Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Tags: dark, murder, violence, cult, good versus evil, romantic

Plot synopsis:
While the Towani family (Jeremitt, Catrine, Mace, and Cindel) are preparing to leave the forest moon of Endor, the Ewok village is attacked by a group of Marauders (originally crash landed from Sanyassa) led by Terak and his witch-like sorceress Charal. Many Ewoks are killed. Cindel escapes, but is forced to leave Jeremitt, Catrine, and Mace to their doom, both parents having already been hit by enemy fire; her mother and brother killed when a Marauder blaster-cannon destroys a hut in which they had taken refuge from the battle.
While running away from the carnage, Cindel and Wicket meet Teek, a small, fast native of Endor. Teek takes them to the home of Noa Briqualon, a human man who is angered by their uninvited presence, and throws them out. Eventually he proves himself to be a kindhearted man, letting Teek steal food for them, and inviting the two in when they attempt to build a fire for warmth.
At the Marauders' castle, Charal is ordered by Terak to find Cindel, assuming she knows how to use "the power" in the energy-cell stolen from Jeremitt's star cruiser. Meanwhile, Noa, Cindel, and Wicket are becoming friends. It is revealed that Noa is rebuilding his own broken star cruiser, only missing the energy-cell.
Cindel is awakened one morning by a song her mother used to sing to her. She follows the voice to find a beautiful woman singing. The woman transforms into Charal, who takes her to Terak. He orders her to activate "the power." When she cannot, she and Charal are both imprisoned with the Ewoks. Outside, Noa, Wicket, and Teek sneak into the castle, making their way to the cellblock, where they free Cindel and the other Ewoks. They escape with the energy-cell.
Terak, Charal, and the Marauders pursue them back to the ship, where Wicket leads the Ewoks in defense of the cruiser, and Noa installs the energy-cell in his ship. The Ewoks put up a valiant effort, and are nearly beaten by the time Noa powers up the ship and uses its formidable laser cannons to fend off the Marauders. When Cindel goes to save Wicket, she is captured by Terak, even as the other Marauders retreat. Terak and Noa face off, with Wicket finally coming to the rescue, killing Terak and simultaneously leaving Charal trapped in bird form for eternity.
Shortly thereafter, goodbyes are said, as Noa and Cindel leave the forest moon of Endor aboard Noa's starship.

Review: 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.
Both The Battle For Endor and The Ewok Adventure were childhood favorites of mine.
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..
I know that many Star Wars fans resent the Ewoks for adding cuteness and comic relief to Return of the Jedi.
I did not think that the Ewoks served the same purpose as Jar-Jar. I did not like Jar-Jar in Episode I.
The humour was juvenile because Episode I was aimed toward a new generation of Star Wars fans: children.
The Battle for Endor and its prequel, Caravan of Courage, are spinoffs from Star Wars using the fuzzy little creatures that helped out the Rebels on the forest moon of Endor in that galaxy far, far away.
When I was very, very little, the Ewok movies were my very favourite.
My mother gave me a present when I had successfully been potty-trained: a Wicket stuffed animal (just to let you know HOW young I was when I watched these movies).
I remember years later seeing Return of the Jedi for the first time, when it premiered on television.
That movie enthralled me as well, but at the end, I was surprised and excited to see my little friends, the Ewoks, getting in on the action as well.
I don't think the Ewoks spoiled anything in Return of the Jedi--they are not unlike other Lucas creatures.
This movie is surprisingly dark at times, and for no clear reason.
I don't mind a movie like this having dark sides (see what I did there?), but if you don't explore them or put them to use, they serve no purpose, and is only in the way of the story.But fair enough, lets look away from that.
The movie follows Cindel and Wicket - both feeling more like sidekicks than they do protagonists.
They end up in trouble a couple of times, and after a while meet Teek and Neo. These are more like side characters, the good helpers the hero meets on his way.
I think the movie wants Wicket to be the main hero of this movie.
It's hard to have clumsy and heroic characters at the same time, but it is possible.The story is not really that interesting, and some of the plot elements in the movie feels a bit out of place, especially the ring and the witch-like Charal-character.
It all builds up to the final battle for Endor, which is an obvious attempt to capture the magic from Star Wars episode VI.
The battle is alright, but because neither the heroes nor the villains are particularly interesting, the big battle itself doesn't really grab a hold of you.Like in the previous Ewok film, the most interesting part are the visuals.
Some of the scenes with him running are great fun.While I appreciate what they tried to do here: give the story some gravitas, create an ensemble of interesting characters on a quest, risking everything for each other, etc.
This story of an orphaned girl and the lovable teddy bear ewoks is no masterpiece by far, but still is a great family movie.
I loved the ewok movies as a child, and I believe that generations of children will love it in the future.
This is one of the great movies of the 80s in MY collection that I think about all the time.
Back in the early 80s there were two good movies about the the Ewoks from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Both film have the spirit of the Star Wars film in MY opinion and especialy ROTJ.
Both films are sad in a way but they are never boring and both have good special effects and the whole nine.
Fans of Brimley and Star Wars should see this!.
Almost as good as 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.
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..
I agree the first Ewok movie sucked...it was so bad that I didn't even want to try the Battle of Endor until the kids demanded to see it and watched it twenty or thirty times laughing their heads off with their friends (the girls are 8-11).
all the cute teddy bear creatures and super fast Tweek or Tweet or whatever his name is and the guy that looks like Santa Claus are all cute and cuddly for little Cindel and our kids who watch her and imagine to be her.When I first saw this I thought Cindel, played by Aubree Miller, was either Drew Barrymore at six, or Shirley Temple...she is a dumpling of a curly blonde, rather not the best actress around...
if you want to see girls this age who can act I suggest Hayflower and Quiltshoe (A Finnish Movie).I think when you review a movie that is for kids that we should see them through their eyes and not be so picky about cardboard rocket ships that would be impossible to fly.
Thus, I give this a 10 star rating because my kids and their friends loved it..
Even though the stop-motion effects look out of date, the visual quality is an improvement over the previous Ewok adventure.
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?
Star Wars is space battles, this movie has none.
Star Wars is the Force, this movie only has a retarded witch with a magic ring.
Star Wars is lightsaber battles, this movie hasn't got any battle worth mentioning.
Star Wars is humor, this movie isn't.
Star Wars is a galaxy far, far away, this movie has HORSES in it!!!
Do you like Star Wars?
Don't bother to look any connection to Star Wars.
Bad guys wear very stiff and lifeless rubber masksMost disgusting thing in this movie was still main character.
Great Kids Movie, Pretty good for adult Star Wars fans.
Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 you should find this movie, entertaining and funny and just plain Enjoyable like I did.
Of course the main stream Star Wars characters like Luke.
Han, and Vader are great, this movie also has some characters that you may find entertaining..
This time Wicket has learned a little of Cindel's language so narration isn't necessary.
At first I thought it may appeal to children, due to the cuddly Ewoks, the fury little people from Stars Wars.
Return of the Jedi was a great movie but the worst thing about it was the Ewoks.
The Star Wars trilogy ruled the earth and the new one looksincredible, but a movie about ewoks is a shockingly bad idea.The funniest parts of Return of the Jedi were parts with ewoks getting hurt (even toasted) so this is just a waste of time..
We see here where Lucas lost touch with what made the original Star Wars films great and began to descend into the plot less tripe that ruined episodes 1-3.
This film is more like one of those cheesy low-budget 80s swords and sorcerer films than anything worthy of being associated with the Star Wars saga.
This movies has balls, after the first film who kept itself in a kid friendly tune, this one put itself a little higher note and weren't afraid to push their limits to full, actually when I first saw this I thought of it as a new Star Wars movie, which I never felt when the prequels started.Cindel is back but this time she is all alone, her parents got killed by an army of marauders and their witch.
Cindel is saved by her ewok friend Wicket.
They run away from the marauders and run into a hermit named Noa. At first Noa don't want any of them near his house but after a while he start to sympathize for Cindel and together they find a way to the planet once and for all.Yes it's a tv production, but it's a good one, it takes more serious, has respect for Star Wars , and the little girl who play Cindel is likable again unlike the entire cast of the prequels and the recent Star Wars movies.
This movie is a little painful to watch now days, but I remember really loving it as a kid.
You can make a bad Star Wars film and that's fine, but when you destroy the characters I grew up with and loved and change the story so that it no longer makes sense with the original, that's when we have a major problem Ryan Johnson..
Both Ewoks films have the Star Wars magic which is missing from Episode I and II, AND PROBABLY III.
The creatures, places, and ships look real, the lasers are great, the music is wonderful and the story is both exciting and fun.
It's a shame the new Star Wars films couldn't even come close to the old stuff.
It would be great to get the Ewok films on DVD (But then I guess George Lucas would want to go back and computer animate the ewoks or put Jar Jar or Jabba-The Hut in it and reveal that the ewoks are all clones)See this film for good old Star Wars goodness!.
Since my first Star Wars experience was Return Of the Jedi I have always had a soft spot for those furry fellas.
I know a lot of older fans consider them the weak point of the first trilogy, but I think they're great, especially the song at the end of Jedi!I had seen the first spin off, Caravan of Courage, a long time ago on video.
So when I got the Caravan of Courage/Battle for Endor double bill, despite this being the second film, I watched this film first.Was I in for a surprise.
I have to admit to to having a smile on my face through most of the comedy middle part of the film and even chuckling a few times.Also |all the Ewoks seem to be be able to speak English with no problem at all!
It may not be that great a film, but anyone like me with a soft spot for the Ewoks will probably get something from this..
As bad as it is, it is the best of Star Wars TV offerings.
If you don't count behind the scenes programs and internet films like Dark Redemption featuring Myra Jade, this is the best of the Star Wars television offerings.
Yes it is rough in some places, but it is an improvement over The Ewok Adventure and I give this one extra points for having the balls to kill that annoying older brother Eric Walker right at the top.
The ewoks were the Jar-Jars of Return of the Jedi, a dramatic buffer between incidents in which we already had an emotional investment.
This movie might have been better if he'd went to the bad guys and said "If I have to come in here again, I'm crackin' skulls." It would have been even better if one of the Ewoks was played by Judd Nelson, who mouthed his words as he said this.Also, that speedy little creature is pretty badass.
In the year 1983, George Lucas cashed in a large sum of money after retrieving the funds of the biggest, sadly most popular star wars movie.
This movie had a comic relief clan, like Jar Jar Binks in episode one.
Lucas decided, for some stupid reason that why Jedi's success was so large, was this pitiful band of fuzzy, cute, and annoying Ewoks.
Big Mistake!In 1985 Lucas wanted another large sum of money, hmmm, he thought, why not exploit our fans even more?
That is why I hate the Ewoks:  Battle of Endor made-for-tv movie.
This sequel to 1984's The Ewok Adventure is as good as the original.
If you love Star Wars, you need to see these Ewok movies.
This movie is so much fun to watch.
The Ewok movies are not that bad as people say.
Every SW fan should see these movies because it really is a SW spin-off and it gives a nice view of Endor's Moon..
If you don't hate ewoks, it's a great movie.
This follow up to "The Ewok Adventure" is a wonderful expansion to the Star Wars universe.
It's a little darker than its predecessor and better written as well.It's great if you're hungry for Star Wars fantasy.--Wonderful cinemetography.
Has same Star Wars feel, of that "galaxy far, far away"..
The first Ewoks movie is stupid but that is not the case with Ewoks: Battle for Endor.
Another great character is the superfast moving animal called Teek.
I liked this movie...I wish I could find it somewhere.
It was neat to see the Ewoks in roles that were more main character oriented.
This is far from a Star Wars movie, but its ok for a nice story that has Ewoks..
The ewoks are so adorable and it's a great movie for young kids or older adults!
Otherwise Wilford aka the greatest actor to ever live gives a great performance and i highly recommending finding this movie and watching about 30-40 times.
If you see this movie for one reason alone, see it for Wilford Brimley, one of the great thespians of our time..
I didn't think the first ewok movie was terrible like someone said, (both movies were unique in their own way) but I think Battle for Endor is a little better because the story is darker than the first one.
I used to watch the ewok movies growing up, and I loved it.
I don't know why, but for some reason, every time I watch an ewok movie, I end up watching the whole thing.In both Ewok movies, I like the simplicity and irony of the characters and the creative way the characters solve problems (at one point wicket builds a glider to escape when he and cindel were stuck on a cliff).
There were some interesting characters in Battle for Endor, like that little creature that runs really fast.Even though the effects aren't as good as the new star wars movies, I think anyone can enjoy watching these because the stories are so simple and very touching.
You really care for the characters and it's too bad George Lucas's new Star Wars movies aren't like that!.
Enjoyable enough, but is it Star Wars?.
As a kid I really enjoyed the first Ewok TV-movie, so I jumped at the chance to watch that and this sequel again when it was released on DVD.
It may be the nostalgia, but I still really enjoyed 'Ewoks: The Caravan of Courage, despite it's flaws.However, I found Battle for Endor a little harder to like, mainly due to the baffling inclusion of a medieval army that seem to have come right out of 'Willow' (which is kind of ironic, considering who's involved with this movie).I just...
Given that Wicket speaks English in this movie I can only assume that Battle for Endor takes place after Return of the Jedi.
If so, how come we never hear of the Empire (or the rebels) deal with this race of vicious monsters who live in a castle not too far from where Wicket's Ewok tribe live?
Any attempt to explain this stretches credibility, unless this film is set far before ROTJ, the Ewoks are immortal, and Wicket simply refused to speak English when Leia, Luke and the others showed up.As a stand alone film however, it's a fairly enjoyable adventure, despite ticking every cliché in the book.
If you really have to see an Ewok movie, stick with 'Caravan of Courage.' (Oh, and Return of the Jedi.
I expected to either be bored or have a good laugh while watching the made for television Ewok films.
While there are indeed dumb moments and bad acting in some spots, these Ewok films are actually watchable and have an almost Grimms Brothers fairy tale like darkness about them.
Out of the two, The Battle for Endor (1985) is much stronger.The movie is dark from the start: the little girl from the first sees her entire family die in an ambush and has to rely on Wicket, a weird monkey with supersonic speed, and an old man named Noah who's been stranded on Endor for decades.
The lot of them are menaced by a warlike clan of monsters and their sorceress accomplice.Really the whole thing feels more like your typical 1980s fantasy movie than a Star Wars flick, but it's a solid work in its own right.
You actually care about the Ewoks and hope they make it through their adventure.