Release Date: March 6, 2012
Rating: G
Running Time: 76 minutes

Starring a talented voice cast including Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST is an enchanting story about taking care of the environment and the power of friendship, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. There’s magic in the rainforest and it’s called FernGully! Deep in the heart of the forest awaits a paradise filled with tiny sprites, winged fairies and tree spirits who all live in joyful harmony. But when their home is threatened by humans, one courageous sprite gives her all to save it! FernGully is a fantastical adventure into a world you’ll want to visit again and again!

For many, Ferngully: The Last Rainforest was a staple in the home. As a kid when this movie came out, I remember this being one of the small handful of films that was in rotation once the VHS released. A large VHS collection we had, but there were really on a few that we played all day, everyday. This was one of them. You can imagine my delight when Ferngully came to Blu-ray! Looking back on the film now, it’s still as entertaining and heartbreaking as I remember. What a clear and positive message this film still is able to give about conserving the forest and being green among other messages. Where are these kinds of movies for kids today?

All of that said, my memory seems to have blocked out Robin Williams’s character because it was so annoying. While a fan of Williams, sometimes he can be too much. In this instance, it definitely is. Aside from this aspect of the film and the observation that Hexxus might be too scary for some kids, the film was very easy to enjoy two decades later. You’ll be in for quite a laugh when the musical numbers make their way on your screen. I cannot believe I used to know the words to these songs and jammed out to them! As for the picture quality, I’d say job well done. The audio was a little low at my television set’s normal level but there are no major issues here. Nostalgia beats out any minor issue here, making Ferngully: The Last Rainforest fun for the whole family twenty years later. What are you waiting for? Go get your copy!

Bonus Features:


Commentary – The commentary is conducted by Director, Bill Kroyer, Art Director, Ralph Eggleston, and Coordinating Art Director, Susan Kroyer. The trio jumps right in, telling the viewers how the film came together which is a great way to lead in, especially for viewers who were young when this film came out and did not give the making of this film a second thought. I don’t think any four or five year olds were thinking about how this film was financed during their viewings. There’s so much information to soak up in the commentary if you are interested in what brought all of the aspects to this film together, including the research done in Australia, animation, and so on. Chances are, if you own this Blu-ray or DVD, this film holds a special place in your heart. The commentary will only give you a greater appreciation, so I’d recommend a viewing of the commentary for sure. The commentators might seem a little dry at first, but that blows over as they begin to talk about some really interesting things. Check it out!

Seed of the Story – This featurette is a comparison of script and screen with optional commentary by Screenwriter, Jim Cox. Unfortunately, this feature would not play on my Blu-ray player, even after multiple plays over time, so there is no review for this bonus feature.

From Paper to Tree: Making Of (Approximately 30 minutes) – This making of featurette opens up with Author of the FernGully Stories, Diana Young and continues on with interviews (not from this decade) from the cast and crew as they talk about the message behind the film, the characters, development, animation, etc… as art from various stages in the process is shown and footage from the recording studio as well as research trips in Australia is shown. It’s quite fascinating to see all that went into this film. It’s so much more than my younger self could have ever imagined. As mentioned in this feature, “We never could have made the movie if we hadn’t been there…we couldn’t have conceived this story.” This is another great feature worth watching, so don’t skip this!

*Behind the Voice: Toxic Love – Multi-Angle Scene Study

*Original Featurette (1992)

*Music Video – “If I’m Gonna Eat Somebody (It Might As Well Be You)”

*Theatrical Trailers & TV Spots

Own FernGully: The Last Rainforest on Blu-Ray and DVD today.