Product: The Last Unicorn [VHS] (1982)
Rating: 5.0
Note on the author
I think it's only proper to mention that Peter S. Beagle (author of the original book on which this is based) is in a continuing contract dispute with the company producing these DVDs. According to the author, they haven't been paying him any royalties for the ongoing sales of the movie. As of December 2006, Conlan Press (a company associated with Mister Beagle) is indicating that they're making great progress toward sorting out the dispute and getting the distribution company to pay all of the back royalties owed. However, at this time at least, purchases of the DVD don't direct any money at all to the original author unless the purchase is made directly from Conlan Press.It's possible that everything will be sorted out soon and the author will be compensated appropriately. Still, for those who appreciate the work that Mr. Beagle has done, I thought it only fair that you know that he *may* end up getting nothing from the purchase price unless you get it from another source.Additionally, Conlan Press has autographed copies available, for those who like that kind of thing.On to talking about the movie itself...I've loved this movie since just a couple of years after it came out, when I was a small child. My grandfather recorded it on a VHS tape for me once and I played it so many times that the video and sound started distorting in places. I've been hoping to purchase a DVD of it for quite a while, but was firmly warned by several sources that the DVD release qualities were very low, so I'm absolutely thrilled to see that they're finally doing a new release using better masters.The main themes of the story are immortality, love, and loss. In some ways the storyline is fairly adult, not in the sense of including a lot of sex, violence, or swearing (there's very little), but that they're more complex than it may be easy for small children to grasp. However, I loved the movie as a small child, and it's definitely possible to enjoy it even without having the maturity to pick up some of the nuances, and occasional satirical references.Reports indicate that special features include a featurette called "The Tail of The Last Unicorn" with an interview with the author, a game, photo and cover gallery, and the original theatrical trailer.You may find the animation style to be somewhat odd or unusual. That's just because they contracted much of the animation work out to a Japanese company, which led to a style that isn't quite anime, but certainly has some similarities to it.