Plot
A brave unicorn and a magician fight an evil king who is obsessed with attempting to capture the world's unicorns.
Release Year: 1982
Rating: 7.1/10 (10,467 voted)
Director:
Jules Bass
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury
Storyline From a riddle-speaking butterfly, a unicorn learns that she is supposedly the last of her kind, all the others having been herded away by the Red Bull. The unicorn sets out to discover the truth behind the butterfly's words. She is eventually joined on her quest by Schmendrick, a second-rate magician, and Molly Grue, a now middle-aged woman who dreamed all her life of seeing a unicorn. Their journey leads them far from home, all the way to the castle of King Haggard...
Writers: Peter S. Beagle, Peter S. Beagle
Cast: Alan Arkin
-
Schmendrick
(voice)
Jeff Bridges
-
Prince Lir
(voice)
Mia Farrow
-
Unicorn
/
Amalthea
(voice)
Tammy Grimes
-
Molly Grue
(voice)
Robert Klein
-
The Butterfly
(voice)
Angela Lansbury
-
Mommy Fortuna
(voice)
Christopher Lee
-
King Haggard
(voice: English version) (voice: German version)
Keenan Wynn
-
Captain Cully
/
Harpy
(voice)
Paul Frees
-
Mabruk
(voice)
Rene Auberjonois
-
The Skull
(voice)
Brother Theodore
-
Ruhk
(voice)
Don Messick
-
The Cat
(voice)
Jack Lester
-
Hunter #1
/
Old Farmer
/
Cully's Men
(voice)
Nellie Bellflower
-
The Tree
(voice)
Ed Peck
-
Jack Jingley
/
Cully's Men
(voice)
(as Edward Peck)
Taglines:
The Magical Fantasy Adventure Based on the Bestselling Book.
Opening Weekend: $2,250,000
(USA)
(21 November 1982)
(648 Screens)
Gross: $6,455,530
(USA)
(5 December 1982)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
In September 2003, Carlton Communications, successor to ITC Entertainment, claimed that they earned over a million pounds in revenue from DVD and cable TV sales of
The Last Unicorn. During this period, Peter S. Beagle had not received his contractual share of the income, which includes 5% of the net profits from all revenues from the animated film, 5% of the gross revenues from all related merchandising, $20,000 for any and every sequel or remake, and various fees for any possible television series adaptations or spinoffs. When negotiations with Granada over this issue failed to yield any results, a public campaign for support was launched on Peter's behalf by Conlan Press in August 2005.
Quotes: King Haggard:
I know you! I almost knew you as soon as I saw you on the road coming to my door. Since then, there is no movement of yours that has not betrayed you! A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as you breathe... even your way of standing perfectly still - they were all my spies!
User Review
A story more in the spirit of Miyazaki than any Disney film ever was.
Rating: 8/10
The first time I saw this movie was when I was very young. So young, in
fact, that the only things I can remember about this movie are subtle
images; I couldn't even remember if I liked it or not. Now, more than
twelve years later and after reading the book, I can honestly say that
this is a truly great film.
I have seen very few films that have actually brought me close to
tears, and most of those movies are ones I didn't like. The Last
Unicorn is an especially good film not just because it stays true to
the book, which animated films are rarely good at, but also because it
breaks away from the Disney formula for telling the story. All the
characters in this film are sympathetic in one way or another,
including the villains King Haggard and Mommy Fortuna. Many people
would ask why a villain would need to be sympathetic? The simple answer
is they don't. The villains are sympathetic though because they are
human. The unicorn herself doesn't truly become sympathetic until she
is transformed.
I say this film is in the spirit of the great filmmaker and master
animator Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese director, because even though this
film is a fantasy, it is not a fairy tale. Miyazaki has become famous
for making animated films that are enjoyable for children, but are also
sophisticated and deep enough for adults. What makes this movie great
is its story.
One of the things that makes this movie so special for me is because it
has become one of my favorite love stories. More specifically, it is a
story about hopeless love. There are only four love stories, this one
included, that I regard as my favorites. One them being Princess
Mononoke, one of the many great films by Miyazaki. It is also a unique
love story because it is about true eternal love. How is it eternal? I
will not say because I don't want to spoil the movie.
My only real complaint about this movie is that the animation isn't
very fluid, but I am willing to let that slide because the film was
obviously low budget. I only hope that the live-action version will be
as good and hopefully even better than the animated version, because
even though this movie was well paced there were certain things from
the book I hope they mention in the new version that they didn't have
time to put into the animated version. I also hope the live-action
version is as truthful to the book as this movie was, and leans more to
the adult side of the story so more emotion and character development
can come out of it.
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