An Animated Classic, Years Before Its Time 

There are very few movies that you can watch over and over again; “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” is one of them. I fell in love with this animated classic back in 1992 when it first came out.  It is not only entertaining, but also thought provoking.  A children’s and environmental movie years before its time.

The fairies of FernGully had never seen or met a human before until fairie Crysta, voiced by Samantha Mathis, shrinks the human Zak, voiced by Jonathan Ward, saving his life.  Little does Crysta realize that Zak is part of the logging company that is destroying her forest and has freed the evil Hexxus, voiced by Tim Curry.  Hexxus lives on oil, smog, destruction and is intent to wipe out the fairies and the forest.

Zak and Crysta team up with Christian Slater as Pips, and Robin Williams as Batty Koda to save the rain forest.  Robin Williams is his usual self and delivers a wonderfully hysterical performance as a bat whose radar has gone crazy by years of human experimentation on him.  Together, along with the other fairies and animals of the forest they are able to overcome evil and save their world. The animation technology is from 1992, but the music is fantastic and the story is what keeps you hooked.

I played this movie for my daughter a few years ago when she was 4.  Four years later her movie collection and TV shows have changed.  FernGully has stood the test and still remains not only one of my favorite movies of all time, but now it is also my daughters.  Considering the high budget classic Disney and Pixar films that have come out, that is really saying something for this Australian animated film.

This is a wonderful movie to watch with your family as it is both entertaining and moralistic.  It teaches both adults and children the importance of not only good versus evil, but more importantly taking care of the environment.  FernGully may be a small forest somewhere, but to the faires and creatures it is their entire world; a world that must be saved from evil and greedy corporations that are intent on selling our children’s future.

It teaches us that we are all God’s creations: humans, animals and trees. If you have never seen this movie go out and buy it.  Share it with your family and see how much it becomes a favorite. 

If you have seen it, how has this movie’s theme resonated with the wave of environmental protection a decade after its inception?

Illustration: Copyright FAI Films/Youngheart Productions