Parents' Guide to

The Last Unicorn

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Classic '80s animated fantasy has some scary moments.

Movie G 1982 93 minutes
The Last Unicorn Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 34 parent reviews

SierraJames54
SierraJames54 Adult
September 26, 2018
age 13+

What was MPAA thinking?

This is far too inappropriate for children before hitting puberty. I mean seriously, depictions of partial nudity involving female chests, use of profanity, and intense violence with blood and murder. This should have been given a PG-13 rating instead. DO NOT SET THIS IN FRONT OF YOUR LITTLE ONES!!!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
Ispeaktherealtruth
Ispeaktherealtruth Adult
September 23, 2021
age 12+

Great Movie Wrong Rating

The little ones might be scared by a couple things in this movie there's a big bird what kills the witch at the beginning and there's the bull he was just a big Fireball in the shape of bull . Towards the end of the movie the bull runs over the prince and the castle comes crumbling down sending King Haggard crashing to his death On to the adult Parts in the movie there's a tree that the wizard turns into a girl and her large chest is clearly visible the bird that kills the old witch it shows its chest which has nipples when the Unicorn turns into the girl you do not see any frontal nudity her hair is basically covering everything but when they do a long shot of her laying there you do see her bare behind for a second or two also towards the end there is a brief view of the unicorns chest as a girl As far a dark movie it's not the ending is a happy one this was one of my favorite movies as a kid and this still is one of my favorite movies of all times as an adult I do agree the rating of Pg might of been a little more appropriate for it I'd skip it if your kid under 12 And then you might want to watch it first to decide if it right for your kid
1 person found this helpful.
See all 34 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE LAST UNICORN finds a graceful and gentle unicorn (Mia Farrow in a touching, thoughtful performance) concerned that she may be the last unicorn on earth. The unicorn knows that her species is immortal, so she leaves the beauty and security of her forest to travel the world and find out what happened to the others. Her odyssey sends her to strange and unfamiliar places; introduces her to an array of bizarre and wonderful characters; puts her in grave danger from some dastardly villains; and, most unexpectedly, finds her transformed into a beautiful woman who falls in love with the handsome Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). With two trustworthy accomplices, a stumbling wizard named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), and a bandit leader's wife named Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes), the unicorn learns much about herself, solves the mystery of the missing unicorns, and must finish with a profoundly unselfish deed.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (34):
Kids say (21):

The Last Unicorn is an early example of the artistry of Japanese animation, combined with an imaginative, unique concept and terrific storytelling. It has easily maintained its place in fantasy moviemaking history. Budget limitations meant that directors Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, author-screenwriter Peter S. Beagle, and producers Martin Starger and Michael Chase Walker had to aspire to greatness in unorthodox ways. They were able to gather a wonderful cast of character actor, including the witty Robert Klein, Christopher Lee at his most full-voiced, and Angela Lansbury at her most witchy, and Jimmy Webb wrote the stunning music, performed by the rock band America. Though it's not a movie for everyone -- certainly not for little kids who could have nightmares populated by the Red Bull and the witch -- there is enough romance for the romantic, enough philosophical reflection for the most serious students of human nature, and enough laughs and funny insights for those who love to be amused. Highly recommended, with special kudos to the Enchanted edition for its wonderful extras.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Last Unicorn is, and has always been, considered "unconventional" and "original." What are some of the things that separate it from other animated fairy tales and adventures? Though it was made decades ago, how is it still unique?

  • Did watching this movie inspire you to read the book from which it was adapted? Would it surprise you to know that the book is a fantasy classic and was popular with both young adults and adults? What do you think makes a book a classic?

  • How did the music in this film, written by Jimmy Webb and performed by the rock band America, set the tone and the tempo and enrich the story for you? Do you like or not like the fact that music sometimes tells you how to feel while you're watching a movie?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate