Reception
In a New York Times review, Janet Maslin called The Last Unicorn "an unusual children's film in many respects, the chief one being that it is unusually good. features a cast that would do any live-action film proud, a visual style noticeably different from that of other children's fare, and a story filled with genuine sweetness and mystery." and said that "no one of any age will be immune to the sentiment of the film's final moments, which really are unexpectedly touching and memorable". Beagle himself called the film "magnificent" in comparison to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, which he also wrote the screenplay for. The film currently retains a 58% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 82% viewer approval rating.
A 1982 Variety reviewer praised the script and voice acting, but was not impressed by the film's animation. "However vapid the unicorn may appear to the eye. Mia Farrow's voice brings an almost moving plaintive quality to the character." The review also praised the vocal talents of Arken, Lee, and Frees.
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