An Ewok Adventure (1984) – Nostalgia Central

This made-for-television film premiered as The Ewok Adventure on ABC on 25 November 1984. The film was then given a theatrical release in the UK and some European countries, for which it was retitled Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure.

On the forest moon of Endor (which Star Wars fans will know is the home planet of those extra-terrestrial teddy bears, the Ewoks), a starcruiser lies wrecked.

The Towani family – Catarine (Fionnula Flanagan), Jeremitt (Guy Boyd) and their children, Mace (Eric Walker) and his little sister Cindel (Aubree Miller) – are stranded.

When Catarine and Jeremitt vanish, the children are found by the Ewoks, who take them back to the Ewoks’ home. Shortly thereafter, the Ewoks kill a boar wolf and find a life-monitor from one of the Towani parents with the creature.

They seek out the Ewok Logray (Bobby Bell), who informs them that the parents have been taken by the monstrous Gorax, which resides in a deserted, dangerous area.

A caravan of Ewoks is formed to reunite the children with their parents.

They meet a boisterous Ewok lumberjack (!) named Chukha-Trok (Kevin Thompson), Kaink the Ewok priestess (Margarita Fernández), and a wistie named Izrina before finally reaching the lair of the Gorax after a few mishaps on the way.

The group engage the Gorax in battle, freeing Jeremitt and Catarine, but Chukha-Trok is fatally wounded.

A final blow from Mace – using Chukha-Trok’s axe – defeats the Gorax, and the Towanis decide to stay with the Ewoks until they can repair the starcruiser. Izrina leaves to return to her family.

Mace and Cindel are annoying as hell (Mace is, in fact, a whiny little asshole), and the shit-ton of Ewoks spend an inordinate amount of time rolling around being fluffy. There are terrible SFX (including cinema’s least convincing giant spider) and dreadful ILM fairies, and it’s all a little bit Gentle Ben with a So-Cal vibe.

A sequel – Ewoks: The Battle for Endor – appeared in 1985.

Wicket W. Warrick
Warwick Davis
Darryl Henriques (voice)
Cindel Towani
Aubree Miller
Mace Towani
Eric Walker
Catarine Towani
Fionnula Flanagan
Jeremitt Towani
Guy Boyd
Deej Warrick
Daniel Frishman
Sydney Walker (voice)
Weechee Warrick
Debbie Lee Carrington
Widdle “Willy” Warrick
Tony Cox
Chukha-Trok
Kevin Thompson
Kaink
Margarita Fernández
Shodu Warrick
Pam Grizz
Logray
Bobby Bell
Narrator
Burl Ives

Director
John Korty

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