HEAVY METAL

 

My official UK DVD of Heavy Metal (© Gerald Potterton/Guardian Trust Company/Canadian Film Development Corporation/Famous Players/Potterton Productions/Columbia Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

For reasons of storage space-saving and also for DVDs containing additional content not found on videos, some years back I began replacing much of my video collection with DVDs, except for ones whose movies are not available on DVD or which hold sentimental value for me. On 12 April 2023, despite now having it on DVD, I watched one of my movie videos from the latter category, because when I opened it I discovered that it still contained its original shop receipt, confirming that I had purchased it from Woolworths on 27 December 1997 in its traditional post-Christmas sale. Today, Woolworths is long gone, and so is the life that I was living then, still with my family all around, of which that humble little receipt is a poignant reminder.

And so, a little over 25 years later, I finally sat down and watched this video, which is of the early 1980s animated sci fi/fantasy anthology movie Heavy Metal (not to be confused with the Eddie Kidd motorbike-themed movie Riding High, which came out at much the same time and was retitled in some territories as Heavy Metal, and even featured a not too dissimilar cartoon cover on its video and accompanying paperback novelization).

Directed by Gerald Potterton, released in 1981 by Columbia Pictures, inspired by the long-running magazine Heavy Metal and its graphic art stories of sci fi and fantasy, and very Ralph Bakshian in its depictions of sex, nudity, and violence, Heavy Metal is nowadays widely deemed to be a cult classic, especially within the world of animation.

It consists of several separate segments, each with its own separate plot, voice cast, crew, and animation team, but linked by the presence in each one of a glowing green orb, the Loc-Nar, that speaks, claiming to be the sum of all evils, and revealing its devastating effects upon those who have sought to own it. Originally there were ten such segments, including the short 'Epilogue', but one of them, 'Neverwhere Land', was cut, to prevent the movie from running over its intended length.

There isn't enough space here to go into all the individual segments' plots – which range from a film noir-esque taxicab driver in a futuristic dystopian New York City inadvertently coming into a fortune due to the Loc-Nar's destruction of those who covet it ('Harry Canyon'), and a lonely teenage nerd who is transported to the exceedingly weird alien world of Neverwhere by the Loc-Nar but where he nonetheless becomes a happy hulking super-hero (voiced by John Candy) after rejecting the malign orb ('Den'), to a WW2 bomber pilot who is horrified to find that the Loc-Nar has transformed all of his crew into zombies ('B-17'), and a mute female warrior named Taarna astride a huge battle-bird avenging the destruction of a planet's peaceful scholar inhabitants by a barbaric horde of mutants engendered by the Loc-Nar ('Taarna') –  but suffice it to say that the cumulative effect is one that held my attention throughout.

The vivid animation is extremely good throughout, the alien worlds and entities varied in form and invariably colourful in appearance, and several classic Heavy Metal rock tracks accompany the stories, performed by the likes of Sammy Hagar, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, Journey, and Devo. It also includes a score by Elmer Bernstein, his first score for an animated movie.

My only gripe is that Taarna's spectacular-looking avian steed as depicted by acclaimed fantasy artist Chris Achilléos in publicity posters and video/DVD covers for this movie (see this present review's pictures) is, by contrast, far less spectacular within the actual movie itself, which was disappointing. The original Heavy Metal magazine story (entitled 'Arzach') upon which this animated Heavy Metal movie segment is based, conversely, was illustrated by the renowned French comic-strip artist/author Moebius (real name Jean Giraud), who also illustrated the Heavy Metal magazine story 'The Long Tomorrow', which in the movie became the 'Harry Canyon' segment. In addition, his artwork inspired the 1982 animated feature movie Time Masters (click here to read my review of it).

Unlike in the Ralph Bakshi mature-audience animated movies such as Fire and Ice (click here to read my review of it) and Wizards, there is little use of rotoscoping here in Heavy Metal (Taarna being the only notable exception, with Toronto model Carole Desbiens rotoscoped to create her). Consequently, the humanoid figures move in a less life-like, realistic manner, adopting a rather more fluid mode of movement as in traditional animation, but which I actually prefer to rotoscoping.

(Incidentally, if like me you're an animation fan, you'll recognize director Gerald Potterton's name, though his previous forays into animation involved projects very different from Heavy Metal. These included producing via his company Potterton's Productions the 1970s children's featurette classics The Selfish Giant and The Happy Prince (both based upon Oscar Wilde short stories) plus The Little Mermaid (based upon the Hans Christian Anderson fairy story) – all three of which I loved as a youngster – and prior to those he had worked on The Beatles' full-length animated feature film Yellow Submarine.)

Some critics dismissed Heavy Metal as mindless pre-pubescent/adolescent fantasy or worse, but I enjoyed it, so what that makes me is anyone's guess, lol. Moreover, not only have I now discovered that there is a sequel movie, Heavy Metal 2000, but also I have found it on YouTube, where it is currently free to watch (click here), which is what I definitely plan to do, and in less than 25 years' time this time!

Also, in 2019 Season 1 (aka Volume 1) of a three-season, multi-episode TV show consisting of a reimagined, rebooted version of the original Heavy Metal movie, and entitled Love, Death & Robots, was released on Netflix. Season 2 followed in 2021, and Season 3 in 2022. The three seasons collectively yield 35 episodes, all stand-alone in terms of subject matter, and of varying lengths (6-21 minutes each).

If you'd like to watch on YouTube an official trailer for Heavy Metal, please click here; you can also watch most of its segments individually on there, as well as trailers for all three seasons of Love, Death & Robots.

Finally: to view a complete chronological listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE, and please click HERE to view a complete fully-clickable alphabetical listing of them.

 

The full cover of my official UK VHS sell-thru videocassette of Heavy Metal (© Gerald Potterton/Guardian Trust Company/Canadian Film Development Corporation/Famous Players/Potterton Productions/Columbia Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

 

FIRE AND ICE

 

Publicity poster for Fire and Ice (© Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta/Producers Sales Organization/20^th Century Fox – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

My movie watch on 16 March 2023 was the 198os animated dark fantasy/swords & sorcery movie Fire and Ice, which I'd wanted to watch for a very long time but only obtained in DVD format very recently.

Directed by Ralph Bakshi, featuring characters created by him and acclaimed fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, and released in 1983 by 20^th Century Fox, Fire and Ice presents its take on the only-too-familiar and all-too-predictable fantasy-themed plot of an evil despot seeking to conquer a rival kingdom but is challenged by a heroic warrior.

Thus: Lord Nekron (voiced by Sean Hannon), evil ruler of his ice kingdom, is threatening to over-run and decimate via his dark magic the fiery volcanic realm of his avowed rival, King Jarol (Leo Gordon). As a means of subjugating Jarol, Nekron sends a delegation of subhumans to abduct Jarol's daughter, Princess Teegra (Cynthia Lake for rotoscoping, but voiced by Maggie Roswell), which they do, but hot on their heels, journeying from fire to ice, literally, is youthful but valiant warrior Larn (Randy Norton), whose entire village had earlier been destroyed by Nekron's horde. Larn is assisted in his bold quest by a mysterious masked horseman and highly skilled, Conanesque warrior named Darkwolf (Steve Sandor), who has reasons of his own (but which he never reveals) to destroy Nekron.

Although more impressive than a previous Bakshi animated fantasy movie, Wizards, that I'd watched a few weeks earlier, I must confess that, in stark contrast to my high expectations based upon all that I'd read about it in the past, I wasn't overly enamoured by Fire and Ice.

The human characters are largely rotoscoped, as is common in Bakshi's animated movies, and therefore always look impressive and extremely life-like. Conversely, the plot is for me a very pedestrian, somewhat plodding affair, not picking up any real pace until two thirds of the way through its 90-minute running time, even though, paradoxically, it is packed with action.

Although this movie does feature a humungous octopus, a giant lizard, and a phalanx of flighting, pterodactylian dragon hawks, with the exception of the last-mentioned type (animated by nowadays-renowned Korean-American animator Peter Chung in his debut big-screen role) their appearances are far too brief to be effective. Certainly, it could have benefited from more prominent monsters in its prehistoric/barbarian-based fantasy world to add spectacle, especially with the incomparable Frazetta on board, whose significant input via this movie's beautiful background visuals, incorporating over a thousand paintings, as well as the design of its human lead characters, most notably the bodacious Teegra, is readily apparent.

(Having said that, Frazetta didn't actually produce the background paintings himself. Instead, they were meticulously prepared in the style of his work by two young artists who both went on achieve considerable fame in their own respective right. One was James Gurney, who subsequently created and illustrated the best-selling Dinotopia fantasy/sci fi novels. The other was Thomas Kinkade, the so-called 'Painter of Lights', who has achieved immense commercial success via his innumerable 'chocolate-box'-style paintings of rural cottages with their trademark glowing, interior-lit windows and idealized, leafy woodland/countryside settings.)

Just a little humour here and there wouldn't have gone amiss either – Fire and Ice is a VERY serious movie indeed. Time to rewatch Fritz the Cat? Now there's a Bakshi animated movie with humour, not always tasteful, needless to say, but it certainly keeps the movie ticking along at a fair old pace, unlike the less than blazing progression of Fire and Ice.

But if you want to judge for yourself, be sure to click here to watch an official Fire and Ice trailer on YouTube. Moreover, at the time of my posting this Shuker In MovieLand review, the entire movie can be watchd free of charge on YouTube by clicking here.

Finally: to view a complete chronological listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE, and please click HERE to view a complete fully-clickable alphabetical listing of them.

THINK LIKE A DOG

 

Publicity photograph of Josh Duhamel, the lead human star of Think Like A Dog (photo © unknown to me despite detailed online searches – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

On 4 May 2023, I watched two very different movies. One of them was The Last Unicorn (which I subsequently reviewed here at Shuker In MovieLand), a classic, thoroughly exquisite animated fantasy feature film. The other one, in homage to my well-known love of offbeat flicks – and this is just about as offbeat as they get! – was Think Like A Dog.

Directed and written by Gil Junger, and released in 2020 by Lionsgate, Think Like A Dog presents a truly surreal comedy/sci fi-themed plot that opens with 12-year-old American high school science prodigy Oliver Reed (played by Gabriel Bateman, hitherto a young but seasoned veteran star of horror movies) working online with his friend and fellow prodigy Xiao (Hou Minghao), based in China, to create a thought-reading device. Oliver then demonstrates their device at his school's science fair in the hope of winning the top prize on offer there.

Unbeknownst to Oliver, however, a rival has coerced the human subject in Oliver's demonstration to lie about what he is thinking, so Oliver's demonstration inevitably fails – much to his embarrassment, especially as he was hoping to impress his internationally-renowmed scientist hero Mr Mills (Kunal Nayyar), who is in the audience.

That night back home, after being consoled by his parents Lukas (Josh Duhamel) and Ellen (Megan Fox), a still-perplexed Oliver tells Xiao online what has happened, and as neither of them can explain their device's apparent failure they decide to try it out again, this time in Oliver's bedroom. But there is a problem – they don’t have a human subject to use in the trial this time – so Oliver decides to use his dog, Henry, instead, wearing a thought-transference cap and collar. And this time (as there is no rival around to sabotage it), their device works – boy, does it work!

Suddenly, Oliver can hear all of Henry's thoughts! And to his equal surprise, he learns from Henry that all dogs can fully understand what humans are saying! Consequently, dog and boy can now communicate directly with each other – Henry via telepathy (his thoughts voiced by Todd Stashwick), Oliver simply by speaking out loud to Henry as usual.

Plenty of jokey dialogue follows, during which Henry imparts all manner of canine secrets to Oliver, many of which concern why dogs are so fond of sniffing certain objects and localities (I'll leave you to guess what and where!). More significantly, however, Henry offers Oliver his considered – albeit often highly comical – opinions as to how Oliver should deal with a troubling family issue. Namely, the recent announcement by his parents that they are probably going to separate (as they have been drifting apart for quite a while now, despite still living together).

But that's not all. Although he doesn't realize it at this present time, Oliver also has a second, totally separate yet equally disturbing problem to deal with. In order to fire up their device earlier that evening, Xiao had hacked into one of the world's biggest computers – but when the exceedingly high-level Global Cyber Protection Agency discovers that its security has been breached, it swiftly dispatches two undercover investigators (Agents Munoz and Callen – Julia Jones and Bryan Callen) to trace the source of the breach and identify whoever is responsible. Not only do they soon trace Xiao in China, they also home in on to Oliver's location in the States. But these are not the only ones interested in Oliver and Xiao – so too is Mr Mills.

While currently unaware of their device's success using Henry, Mills had already seen enough at the school science fair to interest him, despite its seeming failure there, and had been sufficiently impressed with Oliver, for him to contact Oliver and Xiao separately in order to learn more about their device. He even pays Xiao a substantial amount of money to get him on side. But when Mills's assistant Bridget (Janet Montgomery) alerts him after having covertly observed Oliver and Henry communicating directly by way of it, he becomes even more intent upon obtaining their device's technological secrets – by whatever means necessary!

The remainder of the movie thus features a succession of harum-scarum chases and all manner of amusing chicanery as Oliver, assisted by his doggedly devoted best pal Henry, not to mention a veritable pack of Henry's canine compatriots too, does his utmost to elude Mills as well as the two agents while also striving to publicly reveal their machinations.

Although Think Like A Dog is buoyed by the presence of such major acting names as Duhamel and Fox, there is no doubt whatsoever who the real star of this movie is – a certain animated shaggy rug on four legs with a long wagging tail, a big black wet nose, and an even bigger, longer tongue that comes dangerously close at times to licking Bateman's entire face off! Yet, criminally, this marvelous mutt who plays Henry so captivatingly, winningly encouraging us to willingly suspend all disbelief and simply enjoy the magic and the madness too, is never named in any of the publicity material that I've seen for this film. Even in publicity posters, only three names are present – Duhamel, Fox, and Bateman – with that of the extremely talented canine thespian who played Henry being conspicuous only via its absence! Shame, I say!

Seriously, though, Think Like A Dog is a charming family-friendly movie, albeit with a completely zany, utterly crazy storyline, and which I therefore enjoyed immensely. As for its true star: whoever 'The Dog With No Name' was who played Henry, he is indescribably adorable, an absolute peach of a pooch, in fact – Lassie, Benji, and even the latest CGI-engendered incarnation of Scooby-Doo, eat your hearts out!!

And if you don't believe me that it's a doggone delight, be sure to click here to watch an official Think Like A Dog trailer on YouTube.

Finally: to view a complete chronological listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE, and please click HERE to view a complete fully-clickable alphabetical listing of them.

 

A publicity poster for Think Like A Dog (© Gil Junger/M-Star International/Mad Chance/Lionsgate – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

THE LAST UNICORN

 

My official UK DVD of The Last Unicorn (© Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass/Rankin-Bass Productions/Topcraft/ITC Films/Jensen Farley Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for eductational/review purposes only)

Right from a very small child, when I first saw an illustration of one in The How and Why Wonder Book of Wild Animals bought for me by my mother, unicorns have always fascinated me. Consequently, shortly after it was published in 1982 I purchased the Unwin Paperbacks edition of fantasy novelist Peter Beagle's most famous work, his classic 1968 novel The Last Unicorn, and instantly, irrevocably, fell under the spell of its exquisitely written, thoroughly bewitching story.

Moreover, I was delighted to read on its front cover the notification that this novel was soon to be a major film. And so it was, being released later that very same year – but it was not until 1986, when I purchased it on video, that I finally watched this movie, which turned out to be a feature-length animated film, and I was totally enchanted all over again, especially as with Peter Beagle himself providing the screenplay it stayed generally faithful to his novel. However, many years had passed since I'd last viewed it, until 4 May 2023, that is, when I finally got around to doing so once more, this time in DVD format, and all the memories, magic, and melodies from this wonderful movie came flooding back. So here is my timely review of it.

Directed by Arthur Jr and Jules Bass (whose animation company Rankin-Bass Productions co-produced it), released in 1982 by Jensen Farley Pictures, and featuring a glittering host of big names from the acting world voicing the principal characters, The Last Unicorn tells the very moving, sometimes sad, frequently poignant, but always completely captivating story of how, after hearing a huntsman say that she is the last of her kind, a unicorn (voiced very empathically by Mia Farrow) reluctantly leaves her forest sanctuary to search for other unicorns, in the fervent hope that the hunter is wrong and that at least some do still exist in the world.

After encountering and imploring for information a verbose but decidedly flutter-brained butterfly (Robert Klein), spouting forth numerous snippets of songs and poems, she finally succeeds in extracting some serious, pertinent details from him – all of the other unicorns were driven away long ago by a fiery red bull who covered their footprints so that their departure left no trace for anyone to follow. However, this makes her only more determined than ever to locate them.

 

My official UK sell-thru VHS video of The Last Unicorn, depicting Schmendrick and Maggie alongside her (© Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass/Rankin-Bass Productions/Topcraft/ITC Films/Jensen Farley Pictures/Channel 5 Videos – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for eductational/review purposes only)

Weary from her journeying, however, the unicorn subsequently falls asleep in a field and is encountered by a witch named Mommy Fortuna (Angela Lansbury), who owns a travelling sideshow, The Midnight Carnival, which charges gullible visitors to view its supposed monsters. Most humans are unable to recognize a unicorn, seeing only a white hornless steed instead, should they encounter one, but those who are pure of heart or, as in the witch's case, have magical powers, can see its horn and know it for what it truly is, as she now does. Keeping the unicorn asleep via an enchantment, she and her henchman capture and cage it, to display it alongside her other exhibits.

When the unicorn awakens, she discovers her fate, and also that a fake horn has been attached to her brow by the witch, because otherwise her human audience would only see a white mare, her real horn being invisible to them. She is visited by one of the witch's employers, a young and seemingly ineffectual wizard named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), but whose own magical powers, albeit limited, are sufficient for him to recognize her true nature too, and he vows to help her escape her imprisonment.

The unicorn informs Schmendrick that most of the Midnight Carnival's other so-called monsters are merely ordinary beasts that by virtue of the witch's powers of illusion appear to be something more. For in reality, the manticore is merely an old lion, the satyr nothing more than a lame ape, and the dragon simply a snake. However, to her horror the unicorn realizes that apart from herself, there is one genuine fabulous creature caged and on display here – Celaeno, vilest of the three monstrous, flesh-eating harpies from Greek mythology, who, like herself, had been captured by the witch while asleep.

After his magic fails to remove the bars from the unicorn's cage, Schmendrick resorts to stealing its key, unlocking the cage and setting her free. But instead of fleeing with him, the unicorn unlocks all of the other cages by touching their locks with her horn, including the rapacious harpy's, so that they too are now all free. In response, however, the malevolent monster swoops down on the unicorn, trying to kill her, but she wards it off with her horn. Then the harpy spies the witch, whom it hates far more, promptly killing and devouring her in revenge for having been imprisoned by her.

 

A gif presentation of the harpy Celaeno breaking out of its unlocked cage (© Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass/Rankin-Bass Productions/Topcraft/ITC Films/Jensen Farley Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for eductational/review purposes only)

Meanwhile, the unicorn and Schmendrick have left the Midnight Carnival far behind, only for Schemndrick to then be captured by a group of forest-inhabiting outlaws led by Captain Cully, but they do not see the unicorn, as she has concealed herself. By conjuring up some ghostly images of Robin Hood and his men as a distraction, however, Schmendrick escapes, but Cully's woman, Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes), who doesn't love him and is tired of outlaw life, begs to accompany him on his quest. Moreover, Molly is actually able to recognize the unicorn for what she is when she reappears, having wished for so long to see one.

During her imprisonment, the unicorn had been informed by Mommy Fortuna that the Red Bull is owned by King Haggard (Christopher Lee), the joyless ruler of a desolate kingdom named Hagsgate, who is said never to have been happy. So this is where the unicorn and her two human companions are now heading – but before they reach it they are confronted by the terrifying Red Bull – a huge, blazing, demonic entity of fiery. coruscating form with enormous horns and blazing eyes, who seeks to drive the unicorn before it just like it has done with all of the others, forcing her on toward some undetermined but no doubt dreadful fate.

Desperate to save her, Schmendrick calls upon his magic to do whatever it will to thwart the Red Bull, as a result of which the unicorn is abruptly transformed into a young fair maiden. Both the now-human unicorn and Maggie are horrified, however, with Maggie scolding Schmendrick, telling him that if the unicorm remains in human form for very long she will go mad. Nevertheless, now that she is human the Red Bull no longer recognizes her as a unicorn thus losing interest in her and departing, so Schmendrick has indeed saved her life, at least for now.

When the trio of travellers reach Haggard's castle, they are granted entry, whereupon they meet the king and also his adopted son Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges), and introduce themselves as the magician Schmendrick, his helper Maggie, and his niece the Lady Amalthea (deliberately concealing from them her true unicorn nature).

 

The unicorn as herself and in human form as the Lady Amalthea (© Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass/Rankin-Bass Productions/Topcraft/ITC Films/Jensen Farley Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for eductational/review purposes only)

During their stay, Schmendrick becomes Haggard's court magician and spends his time covertly seeking the Red Bull's hidden lair and the fate of the unicorns. Amalthea, conversely, inexplicably becomes drawn ever closer to the sea, gazing at it from turrets high up in the castle, while Prince Lir becomes drawn ever closer to Amalthea, even though she spurns his every attempt to befriend her.

As for Haggard, he is convinced that there is more to Amalthea than meets the eye, and after observing her at every available opportunity he finally confronts her while they are alone, claiming that her every action betrays who – and what – she really is. He then triumphantly reveals that in fact there is one thing that has made him happy – the sight of unicorns. So he had eventually commanded the Red Bull to chase every single one of them into the sea around his castle, where they are now forced to live, too afraid to venture out of the waves and encounter the Red Bull waiting for them. But they appear amidst the waves and foam, where Haggard can watch them from his castle and feel happy.

Upon hearing his shocking, seemingly outlandish confession, Amalthea flees from Haggard, believing him mad, but it is all true – so this is to be her fate too if the Red Bull recognizes that she is a unicorn. But will it do so anyway? For the longer she is remaining in human form as the Lady Amalthea, the more human she is becoming, which includes falling in love with Lir, love being an emotion no unicorn has ever before experienced. So if the Red Bull is to be destroyed and the unicorns released from the sea, it all must be achieved very soon, before Amalthea completely forgets her unicorn nature and thereby loses interest in completing her quest. Her true identity is revealed to Lir, who agrees to assist them by becoming the hero they require to confront and conquer the Red Bull – but will he succeed in this perilous task?

I'll leave you to watch the movie to find out what happens next, but despite it often being described as a children's film, let me assure you right away that The Last Unicorn is no such thing (Beagle wrote the original novel for adults, and he is also the person who wrote this film's screenplay, remember). So don't expect the usual unequivocal happy ending that such movies generally contain. On the contrary, this distinctly dark-in-parts and occasionally even violent animated film is far closer to the likes of Watership Down, Animal Farm, and The Plague Dogs than it is to any of Disney's traditional family-friendly classic cartoon movies. In particular, the Red Bull is a truly frightening apparition – a blazing behemoth of ultimate evil – as is the harpy. There is also a decidedly creepy, malign talking skeleton (René Auberjonois) whose grinning skull has glowing orbs of fire for eyes and a spine-chilling shriek that it gives voice to when it realises that it has been tricked by Schmendrick and the others into revealing the secret path leading from inside Haggard's castle to the subterranean lair of the Red Bull.

 

Publicity poster for The Last Unicorn, depicting her confronting the Red Bull (© Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass/Rankin-Bass Productions/Topcraft/ITC Films/Jensen Farley Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for eductational/review purposes only)

Equally, however, there is much beauty and brightness to behold here too, especially the gorgeous, multicoloured backgrounds in the unicorn's forest, and other rural settings through which she and her companions pass on their journey to Hagsgate. But undoubtedly the most visually appealing aspect of the entire movie is the unicorn herself, depicted in sparkling creamy-white that dramatically delineates her from her pastel surroundings at all times, and further enhanced by her perpetually rippling, flowing mane, all twirls and whirls and curlicues, imbuing her with a fey otherworldliness that persists even in her human form.

Of particular note are the unicorn's eyes, whose noticeably large, orb-like nature reminded me straight away of those sported by characters in the famous Studio Ghibli movies, and Manga characters too – and for good reason, as it turned out. For I've since discovered that whereas Rankin-Bass were responsible for this movie's background scenes as well as its dialogue and story (working from Beagle's screenplay), the characters' design and the animation itself were the work of the Japanese studio Topcraft, under this movie's third co-producer, Masaki Iizuka. And some of its key animators went on to establish…Japan's world-famous Studio Ghibi! What a small world it is, especially the movie world!

Another strong feature for me is this movie's music content, including its songs – all of which were the work of none other than legendary American songwriter Jimmy Webb. The title song, which immediately follows the brief introduction when the hunter reveals that this unicorn is the last one, is performed by the band America, and in my opinion it is quite simply one of the most beautiful film songs ever – click here to watch and listen to the spectacular segment featuring it.

Equally memorable are the vocal performances in this movie, but none more so than Mia Farrow's evocative portrayal of the unicorn as a complex combination of innocence, purity, passion, and youth, yet also wistful, lonely, sad, and perplexed – a gentle, enchanted creature of fable flung unexpectedly into the savage, deceitful world of humanity. For her, this is a dark, mysterious world regarding which she has neither the experience nor the knowledge to deal with, until bumbling but well-meaning Schmendrick comes to her assistance, subsequently supplemented by the more practical Molly and later still by the heroic albeit love-struck Lir.

 

The butterfly with the last unicorn (© Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass/Rankin-Bass Productions/Topcraft/ITC Films/Jensen Farley Pictures – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for eductational/review purposes only)

Worth noting here, by the way, is that not only is the voice cast exceedingly impressive, but so too is the roster of additional actors and actresses who at one time or another had been considered for voicing various of the characters. For instance, Janet Leigh and Shasi Wells had been put forward as possibilities to voice the unicorn/the Lady Amalthea; Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Dustin Hoffman for Schmendrick; John Carradine and James Earl Jones for King Haggard; and Michael Crawford, Richard Harris, and Kurt Russell for Prince Lir. Also, the English band Renaissance had been considered in relation to composing the movie's songs and soundtrack before Jeff Bridges suggested Jimmy Webb.

Other than the beautiful opening scene and song, my favourite portion of The Last Unicorn is the relatively light-hearted butterfly scene (click here to watch it on YouTube). So many songs and poems are sampled and segued by this loquacious lepidopteran in the space of just a few moments that the poor unicorn is left thoroughly bewildered, not to mention more than a little disgruntled too by this impudent insect's disrespectful, impertinent attitude, awash with casual irreverence. Incidentally, the first time that I ever watched this movie, I mistakenly assumed that the butterfly was voiced by American actor/songwriter Paul Williams, because in my opinion its face resembles his, complete with large circular spectacles.

I can guarantee that The Last Unicorn will be unlike any animated movie that you have ever seen before. It was far ahead of its time back in 1982, and there have been plans ever since to remake it, utilizing all of the massive technological advances, including computer animation and CGI, that have been developed during the intervening 40 years, but this still hasn't happened (Christopher Lee and Angela Lansbury were even willing to reprise their original roles, but tragically they are no longer here to do so now). Personally, however, I hope that it is not remade – after all, why try to improve upon perfection?

If you'd like to view on YouTube an official trailer revealing some of the spellbinding magic that awaits you in The Last Unicorn, be sure to click here. Moreover, at the time of posting this review here at Shuker in MovieLand, you can actually watch the entire movie free of charge on YouTube if you click here.

Finally: to view a complete chronological listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE, and please click HERE to view a complete fully-clickable alphabetical listing of them.

 

My paperback copy of The Last Unicorn (© Peter Beagle/Unwin Paperbacks – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)