Product: The Last Unicorn [VHS] (1982)
Rating: 5.0
A Dramatic Fantasy From The Early 80's
The Last Unicorn, released in 1982, was drawn from the novel by Peter S. Beagle. I believe considerable license was taken. This movie I saw as a little boy in the 80's long before DVD when there was only VHS. VHS. What's that some younger kids would say today. At the time, made this movie very life-like and a bit scary, especially the scenes of the Red Bull. This animated movie uses early techniques of Japanese anime as Japanese animators had to do with the making of the film. It's a fantasy epic with an easy to follow plot but a bit slowed down by musical sequences- the Butterfly with the Elton John glasses and even Mia Farrow gets to sing although her singing voice is not going to win a Grammy.Mia Farrow stars as the voice of the Unicorn. She starts off on a quest to find out what happened to the other unicorns since she has been told she is the last unicorn. On her way, she encounters a witch (played by Angela Landsbury in a performance far from Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast) who showcases her in a traveling circus show. She pairs up with the amateur wizard Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and aging village woman Molly on a discovery trip further into the magical land. The truth is finally revealed when the hellish Red Bull tries to take the Unicorn away. The unicorn is temporarily transformed into the Princess Amalthea. Prince Lear (Jeff Bridges) falls in love with her, much to the disapproval of his father the old and dismal King Haggard (played superbly by Christopher Lee of the Dracula films and the recent Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones). King Haggard has employed the services of The Red Bull who drove the unicorns into the sea, just to please the old king. I don't think this is motive enough and this is where the story lacked substance for me. What kind of a silly king would want to see unicorns in the sea ? The story has a happy ending and the unicorns are rescued and brought back to land. Read the book first and then see the movie.