Product: The Last Unicorn [VHS] (1982)
Rating: 5.0
Beautifully Told Story with a Gifted Cast
A film that never garnered the attention that it should, "The Last Unicorn" features a most illustrous cast in a finely-crafted tale of the search to find oneself. Mia Farrow is outstanding as the voice of the unicorn who experiences what it is like to be human. Jeff Bridges, as her human suitor, is his usual reliable self. He also doesn't do a bad vocal in his duet with Farrow's unicorn. Adam Arkin is good as a slightly "off-centered" butterfly!The "bad" guys in the form of King Haggard and Mommy Fortuna are performed by the always fantastic Christopher Lee and Angela Lansbury, respectively. Their years on the screen and stage are used most effectively in their interpretation of the characters.The animation, though not up to Disney standards, does have its moments. The escape of the harpy eagle from her cage is truly a frightening scene. The emergence of the Red Bull and its assault on the unicorn is a nail-biter. And the release of the trapped unicorns at the film's end is stunning.The songs, many performed by rock group America and penned by Jimmy Webb, will not last in the memory, but are still enjoyable within the context of the film.This is a good family film, but I would not recommend it for the under-7 set. The intensity of some scenes as well as the subject matter may be a little too "mature" for them to grasp.Even though it has almost been two decades since I saw it, "The Last Unicorn" still left a positive impression on me.