ythology professor Alan Aisling (Bridges) believes that science begins with imagination. He wants to instill in his students credendo vides--the concept that "by believing, one sees." However, Alan is still mourning the recent death of his wife, and trying to hold his family together. His daughters, 9-year-old Cassie (Conlin) and her older sister, Miranda (McEwen), are each suffering from their mother's loss in their own way.
But there's magic afoot around the Aisling family, and one night, trolls break into their home and threaten to kill Alan to prevent him from fulfilling "the prophecy." Alan grabs a sword that was mounted on his wall to protect himself and Miranda, as Cassie runs into two odd fellows who convince her to go with them. Alan and Miranda narrowly escape the trolls, and set off after Cassie and her new companions. With the trolls in hot pursuit, the mortal family finds that their only escape is aboard an enchanted ship called The Unicorn.
Magically transported from the Sensible World to the Landscape Of Imagination, the Aislings meet the Unicorn's crew, Captain Malachi (Colin Heath), a dwarf, and his first hand, Sabastian (Kristian Ayre), an elf. They were sent to protect the Aisling family from the trolls by King Oberon (Markus Parilo) and Queen Titania (Ocean Hellman) of Faerie Isle. The prophecy states that a man of wisdom and two maidens gentle of spirit will help create a new beginning and put an end to darkness.
Alan and his daughters soon end up on a quest to find the mightiest of dragons that long ago helped protect Faerie Isle from those who would destroy it. But before they can fulfill the prophecy, they will find themselves on an incredible journey that will test their courage and bring them back together as a family once again.
A charming tale of mythic creatures
Based on the children's book Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christensen, Voyage of the Unicorn is another lavishly produced television miniseries from executive producer Robert Halmi, Sr., who also produced Gulliver's Travels and The 10th Kingdom. Like those two miniseries, Unicorn's heroes find themselves to be strangers in a strange land.
Voyage of the Unicorn has many charming moments, especially when several mythological creatures are found to be just misunderstood. The introduction to the story is nicely done, and the adventure is appropriately grand as the fantastic tale travels to several different lands. The production and special effects are top notch.
However, Unicorn ends up lacking depth, and it feels a bit short. It's not ever very clear why a father would risk the lives of his daughters on the quest, since the threat to Faerie Isle doesn't seem imminent. The quest is set up as a series of adventures, but the adventures don't flow the way they should from one to the next and they end up feeling forced. Also, many of the secondary characters aren't given enough development once they are introduced, and the evil trolls are one dimensional and just not very interesting.
Still, the real strength of the miniseries comes from Bridges as Alan, a college professor who finds himself an unexpected swashbuckling hero. He doesn't seem a natural choice as "action hero guy," but that's what makes him so appealing in the role. McEwen as Miranda and Conlin as Cassie also do a nice job of helping to carry the miniseries as Alan's resourceful daughters.
