks: The Battle for Endor

First things first, both this movie and the "Ewok Adventure" were made for TV-movies. Therefore, to compare them to Star Wars is unfair due to the differences in budgets and people on board. That being said, I love this movie! Both The Battle For Endor and The Ewok Adventure were childhood favorites of mine. The story is still entertaining, albeit still on a child's level. But that's OK, because that's what these movies were meant for. George Lucas continues to show us again and again how to believe in fantasy and have fun. I recommend watching this movie with the whole family, and if you're into the Star Wars Universe like myself, you'll certainly get a kick out it.

Despite some reviews, I think both the Battle For Endor and the Ewok Adventure are fun and well done (for TV) movies.

This steady-going follow-up is simply both more and less. Even though the stop-motion effects look out of date, the visual quality is an improvement over the previous Ewok adventure. You won't be seeing too many strings attached anymore, and the costume appearances are much cleaner. What it lacks for the continuous thrills and excitement of the last one greatly gains in the characters including "Cindel", "Noa", and the stellar cast of Ewoks. Both movie adventures aren't too shabby when it comes to George Lucas' imaginable sensations, but does this mean they're an absolute must-have for every STAR WARS collector? Hmmm....

I sat down in 2021 to watch the 1985 "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" with my 11 year old son, as I assumed that this was definitely a Star Wars movie for kids. However, I wasn't really expecting that we were in for a sort of mash-up between "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" and "Willow". But that was exactly how "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" felt to me.

And while it might be aimed at a younger audience, you might have to keep in mind that there is a fair amount of action and semi-violence on the screen. And there is a distinct pseudo-dark atmosphere to the movie, which may prove a bit unsettling to a younger audience, I think.

The storyline told in "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor", as written by Ken Wheat, Jim Wheat and none other than George Lucas himself was pretty straight forward. Though, it should be noted, that the storyline wasn't really overly memorable or indulging. It felt like a cheesy laid-back movie aimed at a younger audience, but at the same time trying to cash in on the success of Star Wars and have some appeal to the adult audience that grew up watching the original trilogy.

Visually then "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" wasn't actually all that bad. Sure, the stop motion animation footage with the creatures was hopelessly outdated by today's standards, but it was still watchable. It was definitely a blast to see the screen debut of the blurrg creatures, that were later risen to stardom in "The Mandalorian" series. They moved like horrible rigid dolls, but it was still fun to watch. And of course it was the ewoks that stole the show in "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor"; could it have been any other way? For me, it was definitely a nice treat to see the ewoks milling about on the screen in this 1985 movie. And the visuals on the raiders, whatever race they were supposed to be, were definitely also good and fit right into the Star Wars galaxy of strange alien creatures.

It was nice to have Warwick Davis return to reprise the role of the lovable character Wicket. But I just don't understand the fact that they made him capable of speaking English. Sure, for the sake of entertaining the kids watching it. But come on, at least have kept it like they did in "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" where he didn't speak English, but communicated in the jibberish ewok language and by gesturing.

I never would have guessed that I would ever see Paul Gleason make an appearance into the "Star Wars" universe, but here he was, playing the character named Jeremitt.

Then there were the issues with horses on the forest moon of Endor! Wait, what? Seriously? Yeah, they had horses running around here. And there was a woman sorceress of some sort whom could turn into a crow. No. That was just downright bad and set in the wrong universe. Hence the mutated hybrid feel of the "Willow" movie. It was just misplaced in "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor".

And while on the topic of Endor, then there wasn't that particular distinct feeling of a vast forest moon present in "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor", not like what we saw in "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi", as there were vast plains and mountains here as well.

"Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" is enjoyable for what it was, love it or hate it. I found it to be a watchable enough foray, but it didn't capture that essence of "Star Wars" as seen in parts IV, V and VI, nor in the subsequent movies and series that followed.

My rating of "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" lands on a mere four out of ten stars, given the fact that it felt more like a movie set in the universe where the movie "Willow" took place, than it felt like a "Star Wars" movie.

Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. The adventure continues. One level up and not so irritable story about little Ewoks. Loved the cutie Teek. But it still feels more like a movie about magic and the Middle Ages than Star Wars.

The Battle for Endor makes a number of improvements that luckily make it over-all a better film than the previous "Caravan of Courage". The film's mood is decisively darker and more serious, its cinematography is cleaner and for this it almost manages to capture the flavour of "The Return of the Jedi" and other bigger Star Wars films.

Moreover, the film does away with the dreadful narrator of the first film by allowing Wicket to speak and simultaneously giving him more character. In all, the characters of BFE are far more colourful and interesting than those of the previous film. Additionally the aliens, the Marauders, add a nice sinister element which makes the film all the more dramatic.

The only points of criticism for the film are undoubtedly its kid-friendly story and the character of Noa who delivers a number of unconvincing lines throughout the picture.

None the less, The Battle for Endor is just exciting enough so that it wont traumatize the kids and will make the film fun for the adults as well.