| | | 25th Anniversary Edition.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Special Edition, English, Subtitled, Spanish, Dolby Digital (5.1)
Brought to life by the luminary voice talents of Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury and Rene Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Boston Legal), this animated treasure is the story of a lonely unicorn who sets out on an extraordinary quest to find her lost brothers and sisters. Along the way she meets a colorful cast of characters, including a bumbling wizard who magically transforms her into a beautiful damsel. When a handsome prince falls in love with her, he challenges the evil foe who holds her captive. But the task proves harder than imagined, and the unicorn soon discovers that real magic comes from believing in the impossible. Featuring songs performed by America.
"...a rare treat for lovers of fantasy." Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
"Greatly underrated animated film; worth seeing." James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
"...beautifully melancholic power...children's classic." Richard Scheib, The SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Editor's Note
Weary of being alone in the vast forest, unicorn Amalthea (Mia Farrow) begins to wonder if she's the last of her kind. Following a rumor, she joins forces with feeblish wizard Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and wayward barmaid Molly (Tammy Grimes) to look for the mystical Red Bull, a creature known to hunt and imprison unicorns. In order to walk unnoticed among men, Schmendrick magically transforms Amalthea into a beautiful woman. Together the three embark on a adventurous journey into the dark land of King Haggard, the man rumored to control the Red Bull. Based on Peter Beagle's novel of the same name, THE LAST UNICORN is a bright, colorful tale about love and loss. Farrow loans her fluttering voice indelibly to the lips of the unicorn, and Arkin is spot on playing the spell-casting wizard Schmendrick. The film also features the vocal talents of Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee, and Angela Lansbury. Complete with an over-the-top soundtrack by the pop band America, THE LAST UNICORN is perhaps the high point of directors Arthur Rankin's and Jules Bass's film career. (They would soon move out of film to produce the two highly successful syndicated television series THUNDERCATS and SILVERHAWKS.)
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Lions Gate |
| Release Date: 2/5/2008 |
| Running Time: 93 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1982 | | Catalog ID: 20423 | | UPC: 00012236204237 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Alan Arkin - Voice Of | | Angela Lansbury - Voice Of | | Arthur Rankin, Jr. - Director | | Christopher Lee - Voice Of | | Jeff Bridges - Voice Of | | Jimmy Webb - Original Music By | | Jules Bass - Producer | | Jules Bass - Director | | Martin Starger - Executive Producer | | Mia Farrow - Voice Of | | Paul Frees - Voice Of | | Peter S. Beagle - Writer | | Rene Auberjonois - Voice Of | | Robert Klein - Voice Of | | Tomoko Kida - Editor |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...Mia Farrow brings an almost moving plaintive quality to the character....For an actress to register so strongly on voice alone is a rare accomplishment..." 11/17/1982New York Times
"...Unusually good....Imaginative spirit." 11/19/1982 p.C10 Variety 9 of 10
The Last Unicorn represents a rare example of an animated kids' pic in which the script and vocal performances outshine the visuals...Quest framework provided by Peter S. Beagle's adaptation of his own novel ideally serves an animated musical film's need to introduce an assortment of colorful characters who can deliver specialty numbers...Mia Farrow's voice brings an almost moving plaintive quality to the character which sees the entire film through. Alan Arkin also scores as the bumbling magician, as do Christopher Lee as the evil king and, in a show-stopping turn, Paul Frees as a peg-legged, eye-patched cat.
DVD Verdict 8 of 10
The Last Unicorn is one of those films that many people my age remember fondly from their childhood. This is the first time I have seen it, and while I can't say that it is perfect, I certainly understand why it holds such a high place in so many hearts...The Last Unicorn is incredibly ambitious. While it appears on the surface to be a typical children's fantasy film, there are several things that make it unique in the genre. For one thing, while it is fully aware of the conventions of fantasy fiction, it uses that knowledge to playfully riff on those conventions. It's full of clever nods to other fantasy and folk tales, including a number of small jabs that I missed the first time around. This awareness makes for a number of funny moments that us older fantasy fans can appreciate. - Joel Pearce
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