The Last Unicorn 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Last Unicorn 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The Last Unicorn is considered a classic of hand-drawn animation. The feature-film is an American production with collaborations with Japanese animation companies.  The Last Unicorn is produced by Rankin/Bass Productions with Topcraft and ITC Films. The Last Unicorn is based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle. The original theatrical release in North America was on November 19^th, 1982. Produced by Jules Bass (The Hobbit – 1977, Thundercats) and Arthur Rankin Jr. (The Hobbit – 1977, The Last Dinosaur), The Last Unicorn combines beautiful animation and artistry with incredible songs by rock group America. The songs are an essential ingredient of the production. Executive produced by Martin Starger (The Muppet Movie, Nashville) with associate producer Michael Chase Walker (The Gladiator), The Last Unicorn has a voice-cast that includes Mia Farrow, Christopher Lee, Alan Arkin, Tammy Grimes, Robert Klein, Angela Lansbury, Keenan Wynn, and Paul Frees.

The female unicorn (Mia Farrow) is a beautiful and elegant creature. The stunning unicorn exudes both beauty and radiance. Upon meeting a group of hunters, the unicorn is surprised to learn that she may actually be the last unicorn in the entire land. What would a world without unicorns look like?

The unicorns are going extinct one by one and this is due to the malicious intent of the evil Red Bull. The Red Bull wants to rid the land of all unicorns. The Red Bull is also aided on his plan by the nefarious King Haggard (Christopher Lee). In an attempt to protect the last unicorn from being annihilated by the Red Bull, a special spell in cast in order to turn the female unicorn into a young and beautiful woman in disguise. The young woman in question is Lady Amalthea (Mia Farrow).

Being a young woman is certainly a far different experience than being a unicorn. With the spell cast on her, Lady Amalthea has an abundance of new thoughts and feelings. Could Lady Amalthea be falling in love with Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges)? Can Lady Amalthea remember her true self as the last unicorn while underneath the spell? Alongside her bumbling friends Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes), can the Red Bull and King Haggard be defeated from their goal of bringing an end to all of the unicorns?

The Last Unicorn has a charming cast of animated characters. The character of the last unicorn is an especially charming character for the children’s tale and audiences will be able to be drawn into her story as she navigates the world around her as she fights for survival.

Schmendrick is a fun magician character who fights to help the unicorn at every possible opportunity. Though Schmendrick is a bit of an aloof character in some respects, Schmendrick wants to do his best to aid the last unicorn despite some of his own struggles. King Haggard makes for a compelling villain (as does the Red Bull). The voice-performances work exceptionally well and the cast of actors add to the production in spades. Mia Farrow is terrific as the last unicorn as and her human counter, Lady Amalthea. Christopher Lee is first-rate as King Haggard. Alan Arkin adds some light comedic moments as Schmendrick.

The Last Unicorn features beautiful hand-drawn animation. The Last Unicorn has animation by Japanese anime studio Topcraft (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Adventures of the Little Koala). The feature animation showcases the artistry of Topcraft and animation production by Rankin/Bass Productions. Topcraft brought something undeniably special to the table and The Last Unicorn showcases a nice, evocative, and surreal aesthetic that is entirely absorbing.

One of the best things about The Last Unicorn is that it is an American production but one that also utilized Japanese animation artists working overseas to bring together the haunting and surrealistic animation. The animators involved with The Last Unicorn were being instructed by Toru Hara, a former Toei Animation animator who helped to bring together a team of animators that were eventually hired by Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki as some of the key contributing artists for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Although Studio Ghibli was not formed with every animator from The Last Unicorn, the fact that several key artists who were involved with the production of The Last Unicorn transitioned to early Studio Ghibli works makes the film a must-see for classic anime fans and enthusiasts wanting to seek out a more well-rounded knowledge of early pre-Ghibli work. There is a lot to appreciate about these elements of the film and the manner in which the Japanese animation plays a pivotal role in the storytelling.

Edited by Tomoko Kida (The Flight of Dragons, Only Yesterday), The Last Unicorn is a well-rounded production and one that has a solid editing style. The pace and flow of the production is something which enhances the storytelling. The editing is a key element of the film and there are no scenes that feel over-long or that lag. The storytelling has more energy and style as a result of the solid editing job by Kida.

The production design by Arthur Rankin Jr. (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town) adds to the aesthetic of the production, too. Rankin Jr. was an important animation pioneer – someone with a great knowledge of production design. Rankin Jr. provided some notable elements alongside cinematographer Hiroyasu Omoto (Jarinko Chie, The Flight of Dragons). The film has an impressive cinematographic style and these visual qualities also help to showcase the Japanese animation at its finest.  

The music for The Last Unicorn is one of the most beautiful components of the film. The Last Unicorn features music selections by rock band America. America is one of the best rock bands of all time. Anyone who considers themselves a fan of America will want to see The Last Unicorn for the fun showcase of their music throughout the film. It adds a special quality to the storytelling that is undeniably charming and hypnotic. The score composed by Jimmy Webb (The Naked Ape, ‘Doc’) also plays a significant role in the feature-film and the surrealistic quality the film achieves. The music has contributions by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Written by Peter S. Beagle (The Lord of the Rings – 1978, The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened), The Last Unicorn is well-adapted from the screenwriters own work. The screenplay has a lot of fun qualities and the script handles the fantasy elements of the story enormously well. The tale is one written from children but one that is easily enjoyed by adults, too. The storytelling is evocative and engaging. The fantasy tale brings to mind the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and other great fantasy writers.

Directed by Jules Bass (The Flight of Dragons, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town) and Arthur Rankin Jr. (The Little Drummer Boy, The Year Without a Santa Claus), The Last Unicorn is an animated classic. Fans of classic hand- drawn animation will appreciate the superb animation qualities of the film and everything about the exciting filmmaking. The directing is top-notch and both Bass and Rankin Jr. provide surrealism and fantasy in spades. The Last Unicorn is a wonderful gem.

The Last Unicorn 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Shout Factory, The Last Unicorn is presented in HEVC / H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The 4K UHD release features a 4K scan of the original 35mm interpositive. The 4K presentation has outstanding qualities that are well worthwhile.

The presentation impresses with a quality 4K scan and it is one that provides the animation with crisp line art and background animation. The high- dynamic-range (HDR) presentation is another exceptional aspect of the release. The release provides both a HDR10 (standard) and Dolby Vision option. The HDR is subtle but enormously effective at bringing out some of the stunning qualities inherit in the animation. The result is a more engaging presentation.

The presentation isn't technically flawless and there are some issues with the scan. The scan does have occasional speck of dirt on the print and minor wear. The interpositive 4K scan shows some slight PQ imperfections that prevent the 4K restoration from receiving a perfect five-star score. Even so, the presentation is a near-perfect one and the boost in clarity and detail (alongside the subtle but enormously effective HDR implementation) make it a stunning presentation nonetheless.

One of the joys of the 4K UHD presentation is the preserved film grain. The naturally filmic presentation is superior to previous home media presentations – some of which had DNR. The film grain showcases all the details in the animation. The interpositive 4K scan should be the best option for enthusiasts seeking the most filmic transfer.

The Last Unicorn 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio quality sounds crisp and clear on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The song selections of rock band America sound exceptional on the release. This is outstanding and one of the most essential ingredients of the sound presentation. A top-rate lossless audio track. The surround sound mix also enhances the soundstage and brings out the best in the audio design. The audio quality is superior to previous home media releases with the source having a more robust soundstage (perhaps due to the new 4K interpositive restoration).

Early home media releases of The Last Unicorn featured censored audio elements. Shout Factory wisely course corrected these elements for their previous Blu-ray edition and the remastered audio with the original audio intact has been preserved and carried over for the new 4K ultimate edition. The edited version is safely left behind and fans of the film won't need to worry over needlessly edited audio.

The Last Unicorn 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD limited edition steelbook features stunning artwork. The key artwork on the steelbook is spectacular and an iconic image was selected for the front of the steelbook design. The back art is similarly impressive and adds a nice touch to the release design. The interior artwork also adds a fantastic key visual and makes the entire design stand out as something special. Even the quality attention given to the disc art helps to enhance the quality of the packaging. A must-own steelbook for enthusiasts. A quality steelbook design through-and-through.

One element of note is that the new 4K UHD edition features a new 4K UHD scan on the included Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc provided in the set provides a superior presentation option to those found with previously released Blu-ray editions. Even for newcomers to 4K UHD who do not own a 4K UHD player or display yet, one can purchase the 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo pack and still get to experience the new 4K scan (albeit in 1080p on the included Blu-ray disc contained within the release).

NEW Profile of Writer Peter S. Beagle (HD, 14:46) features an interview with the writer of The Last Unicorn.

True Magic (Redux): The Story of The Last Unicorn (HD, 27:28)

Q&A with Peter S. Beagle (HD, 8:28)

Animated Storyboards (HD, 7:22)

Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:47)

The supplemental package is a bit interesting. The supplements provided on the 4K UHD edition (presented as a 4K/Blu-ray combo pack) are not identical to previous home media releases. The 4K release is missing several key extras provided on previous home media releases of The Last Unicorn. For supplemental fans who already own previous releases and who would like to retain a complete set of supplements, this is something of note.

Both the previous Shout Factory release and Lionsgate release included a different supplemental package. Each of the previous editions also included different audio commentaries. The previously available Shout Factory audio commentary featuring original author Peter S. Beag alongside Michael Chase Walker, Terri Kempton, Connor Cochrane, and Travis Ashmore is missing from the release. The audio commentary from the Lionsgate edition is also missing. The supplements aren't as expansive on the 4K UHD edition.

The Last Unicorn 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Last Unicorn is an animated classic. The hand-drawn animation is stunning and the production is incredible on a number of levels. A must-see animated gem and one that will appeal to audiences young and old. A great classic with wonderful song selections by rock group America (adding another reason to see the film).  The Last Unicorn is a cult classic for a reason – a great soundtrack, story, and animation (with animation featuring contributions by animators who would go on to work with Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki).

The 4K presentation features a new restoration of the interpositive. The 4K interpositive scan is incredible and provides a more naturally filmic presentation with film grain left intact. The release provides a nice selection of supplements, too (albeit the release is missing previously available audio commentaries). Fans of The Last Unicorn wanting the best possible presentation to date should consider it a must-own release. Highly recommended.