FernGully: The Last Rainforest (G, 1992)
common sense media says
Family favorite features strong environmental message.
parents & educators say
- 78% say violence is an issue
- 44% say there are positive messages
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie has some tense and scary moments, though lots of humor takes the edge off. The movie promotes a strong environmental and conservation message, along with an anti-animal testing message, though kids might not catch all the lessons thanks to the distraction of the magical creatures and jolly songs.
Educational value:
Fun creative songs stress the importance of saving the environment.
Positive role models:
Crysta and the other rainforest animals are kind and thoughtful creatures that teach Zak about the environment they live in. Zak is young and naive, but learns a valuable lesson. He goes on to teach other humans about the importance of conservation.
Violence & scariness:
Some scary moments. The oil is a dark blob that comes to life in the form of a monster. It attacks the foliage and it's inhabitants. Zak pulls a pocket knife on Batty in effort to protect Crysta, but the scene is comical rather than frightening.
Sexy stuff:
Zak calls Crysta a "bodacious babe." They share a kiss. Fairies wear revealing clothing and Pip gets jealous of Zak and Crysta's evolving friendship.
Language:
Pip uses a pun calling Zak, a "Zag."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Not applicable.
More on FernGully: The Last Rainforest
Review It
Based on 9 parent & educator reviews:
- 78% say violence is an issue
- 44% say there are positive messages
Most useful reviews by all members
AllBoysButMom
parent of 2 and 3 year old
parent of 2 and 3 year old
Worth getting through the scary beginning to get to the good stuff
The beginning scene was a little scary for my almost 4 year old, but once we made it through the beginning, he really loved it, and I really loved the chance to a chance to talk about the importance of nature with him. There are references that are outdated that may confuse older children-- like a walkman and "acid rain."
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KidWhoReviewsStuff
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
Educational fairy filled Disney classic
Fantastic Disney adventure contains one or two midly scary moments.
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bkubasik
adult
adult
My 4 year old was terrified during some of the scary parts. There is a scene where the fairy is shown nearly entering the blades of a sawmill. I had to turn this off. I felt really bad subjecting him to this movie.
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kdh5370
adult
adult
Scary for younger children & doesn't make it's point!
The first half of the movie seemed to emphasize that humans are bad. While there were several "hints" that the rainforest was being cut down, that was never clear. It would have been much better had the writers stated clearly that the rainforests were being cut down and what we can do about it (recycle paper and cardboard, use hand dryers instead of paper towels, etc.). Kids miss the point and are left feeling helpless. Additionally, the evil spirit was too scary and could have been left out all together!
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wildson8
kid, 11 years old
kid, 11 years old
Good message for everyone
My 6-year-old son loved this movie, even when he was 4. The villain is indeed quite creepy, but making oil the villain was quite imaginative (good discussion topic). One message was clear as crystal to me and my son--the rain forests are being cut for human convenience and use, without a care for the forest or its inhabitants. The rest of the message was clear as well, a group of different "people" can work together to stop the damage; and a previously uncaring young man learns that he can be a key to change when he returns to his normal size. The bat character grinds in the message that humans can be heartless and evil, but I don't think my son made the connection with lab testing. If you talk with your kids as or after they see this movie, you can help them understand the issues. This is a great movie that will stimulate a lot of discussion--don't let your kids watch movies in a vacuum.
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callofduty5
adult
adult
Yea...
i watched this movie when i was young :3
i loved batty and all the charachters it was so amazing that i just found out for several years ive been searching my highlights of my child hood and i seriously loved this film
im 18 and i still watched this :D
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skittlestarz19
parent of 6 and 9 year old
parent of 6 and 9 year old
AWESOME MOVIE!!!
This is an all time favorite in my household. Even my husband and I enjoyed it.
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nduns
adult
adult
A good, underappreciated film
This is a very good and very well-animated film with some descent musical numbers and some funny moments. The story is also very good. It can get silly at times but, hey, it's a family film. Here is my biggest gripe: This film doesn't do a good job emphasizing its message. It hints at the destruction of the rain forest but never really makes it clear but what's more is that it doesn't tell us how we can save the rainforest. Everything is solved with magic. The humans do nothing about it and that gets to me.
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Jadenp
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Suggested MPAA Rating:
PG for sensuality, violence, and scary scenes.
Now that I think about this movie... this movie is freakin' creepy! just plain WEIRD!
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kimmy_b
parent of 4 and 5 year old
parent of 4 and 5 year old
Scariest G movie we've seen.... :(
The scary parts were too much for my 5 1/2 year old- she asked me to turn it off. Enough said!
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HalleSmth
adult
adult
No!
I watched this movie when I was about 7 or 8 and it scarred me for life. The song that Batty sings disturbed me. The subject of animal testing should never be in a children's movie. It was very scary. It depressed me very much. Don't let your child watch this!
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OT mama
parent
parent
Way too scary!
The "bad guy" is in the form of a shape shifting ghost that appears as a really scary skeleton several times. This movie had some really scary parts and my extremely brave 6 year old was terrified. I felt awful for showing it to my kids!
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