The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn is a 1982 Japanese animated fantasy film directed & produced by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, based on Peter S. Beagle's novel of the same name.
==Plot==
A female unicorn learns from two hunters and a butterfly that she is the last of her kind since a malevolent entity called the Red Bull has herded unicorns to the ends of the earth. The Unicorn journeys to find them.
The Unicorn is captured by the witch Mommy Fortuna and displayed in her Midnight Carnival. Most of the attractions are normal animals enhanced by illusions to appear as mythical beasts. Fortuna uses a spell to create another horn on the unicorn's head, as the carnival visitors cannot see her real form. Fortuna keeps the immortal harpy Celaeno captive as well, deeming the risk secondary to the deed's prestige. The unicorn is befriended by Schmendrick, an incompetent magician in the service of Mommy Fortuna. With the help of Schmendrick, the Unicorn escapes, in the process freeing Celaeno, who kills Fortuna. The Unicorn and Schmendrick gain a second traveling companion with Molly Grue, the careworn lover of Captain Cully (the disappointing reality behind the myth of Robin Hood).
When the Unicorn nears the seaside castle of King Haggard, keeper of the Red Bull, she encounters the beast, a monstrous fire elemental. Before she can be captured, Schmendrick uses his unpredictable magic, transforming her into a woman. The Red Bull loses interest in her and departs, but the Unicorn is shocked by the sensation of mortality. Schmendrick promises to return her to normal after the quest is complete.
Schmendrick, Molly Grue, and the now-human Unicorn proceed to the castle. Haggard is at first unwelcoming. Schmendrick introduces the Unicorn as Lady Amalthea, and requests that they become members of Haggard's court, only to be told that the only occupants of the castle are Haggard, his adopted son Prince Lír and four ancient men-at-arms. Haggard consents to lodge the trio, replacing his more competent wizard, Mabruk, with Schmendrick, and setting Molly Grue to work in his scullery. Mabruk leaves after recognizing "Amalthea" for what she truly is, jeering that by allowing her into his castle Haggard has invited his doom. Due to her new human emotions, Amalthea begins forgetting her true self and falls in love with Prince Lír, and considers abandoning her quest in favor of mortal love. Haggard confronts Amalthea, hinting at the location of the unicorns, yet from the waning magic in her eyes, has doubts regarding his suspicions that she is more than she seems.
Molly finally learns the location of the Red Bull's lair from the castle's cat. Molly, Schmendrick, and Amalthea are joined by Lír as they enter the bull's den, and are trapped there by Haggard. Schmendrick explains to Lír what they are looking for and reveals Amalthea's true identity. Lír declares that he loves her anyway. This makes Amalthea want to abandon the quest and marry Lír, but Lír dissuades her. The Red Bull appears, no longer deceived by Amalthea's human form, and chases after her. Schmendrick turns Amalthea back into the Unicorn, but she is unwilling to leave Lír's side. The Bull begins driving her toward the ocean just as he had driven the other unicorns. Lír tries defending her, but is killed by the Bull. Enraged, the Unicorn turns on the Bull and forces him into the sea. As the beast is engulfed by the water, the missing hundreds of unicorns emerge from the raging sea, carried on the incoming tides. With their release, Haggard's castle collapses into the sea, and Haggard, watching all from the battlements, falls to his death.
On the beach, the Unicorn magically revives Lír before she leaves him. Schmendrick assures Lír he gained much by winning the love of a unicorn, even if he is now alone. The Unicorn later says goodbye to Schmendrick, who laments he wronged her by burdening her with regret and the taint of mortality, which could make her unable to properly rejoin her kind. She disagrees about the importance of his actions, as they had helped restore unicorns to the world and made her experience regret and love. Schmendrick and Molly watch the Unicorn depart for her forest home.
==Voice Cast==
*Mia Farrow as the Unicorn/Lady Amalthea
*Alan Arkin as Schmendrick
*Jeff Bridges as Prince Lir
*Tammy Grimes as Molly Grue
*Robert Klein as The Butterfly
*Angela Lansbury as Mommy Fortuna
*Christopher Lee as King Haggard
*Keenan Wynn as the Harpy Celaeno\Captain Cully
*Paul Frees as Mabruk\The Tree\The Cat
*Rene Auberjonois as The Skull
*Brother Theodore as Ruhk
*Edward Peck as Jack Jinly
*Jack Lester as Hunter #1
*Kenneth Jennings as Hunter #2
*Don Messick as Additional Voices
==Production==
Peter S. Beagle stated that there had been interest in creating a film based on the book "early on".
Those who expressed interest included Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, though Beagle had been convinced by one of their partners' wives that they were "not good enough" and former 20th Century Fox animator Les Goldman.
At the time, Beagle believed that "animated was the only way to go" with regard to the film, and had never thought of making it into a live-action film. Rankin/Bass had been the last studio that the film's associate producer, Michael Chase Walker, approached, and Beagle was "horrified" when he was informed that they had made a deal with Walker.
Beagle stated that he has "…come to feel that the film is actually a good deal more than I had originally credited", and went on to say, "There is some lovely design work – the Japanese artists who did the concepts and coloring were very good. And the voice actors do a superb job in bringing my characters to life…"
While Rankin/Bass provided the film's dialogue and story based on Beagle's work, the animation was done by the studio Topcraft.
The studio would later be hired by Hayao Miyazaki to work on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and their core members eventually went on to form Studio Ghibli.
According to Beagle, the final film ended up being "remarkably close" to his original script, although one scene at the end involving an encounter with a princess was "animated but eventually cut".
==Box Office==
The movie debuted at #6 at the box office, grossing $2,250,000 during its opening weekend, coming in behind films such as the re-release of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, First Blood, Creepshow, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and An Officer and a Gentleman.
Domestically, it made $6,455,330.
==Critical Reception==
"The Last Unicorn" was given a rating of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Janet Maslin from the New York Times called the movie "an unusual children's film in many respects, the chief one being that it is unusually good. [...] features a cast that would do any live-action film proud, a visual style noticeably different from that of other children's fare, and a story filled with genuine sweetness and mystery" and also said that "no one of any age will be immune to the sentiment of the film's final moments, which really are unexpectedly touching and memorable".
Beagle himself called the film "magnificent" in comparison to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, for which he also wrote the screenplay.
A 1982 Variety reviewer praised the script and voice acting, but wasn't impressed by the film's animation, saying, "However vapid the unicorn may appear to the eye. Mia Farrow's voice brings an almost moving plaintive quality to the character." The review also praised the vocal talents of Arkin, Lee and Frees.
== Home media ==
This was released on VHS by Live Home Video in 1994. It's was released on DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in September 03, 2002 in United States of America. This was released on DVD by Artisan Home Entertainment in March 30, 2004. This was released on DVD by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in March 20, 2007 special edition 20th anniversary. This was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Lionsgate in 2010 in United States of America.
==Theatrical Trailer==
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Category:1982 animated films
Category:Films based on children's books
Category:Hemdale Film Corporation films
Category:Warner Bros. Family Entertainment films
Category:Warner Bros. animated films
Category:Warner Bros. Animation films
Category:Warner Bros. films
Category:Hemdale Film Corporation animated films
Category:Films set in Europe
Category:Films set in Ireland
Category:Japanese films
Category:Japanese animated fantasy films
Category:Japanese animated films
Category:Independent films
Category:Independent
Category:1980s children's animated films
Category:Rankin/Bass Productions films
Category:Rated G
Category:Saint Patrick's Day Fiction