So this is one of those animated movies that your parents probably thought was some cute wacky animal adventure just based on the name, when in actuality its a nightmare inducing, too profound for children to understand kind of story, and that's why i love it. This is also my sisters favorite movie, which is why i have probably seen it a thousand times.This was a Japanese American animated fantasy film that was originally a book with the same name written by peter S. beagle, who also wrote this films screenplay, and fun fact he didn't get paid for it until 2011. The story is about a unicorn who learns that she is the last of her kind, and that realization causes her to leave her enchanted forest to find all the other unicorns who are being held captive somewhere. The story seems very simple but it takes many creative twists and turns. Starting with the unicorn being captured by a witchnamed mommi fortuna, who displays the unicorn in her carnival where she makes average animals looks like mythical creatures, except for one other, a harpy that is hellbent on escaping and killing everyone in sight ( this thing will give your kids nightmares). With the help of a amateur magician named Schmendrick, the unicorn is able to continue her quest, with Schmendrick and a kind woman named molly grue accompanying her. Being told by the witch that a king haggard and the red bull are the ones holding all the other unicorns captive, the group ventures to haggards kingdom, and once they arrive the unicorn is confronted by the red bull, this is where a major turn occurs in the story.
The characters are just wonderful, while not completely developed, everyone is extremely charming. The unicorn can at first come across as very passive and emotionless but that's the nature of a unicorn, but by the end of the story she certainly gains major development by becoming the only unicorn to ever regret and love. Her friends are very caring and loyal to her, which makes them likeable. King haggard is not just a stereotypical villain who wants to use the captured unicorns to take over the world, in fact all he wants is to be happy, even for just a moment, and the only things in the entire world that makes him happy are unicorns. " The first time i saw a unicorn, i was overwhelmed with so much joy that i thought i was going to die. And that's when i realized i must have them all, for nothing else makes me happy."
The movie has the central theme of mortality/immortality and identity, this is displayed heavily with mommi fortuna wanting to be remembered forever by the immortal harpy, and when the unicorn becomes human she is terrified by her newfound mortality and even begins to forget herself and her quest. This all leads to very profound thinking about life and all the decisions you have made that have led you to where you are. I could never appreciate the dialogue as a kid, but now i find this whole movie very compelling and though provoking.
The voice acting is just terrific, with the cast having the talents of Christopher lee, Jeff brides, Angela lansbury and mia farrow. The actors brought such vocal life to the characters, that it makes you ignore the poor animation and focus more on the emotions and personalities of the characters. Although the actors cant sing their songs too good, you can still feel the emotion in their voices and it makes the songs very charming.
The movie has a feeling of dread and melancholy throughout ( which is amplified by the music), and has a very bittersweet ending. Trust me when i say you will feel you have lost and gained something just like the unicorn by the end.
This still remains one of my sisters and perhaps one of my favorite animated films, which has wonderful voice acting, incredible dialogue, good music and powerful life messages. The animation hasn't aged well but its still very charming. May it give you a reason to go on your own quest searching for purpose and magic in the world.
The characters are just wonderful, while not completely developed, everyone is extremely charming. The unicorn can at first come across as very passive and emotionless but that's the nature of a unicorn, but by the end of the story she certainly gains major development by becoming the only unicorn to ever regret and love. Her friends are very caring and loyal to her, which makes them likeable. King haggard is not just a stereotypical villain who wants to use the captured unicorns to take over the world, in fact all he wants is to be happy, even for just a moment, and the only things in the entire world that makes him happy are unicorns. " The first time i saw a unicorn, i was overwhelmed with so much joy that i thought i was going to die. And that's when i realized i must have them all, for nothing else makes me happy."
The movie has the central theme of mortality/immortality and identity, this is displayed heavily with mommi fortuna wanting to be remembered forever by the immortal harpy, and when the unicorn becomes human she is terrified by her newfound mortality and even begins to forget herself and her quest. This all leads to very profound thinking about life and all the decisions you have made that have led you to where you are. I could never appreciate the dialogue as a kid, but now i find this whole movie very compelling and though provoking.
The voice acting is just terrific, with the cast having the talents of Christopher lee, Jeff brides, Angela lansbury and mia farrow. The actors brought such vocal life to the characters, that it makes you ignore the poor animation and focus more on the emotions and personalities of the characters. Although the actors cant sing their songs too good, you can still feel the emotion in their voices and it makes the songs very charming.
The movie has a feeling of dread and melancholy throughout ( which is amplified by the music), and has a very bittersweet ending. Trust me when i say you will feel you have lost and gained something just like the unicorn by the end.
This still remains one of my sisters and perhaps one of my favorite animated films, which has wonderful voice acting, incredible dialogue, good music and powerful life messages. The animation hasn't aged well but its still very charming. May it give you a reason to go on your own quest searching for purpose and magic in the world.