This adaptation of Peter Beagle's novel by the same name was directed by Rankin & Bass, but animated by a shop of Japanese artists. The result was a brilliantly original fantasy story with the look-and-feel of a Japanimation feature. Produced shortly before "Voltron" and "Battle of the Planets" debuted in the U.S., it can be seen as the leading edge of the Japanese movement in animation.
On a less technical level, this is a lovely story and very faithful to the book ... one can thank Mr. Beagle for that, since he wrote the script as well! An all-star cast, including Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, and Christopher Lee provide the voices.
There is one rather annoying musical interlude towards the end, that just seems to go on forever; a British group called "Renaissance," which blended classical, jazz and rock styles, was supposed to do the music for this movie, and if they had, then this duet between "Lear" and "Amalthea" would have been superb. Unfortunately, the resulting song was lackluster and boring.
The story as a whole is excellent, the artistry overall superb. A must-see if you have any interest in animated features
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