The Last Unicorn (1982)
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A unicorn who learns she is the last of her kind embarks on a quest to find her lost kin.
The story
After learning from a butterfly and two hunters that she is the last of her kind due to a malevolent entity known as the Red Bull, a female unicorn sets off on a quest to find her kin. Along the way, she is captured by the witch Mommy Fortuna and later befriended by an incompetent magician named Schmendrick. Together with a woman named Molly Grue, the group travels toward the castle of King Haggard. The journey becomes perilous as they face various magical obstacles and the looming threat of the Red Bull, who has hidden the other unicorns away.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
A female unicorn discovers she is the last of her kind because the Red Bull, a fire elemental, has hidden the others. She is captured by the witch Mommy Fortuna but escapes with the help of Schmendrick, an incompetent magician. They are joined by Molly Grue after she abandons her lover, Captain Cully. To protect the unicorn from the Red Bull, Schmendrick transforms her into a human named Lady Amalthea. They seek refuge in the castle of King Haggard, where Amalthea begins to lose her memories and falls in love with the King's son, Prince Lür. Haggard reveals he imprisoned the unicorns to admire them. After a confrontation in the Bull's lair, Schmendrick restores Amalthea's true form. The Bull attacks, and Lür is killed defending her. Enraged, the unicorn forces the Bull into the sea, causing the other unicorns to emerge and Haggard's castle to collapse. On the beach, the unicorn revives Lür before departing for her home, having learned the meaning of regret and love.
- First release year
- 1982
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States; Japan
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Arthur Rankin Jr.; Jules Bass
- Writers
- Peter S. Beagle · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Alan Arkin · Schmendrick; Jeff Bridges · Prince Lür; Mia Farrow · the Unicorn/Lady Amalthea; Tammy Grimes · Molly Grue; Robert Klein · The Butterfly; Angela Lansbury · Mommy Fortuna; Christopher Lee · King Haggard; Keenan Wynn · Captain Cully; The Harpy Celaeno; Paul Frees · Mabruk; the Cat; the Tree; René Auberjonois · the Skull
- Genres
- animated; fantasy
- Tone and mood
- somber; sentimental; mysterious
- Setting
- A fantasy land featuring a Midnight Carnival, a castle, and a forest.
- Premise and plot tags
- quest; transformation; mythical creatures
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1968 novel of the same title by Peter S. Beagle
- Reception
- The film received generally positive critical reviews and has maintained a cult following despite being a commercial failure.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 75% · review count: 29
- Production trivia
- The film's soundtrack was recorded in England and released in Germany in 1983.; The film has been noted as particularly resonant with LGBTQIA+ viewers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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