Product: The Last Unicorn (1982)
Rating: 5.0
The Thinking Man's Animation
I have been a fan of this film since I was a child and owned it on VHS in the 80s. Even though the DVD does not have the special features it touts on the backcover, I was just happy to have the film on DVD -I thought they would never release it!The Last Unicorn is about an immortal unicorn who leaves her enchanted forest after learning the rest of the unicorns have vanished from the Earth. On her quest she meets many memorable characters: gypsywoman Mommy Fortuna, Molly Grue, Shmendrick the Magician- to name a few. Molly, Shmendrick and the unicorn ban together, Molly and Shmendrick on their own emotional quests, and journey to King Hagard's castle where the unicorns are being held captive. Along the journey she is almost captured by The Red Bull, King Hagard's demon that holds the rest of the unicorns hostage. If she is captured, their quests ends, so Shmendrick changes her into a human girl so they can get past the bull and enter King Hagard's castle. As an immortal creature she never had to deal with mortal concerns, and as the beautiful woman Amalthea she begins to understand what it means to be human: the serach of identity, love, conflict, empathy. She learns of regret and thankfulness, of life and loss. Like the hobbits from "Lord of the Rings," the unicorn concludes her journey, but is forever changed by the friends she made the experiences she had. The forest will always be her home, but she no longer like the rest of the unicorns, for they will never know what it is to be human.This film is deeper than any animated film has a right to be. It works on several levels, and the older I become the more I see in it. The plot is complex and almost all of the character's are three-dimensional. The characters are voiced by some great acting talent: Alan Arkin (Shmendrick), Jeff Bridges ( Prince Leer), Mia Farrow (The Unicorn)- to name a few. The musical score is very befitting. This is a great film for all ages. Children will love the story, and adults will see the bittersweet, dark chocolate themes that run below its animated surface.p.s. If you like this, then you should try watching the film "Nausicaa"- another animated classic.