Ewoks - Karawane der Tapferen

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.