Available at Amazon.com
Directed by
Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.
Cast:
Alan Arkin …. Schmendrick
Jeff Bridges …. Prince Lir
Mia Farrow …. Unicorn/Amalthea
Tammy Grimes …. Molly Grue
Robert Klein …. The Butterfly
Angela Lansbury …. Mommy Fortuna
Christopher Lee …. King Haggard
Keenan Wynn …. Captain Cully
Paul Frees …. Mabruk
Rene Auberjonois …. The Skull
It’s pretty fair to say that the genre of Animation has been dominated by one company for about three quarters of a century; Disney. This goes especially for the realm of fairy tales, where generations of children have grown up on classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Fortunately, Disney has not been the sole proprietor of animated fables though, as other Animation houses such as Rankin and Bass and Don Bluth Studios have produced memorable fair over the years. Films like The Secret of NIMH and Watership Down have provided wonderful alternatives to the Mouse House, giving us movies that have also reached into cinematic consciousness to become quite memorable. Another film that deserves to be included in the discussion is one that has reached its 25th Anniversary; The Last Unicorn.
Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., the creators of the Christmas classic Frosty the Snow Man, The Last Unicorn is a film that has achieved longevity through its simple tale of fantasy and love, as well as an extraordinary creative design with wonderful characters. While the film’s music really dates it and its animation is not up to par with other animated fair from the time period, the movie still entertains as much today as when it was released. Based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle, its surprises me just how much nostalgia The Last Unicorn was able to produce, while ceaselessly entertaining and mystifying with its creations.
The title character the last Unicorn is voiced by Mia Farrow, who plays the role with a sweet innocence, and an impatience that seems natural to this character. The gist of the story has the Unicorn leaving the friendly confines of the woods she has always lived in to find another like her. Along the way, she meets amazing characters from Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), a terrible magician, to more sinister beings such as Mommy Fortuna (Angela Lansbury), a sorcerer who captures the Unicorn in order to display her in a traveling carnival.
After help from Schmendrick allows the Unicorn to escape from the treacherous carnival, the duo join together on their quest to find more like the magical creature. I love how distinct everyone looks in this piece, such as the scary, bird-like Harpee, which tries in vain to kill our heroes, to a crowned skeleton with a penchant for drinking. The coup de grace in the picture is The Red Bull, the mystical creature in the service of the evil King Haggard (the awesome Christopher Lee), who runs all unicorns into the sea in order for the King to be able control all their souls.
The Last Unicorn isn’t one of the best Animated films of all time, but it is a Cult favorite that deserves its reputation. The voice-work and characters are quite good here, and the movie is a simple enough fable for children while still holding enough entertainment for adults as well. In this day and age, where CGI animated features dominate the market so heavily, The Last Unicorn remains a great piece of nostalgia that kids will hopefully enjoy for another 25 years.
The Video
The print itself on the disc is nice, but I wish there had been some more restoration. There’s some color problems that look like they need to be corrected, and other little flaws in the animation, but overall the picture is nice. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1
The Audio
The Audio track is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and sounds fine. The song’s from America actually sound as good as they ever have and there never seems to be a problem with effects and dialogue.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Featurette, Gallery, Trailers, Game
The Tail of The Last Unicorn – This is an 8 minute Featurette, that mostly has Author Peter S. Beagle telling you the film’s plot with a small portion of its running time devoted to an interview telling you how he came up with the story. Overall this is kind of disappointing.
Trailers – You get trailers for this film, as well as other Lionsgate releases such as Happily N’ever After, and other Children’s fair.
Escape the Red Bull Game
Schmendrick’s Magical Gallery
