This is not the first time The Last Unicorn has been released on Blu-ray. As a matter of fact it was about 5 years ago when the film debuted in high definition, so it is a little puzzling as to why there is a rerelease. But the fact is, when The Last Unicorn came out on Blu-ray it didn’t get a lot of attention. Now the rights have shifted and Shout Factory presents us with a new transfer of the film and the visuals look great. You won’t really notice much unless you compare the two versions back to back but there is a bit of an improvement with this release. Another improvement is with the audio, where the new mixes definitely help things and make the film feel much more “present”.
But the film itself, that’s the whole point. If you have the previous Blu-ray and are satisfied with it, there might not be much of a reason to repurchase the film in this new edition – but there is, and I’ll get to that later. Based on the book by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn was adapted by the author himself and directed by the Rankin/Bass duo, yes, the same one behind those Christmas television specials. The voice cast is spectacular, with Mia farrow, Alan Arkin, Christopher Lee, Angela Lansbury, Jeff Bridges and many others. And many of the animators who worked on this film would go on to found what would eventually become Studio Ghibli. So there’s that.
After learning she is the last of her kind, a unicorn sets out to find out what has happened to them all. Along the way she encounters a great deal of peril but is also befriended and helped. Through this help we get the first death of the film. Yes, there is death here. It isn’t gruesome or gratuitous, but there is a reason it isn’t rated “G” – oh, wait, it is. That’s weird.
Early on the unicorn is transformed into a human through some unpredictable magic. It is this transformation that gives the unicorn human emotions, regret, pain, love, and begins to forget her unicorn ways and initial quest. What happened to all the unicorns? Will this one truly be the last of its kind? How will the quest end?
What I liked about The Last Unicorn was that it feels like a faithful adaptation of the book but also strikes its own path. What deviations we have from the source material are necessary for the format, and because the author was the one who adapted the screenplay it stays true to the original story. And this isn’t a “kid’s” film. There is death and adult themes. While kids can certainly watch The Last Unicorn it wasn’t made for kids so it isn’t pandering to the audience.
If you are new to The Last Unicorn or missed out on the previous Blu-ray, you should check out Shout Factory’s new release. Actually, even if you have the previous Blu–ray you might want to pick this release up. None of the previous special features are carried over to this new Blu-ray, but while there are some losses (such as the galleries and a couple of featurettes) they are replaced by some things that definitely will appease fans. A new audio commentary has been recorded, and yes, it retains Beagle and his publisher, but this time adds a couple of new participants. While much of the same ground is covered it is presented in a way that makes the track much more lively. Some may want to hold on to their older Blu-ray though. A new retrospective feature runs 45 minutes and is a good deal longer than all the other previous featurettes combined and as a result is much more comprehensive. There are a couple of animated storyboards and then a short featurette regarding the recent theatrical rerelease of the film with Peter S. Beagle acting as host to these screenings.
Overall I would not have expected a rerelease of The Last Unicorn to have been necessary, but this one from Shout Factory definitely seems to be warranted.