The Last Unicorn: Early Eighties Animated Magic
There’s something about the animation style of The Last Unicorn that is all-or-nothing for most people. The detailed backgrounds and ethereal depictions of humans will either impress people or not. The litmus test for modern audiences as to whether or not they’ll enjoy a movie like The Last Unicorn is to examine how they feel about Studio Ghibli, the animators that brought us Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Grave of the Fireflies. If those and other Ghibli films don’t appeal, then you probably won’t enjoy The Last Unicorn, as this 1982 children’s movie was animated by Topcraft, the precursor to Studio Ghibli.
But if you find that animation style appealing, there’s a lot to enjoy about this animated adaptation of the novel of the same name. The story is simple, but told with grace and style. A unicorn lives in a magical forest, but has not seen others of her kind for quite some time. When she learns from a butterfly that all the rest of the unicorns have been imprisoned by the Red Bull, she leaves the safety of her forest to find them. Not long after she is captured by Mommy Fortuna, who puts her on display with other magical creatures. The unicorn is rescued by Schmendrick the magician, who becomes her traveling companion. They head to the castle of King Haggard, who has supposedly imprisoned the unicorns. During a run-in with the Red Bull, Schmendrick transforms the unicorn into a human. When they reach King Haggard’s castle, the unicorn (now human) catches the eye of Prince Lir. It becomes a race against time for the unicorn to find her missing kindred before the power of being human means she’ll never be a unicorn again.
Besides the animation style, there’s a lot to like about this movie, from the cast to the music. The music was composed by noted songwriter Jimmy Webb and sung by the band America (Of “A Horse With No Name” fame). The songs are simple, but beautifully done, and they advance the plot without overwhelming it. The voice cast rivals the cast of a live-action film. Mia Farrow stars as the unicorn, with Alan Arkin as the bumbling Schmendrick the magician. Angela Lansbury is cast against type as the villainous Mommy Fortuna. King Haggard is played by none other than Sir Christopher Lee, while Prince Lir is played by Jeff Bridges (who also starred in Tron that year). Bonus points for Star Trek actor René Auberjonois as the talking skull.
As a product of its time, the pacing of The Last Unicorn is slower than modern audiences have come to expect, but that shouldn’t hinder your enjoyment of the film. It unfolds at its own pace over its ninety-minute run time and doesn’t feel like any part of the plot is padded in any way.
When watching children’s movies from the Seventies and Eighties, there often comes a moment in the film that’s visually disturbing or gorier than one would expect, prompting me to wonder who in their right mind thought this was appropriate material for children. In The Last Unicorn, that scene came a half-hour in, when the harpy escapes the clutches of Mommy Fortuna. The harpy extracts her revenge by killing Mommy Fortuna and eating her. The harpy’s back is turned during this grisly scene, but it’s clear what is happening. This was what children watched on a regular basis thirty years ago?
But maybe I’m over-thinking this. While movies of the Seventies and Eighties were concerned with making money, the bottom line didn’t always override creative decisions. Maybe the screenwriter thought the kids could take it. And he was probably right. (Hell, I was reading Stephen King novels from age twelve onward.) Maybe it’s time to trust kids again and not shy away from depicting gruesome scenes in children’s movies? Regardless, I’m happy The Last Unicorn doesn’t pander and tells the story in its own way.
The Last Unicorn is currently on US Netflix.
The Last Unicorn tl;drs
Quick summary: When a unicorn learns she may be the last of her kind, she leaves her magical forest in search of other unicorns.
Too many writers? Just one: Peter S. Beagle, who also wrote the book.
Recommended if you like: Anything from Studio Ghibli
Better than I expected? The animation is crisp as ever, even thirty years on.
Worse than I hoped? The pacing is a little show, but that’s to be expected from films of this era.
Should it be rebooted? Not unless whomever chooses to reboot it sticks to the 2d hand-drawn style.
Verdict: Still a beautiful film today.
Related Reading: Wiki article
Related Viewing: Trailer
