credit: Willow
So, a Kilmer did bring Madmartigan back to the series, albeit briefly, but it wasn’t Val. Instead, the voice that Kit heard within the vault deep in the prison Skellin belonged to Jack Kilmer. That’s right, Val and Joanne Whalley’s son, Jack, voiced the part his father made popular.
Listening just once, the voice does sound like the Madmartigan of old, and it no doubt excited many fans. The fact that it was Jack Kilmer is impressive, even if it took a bit of editing and polishing to accomplish. Taking a look at Jack and his father, there’s no way to say that Jack could take on this role convincingly.
However, the use of Jack to fill in for his father is all kinds of great. It was more of a tease than anything when it comes to introducing Madmartigan into this series, but it’s been a serious highlight at this time. The show has come under attack from many different sources for a number of reasons. But hearing Madmartigan’s voice is a bright spot of hope.
The only problem now is that there’s no way to show him unless the director has another trick to reveal.
credit: Willow
So far, the show hasn’t really fired on all cylinders
Upon learning that Val Kilmer could not participate in the show, a lot of fans reacted in one way or another. It was already obvious that Kilmer’s battle with throat cancer would not allow him to participate. However, some who had read the articles on how AI could help his voice were hopeful.
Still, the cameo that Kilmer had in Top Gun: Maverick made it clear that he was no longer capable of the Madmartigan role. The fact that he can barely speak makes it clear that the boisterous character from Willow is out of the question. But his continual mention in the series makes this tough for fans to accept.
Many fans still held out hope that Kilmer would return somehow, but so far, not even an image has shown up to explain how Madmartigan came to the troll-run prison of Skellin. Instead, the latest episode introduces yet another character that knew Madmartigan and adventured with him. The introduction of this character was kind of odd, but the mystery unraveled quickly.
The addition of Christian Slater somehow feels typical
The reason for this is that Christian Slater has played the part of a jobber for many years now. At one time in his career, he was quite popular and became a lead actor who could control a movie. As he grew older, though, his popularity waned until he was seen as more of a cameo and supporting actor. His brief time as Allagash in this latest episode was not surprising.
The fact that he introduced himself as Madmartigan is kind of laughable since, for just a brief second, it felt as though Disney was attempting to create a poor substitute. But when it was revealed that he was a liar, it made sense that he would have been a man that vibed with the lost warrior.
His presence in this episode felt a little forced. Even his sacrifice at the end that allowed the others to escape didn’t really redeem the character.
credit: Willow
The show wasn’t bound to survive without Val Kilmer
It’s not certain yet that Kilmer will be the missing link to making this show great, but it does sound like a sound prediction. Right now, the contemporary language, humor, and overall plot feel like they’ll make it difficult for this show to see another season. The Willow movie had its fair share of issues to deal with. But the show, which was expected to revive the idea, hasn’t managed to gain a great deal of support yet.
At this time, it does feel as though the show will require a miracle to finish off with a successful finale. In terms of the visual effects and the idea to voice Madmartigan, things have gone well enough. But everything else needs a great deal of help if things are going to move forward for another season.
If there’s a season 2 Madmartigan’s presence becomes a difficult proposition
Right now, it doesn’t sound as though the show has the green light to move forward. If it does happen, it’s likely that a lot of people will have plenty to say. Expectations might not rise that high if the show doesn’t improve before the finale.
One thing to note is that if Madmartigan’s name is suddenly dropped as a means of coping with the idea that he’s gone, fans might not enjoy this. Kilmer’s character was one of the best memories from the original movie, and a lot of people would like to keep that memory. The best they might get, however, is this latest episode.
