When Ferngully was originally released I was in high school. At this time I have pretty much outgrown watching animated movies but I do remember watching Ferngully. I don’t think I actually watched this in the theaters, I feel like I watched this on televsion. I remember thinking about the message the movie was trying to convey and if it would stick with people. Here we are in the year 2022 and climate change is still an issue and sadly the message of Ferngully seems to be forgotten. With the 30th Anniversary of Ferngully coming up the movie is being re-released to a new audience in a stunning 4K scan Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo.
If you vaguely remember Ferngully, it tells the tale of a fairy named Crysta who lives in the rainforest of Australia. She is learning about the rainforest and its past from Magi Lune. After being chased by Pips she flies higher than she should outside the rainforest and sees smoke in the distance. She decides to investigate and she discovers the Leveler which is cutting down the trees in the rainforest. She then sees Zak and inadvertently shrinks him to her size.
Now that Zak is the size of a fairy, Crysta tries to teach him about the importance of the rainforest and how him cutting down the trees is hurting the forest. One of the big problems with the Leveler cutting down the trees is that it releases Hexxux from place of capture and he uses the Leveler to attempt to destroy Ferngully. After a series of adventures, Zac sees the error in his ways and assists Cysta and the rest of the fairies to overcome Hexxus. There is a lot more that happens, but we don’t want to give it all away for you.
One thing that I always love about Blu-ray releases is the special features that are on the disc. Ferngully has some great ones that take us not only behind the scenes but show us a lot about the animation process. The introduction by director Bill Kroyer is very poignant and filled with some cool fun facts about the movie. I did not know that this was the first animated movie that Robin Williams voiced. Later that year he was the voice of the Genie in Aladdin.
When it comes to the animation of the movie, Ferngully was the first movie to start using computer animation. The Leveler along with Batty’s Rap were created using computer animation. The opening sequence is amazing and it is hard to believe that the story Magi Lune is telling was all drawn by hand. The images are moving and just beautiful to watch. For what it was at its time, Ferngully was a step ahead in their animation. It would be great to see it on the big screen again.
Final Thoughts: Ferngully is a cautionary tale about taking care of Mother Earth and the dangers that are created by man. The movie ends with the line “For our children and our children’s childen,” and it sadly feels that the message has been forgotten since Ferngully was released. While some of the songs may have not aged well, it is still an enjoyable movie to watch. Ferngully needs to have a theaterical re-release to remind people about protecting Mother Earth.
Kid-Friendly: Yes! There is not much in Ferngully that would be too scary for younger children. The first appearance of Hexxus might be a little scary for younger viewers. The movie teaches a great lesson about respecting the world around you.
Violence: There is no animated violence in Ferngully. The images of the trees being cut down might be upsetting for some children. There is also a scene when Goanna is trying to eat Zach that might be scary but the song Goanna is singing might take away a little of that fear.
Read more about the movie below and keep reading to enter to win one of 3 copies of the Ferngully on Blu-ray.
More about Ferngully:
The beloved animated feature FernGully: The Last Rainforest will be the recipient of an exciting new release ahead of its 30th Anniversary. On August 23, Shout! Factory will release FernGully: The Last Rainforest (30th Anniversary Edition) in a Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo. Thanks to an amazing restoration from a brand-new 4K scan of the original film elements, fans will be able to enjoy the film as never before.
Special features on FernGully: The Last Rainforest (30th Anniversary Edition) include a fascinating NEW introduction with director Bill Kroyer, which includes never-before-seen pencil, character and animation tests. Other features include multiple commentaries, featurettes, a music video, a multi-angle scene study, a script-to-scene comparison, and more.
Deep in the heart of the forest awaits a paradise filled with tiny sprites, winged fairies, tree spirits, and all kinds of animals who live together in joyful harmony. But when their home is threatened by humans, one courageous sprite must give her all to save it!
Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Robin Williams, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Tim Curry, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, and Tone Loc, FernGully: The Last Rainforest is an iconic classic for kids of all ages, presented here in a special 2-Disc, 30th Anniversary Edition.
Based on the series of books by Australian author Diana Young, and directed by Bill Kroyer (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids), FernGully was a labor of love. The filmmakers used what was then brand-new special effects technology for penetrating layers of backgrounds, and to generate the beginning stages of drawings which were then completed by hand. 150,000 cels were created for FernGully, a total of 38 miles of artwork if they were laid end-to-end. Although many steps were computer assisted, every shot was primarily painted and animated by hand.
The key creative team spent time in the Australian rainforest to view first-hand one of the richest natural environments on earth, and drew inspiration from the multi-hued colors of the forest and exotic wildlife. As a result, FernGully is extraordinary in its attention to detail.
FernGully’s ecological message about the importance of the world’s rainforests had a strong impact on viewers 30 years ago. That message is timelier than ever in 2022, and the film continues to find new generations of fans.
FernGully: The Last Rainforest:
Crysta (Samantha Mathis) is a fairy who lives in FernGully, a rainforest in Australia, and has never seen a human before. In fact, she is told they are extinct. But when a logging company comes near the rainforest, she sees that they do exist, and even accidentally shrinks one of them: a boy named Zak (Jonathan Ward). Now her size, Zak sees the damage that the company does and helps Crysta to stop not only them, but an evil entity named Hexxus (Tim Curry), who feeds off pollution.
Special Features:
- NEW Introduction With Director Bill Kroyer, Which Includes Never-Before-Seen Pencil, Character And Animation Tests
- Audio Commentary with Bill Kroyer, Art Director Ralph Eggleston and Coordinating Art Director Susan Kroyer
- “Seed of the Story” – Script-To-Screen Comparison with Optional Commentary by Screenwriter Jim Cox
- “From Paper to Tree” – Making-of Featurette
- “Behind The Voice: Toxic Love” – Multi-Angle Scene Study
- Original Featurette
- “If I’m Gonna Eat Somebody (It Might As Well Be You)” Music Video
- Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
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It’s extremely important to me.
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Before Avatar, there was Ferngully! It’s been so long since I watched this movie!