Customer Reviews

Ferngully - The Last Rainforest

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I've remembered and loved this movie for years. It's got great a message for both kids and adults. Robin William's character is hilarious and unforgettable. Definetly watch. The music numbers and the final scene make it all the worthwhile.

This was the last movie that I ever watched with my father before he passed away. So this movie has alot of sentimental meaning but it's a great movie for children. I saved mine for my daughter to watch. Batty is so funny and the singing in this movie is great. Though Hexas used to scare me when I was younger I loved this movie and I'm in my 20s and I still know every word to it. For parents out there looking for a good movie with a good message, this is the movie you're looking for!

There are very few movies that we can watch more than once. Fern Gully is one of a handful of them, and it's great for the whole family! Wonderful catchy music, beautiful and clever animation, creative characters, classic lines, great voices, and a nice, relatively subtle environmental message. There are so many ridiculous movies out there for kids that have the same predictable plots. It's refreshing to have a movie like this come along. I can't wait to get it on DVD!

Fern Gully was the first film my parents ever took me to see at the movie theater. Freud said that childhood affects a person's character, and this movie really did a lot for me (living in a tropical island wich is full of rainforests, it did get me fairy searching). I have this movie when it came out on tape and I still watch it, last time being today. The characters are amazing, Crysta is so much like me and thank God, not a blonde as every animated movie heroine. Zak is totally cool cause he's not destroying the forest because he's evil, he's doing it because he doesn't care, mainly because of ignorance. Robin Williams is amazing as Batty Koda, as he is in any other role. His lines make me laugh and at the same time dig into your brain. The thing is, that when I saw this movie, I didn't know english, and yet I understood it. It really did shape my mind and character and it's made me the tree-loving, pollution-fighting, rainforest-saving, nature-nut I am proud to be today. So this movie, wether I have to buy on DVD when I have kids (I'm only 15 so that'll be a minimum of 10 years in the future) I want them to see that "all the magic of creation exists within a single, tiny seed".

I remember watching "Fern Gully" as a mere child, and being fascinated. I mean, c'mon! There were animals, cool faeries, a crazy bat, and an awesome smog guy. And not only that, it actually had a positive message.

This is probably one of the only children's films to ever have an actual POINT. (*gasp*)

The plot is simple for the younger children, but can be enjoyed by all ages. I know this, for I purchased it just a few months ago, hoping it would leave me with the same fascinated feeling. It DID.

Plot: Idiotic humans are chopping down trees in the rainforest while magical spirits are oblivious. (They don't believe in humans. :) In drops a psychotic bat (voiced by Robin Williams) whose insane antics are due to labratory testing. Trust me, the song "Batty" rap will leave any animal lover feeling cold. Take into consideration these lines: /I've been brain-fried, electrified, infected and injectified/and fed pesticide/ my face is all cut up cause my radar's all shut up/ Nurse?/ I need a check up from the neck up cause I'm BATTY./

Disturbing, no? Children probably won't heed the lyrics, but will feel sympathy for this character who obviously distursts mankind.

Meanwhile, a young human named Zach cuts down a tree. But it's not just ANY tree. It is a tree that the faeries used to capture an evil demon named Hexxus, who is the father of pollution. Hexxus starts out whispering his name like some deranged Pokemon, but soon morphs into a well-built, smokey man who belts out a great number about killing the earth. Hexxus is brought to life by Tim Curry's sinister, drawling voice. Beautiful. (Maybe a bit too sexy, though.. There are a few sublininal messages, I believe- due to listening to the unedited soundtrack.. But please, I';m not trying to pull a Dobson!)

Anyway, stupid humans. Now it is up to Crysta, a cute young faerie, to save the day from Hexxus' acid rain and the destruction of Fern Gully.

SPOILER: One downfall is the fact that Pips (Crysta's boyfriend) and Zach end up finishing the fight. This stereotype should not have appeared in the film- it really does not fit.

Above all, the music is the most enjoyable thing. Tim Curry, Robin Williams, Sheena Easton, rapper Tone Loc, Johnny Clegg, Elton John, and others make up the soundtrack.

I myself found the main characters, Crysta and Zach, to be a bit vexxing but still likable. More understandable are Pips and Batty.

And Hexxus is just an excellent villain.

If you're a fan of crazy animated films, you'll love "Fern Gully."

I think that this is a great movie! For children, families...I'm a teenager now, 15, and, I still watch it. So do my friends. I loved it when it first came out, mind you, I was a little afraid of Hexxus (the toxic blob) but, that's the point of vilans! It's a movie with a great message. And, now I can understand that. When I was younger I just loved it because it was very entertaining, and funny. (Mainly because of Robin William's voice talent as Batty Koda, the lovable lab Bat) Honestly, this movie still makes me think, about the environment, and believeing in myself. "All the magic of creation exists within a single tiny seed." I think it'd be a crime, not to buy this for your family. ;) I've read the reviews adults give the movie, they say "It's just ok", and, I don't agree with them, it's a cartoon, for children, listen to a child's opinion. I remembered the songs and some lines for years! (Without having to watch it a billion times) It's fabulous! Plus, the animation, standard one cell it may be, but, it's beautiful! :) Ok, ok, I think I made it clear, this is a good movie! Get it! Plus, can you really beat the price?? Also, I own the soundtrack, it's great too!! With songs by Sheena Easton, Raffi, Tone-LOC, and the hilarious Batty Rap (Robin Williams) etc. :)

This is an good film for both children and adults.I first watched this film when I was about 9and I still love it at 15!This film has a strong ecological message which got me interested about saving the rainforests at an early age.I think the cast was brillient, Robin Williams really brings the character ''batty'' to life Samantha Mathis (...) is also good.Overall this is a brillient film and I will keep it for my children and their childrens children.

Man, what is there to say about Fern Gully? This is the first the movie I ever saw in theaters (I'm fifteen now) and I don't think I've forgotten it since. Sure, it may have simmered on the back burners of mind for a while there, but it was never truly forgotten, which should give a clue to the impact this movie can have.

Characterized by some supremely impressive voice performances (namely Robin Williams (Batty Koda) and Tim Curry (Hexxus)) and some catchy songs, Fern Gully is at a first glance a child's make-believe movie about some faeries living in a forest. Closer inspection reveals the imminent threat of deforestation and pollution, and a bit of a romance aspect as well, which can hold the attention of older children, and some of the lines of dialogue, particularly Batty's, can have even an adult laughing, though a child might not know why. The heroine, Crysta, triumphs in the end with the support of her friends and through the power of her own soul. Most of the songs seem a little childish, but there are some good ones about animal testing, the food chain, and pollution. (Okay there's a REALLY good one about animal testing in labs--poor Batty!) This movie has a little bit of something for everyone, and is definitely worth watching again...and again...and again...

Of course, there are a few flaws. The animation can seem a little off in places, though this is more just a technical detail that annoys me than a flaw. Some of the scenes with the big leveler that is tearing down the forest can be a bit noisy, and may or may not cause nightmares in small children, as could the last battle with the big Hexxus-skeleton-evil-thingy.

Overall, though, this is a great film for kids and adults alike, and with an ecological message to boot! A must see!

((And seriously, if for no other reason, see it for Robin Williams as Batty Koda. He always was my favorite character, and his dialogue will crack you up! "Tails? Humans don't have tails! They have big, big bottoms that they wear with bad shorts and walk around going `Hi Helen!'"))

I have to say that some of the previous reviews seem a bit jaded. I first saw this movie as a kid, and I still love it today. Yes, the plot isn't brilliant, yes it's predictable, but it's a movie *for kids* who don't tend to over-analyze that stuff like adults do. The music is fun, the characters are entertaining and the basic principle is good. Yes the animation is "two dimensional" but it's done in the old style, hand drawn, so you have to appreciate the work that went into it. All in all, it's a great movie to watch with kids, or as a family event. Don't take it to literally and you'll enjoy it.

I'm 32 years old and a fan of good "children's" movies. When asked to list favorite movies, this one is always on the list.

Voice talent - fabulous. What more can one say? Robin Williams and Tim Curry naturally shine and the rest of the cast, while not necessarily as vocally *distinctive*, are all well-cast and give very solid performances.

Story - perfect for kids (and not so bad for adults). The plot is simple - save our home from the bad guys who want to destroy it. The ecological theme comes from the fact that the characters live in a rainforest and the main bad guy personifies pollution.

Music - varied in style, well executed. The music generally introduces tangential themes - animal experimentation and the food chain come to mind - that don't necessarily advance the main plot. Instead they add depth and encourage thinking about related issues.

Dialog - Williams still has the best lines. :)

Animation - artistic but still simple. The film uses bright colors and light to good effect.

An interesting twist - in FernGully, fairies are real and humans are mythical. "Aren't you a little old to believe in human tales?"

My single most important criterion for a truly great film, though - this movie is one of the few that still makes me cry every time I watch.