Caravana del valor, la aventura de los Ewok

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.

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 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.

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.

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.