Loggers are mean, awful, greedy people to be feared, and it’s up to kids to save the earth. That’s the central environmentalist message presented to Fern Gully’s target audience – kids in primary and elementary grades.
The story line starts out okay. In Fern Gully, one of the last rain forests, lives a group of fairies who live together in peaceful harmony. Then it goes downhill. One day, one of the fairies flies above the canopy and sees smoke coming from the next forest over. She flies over to find that it’s the wicked loggers cutting down the trees.
The main human character, Zak, has taken a summer job marking trees for loggers to cut down. Unfortunately, while trying to spray paint what he thinks is a bug, he marks the tree that is the home of the evil Hexxus, a force that wants to destroy the rain forest and whom the fairies have contained within. Tim Curry voices Hexxus, and does so with his usual flair. His portrayal is somewhat disturbing, though, and some of the comments are inappropriate (“Mmmm, mother’s milk” when it’s an obvious adult voice was repulsive). Zak is oblivious to what he’s done until Crysta the fairy misspeaks a spell changing him to 3″ tall. Then his eyes are opened to the destruction that mankind is embracing (sic). The fairies are, of course, successful at stopping the extermination of their world – and, by inference, all of mankind as well.
Fern Gully is heavy-handed propaganda at its finest – cloaked as a children’s story, with voice actors most children will recognize. It has an excellent soundtrack including Elton John and Sheena Easton, and the music is the only reason I’m not relegating it to the basement. Otherwise, you’re much better off taking a walk outside and teaching your children yourself about stewardship of the earth rather than Fern Gully putting the onus of responsibility for “saving the earth” on your 8 year old.
Julie’s Rating: 2 stars
MPAA Rating: G
Cautions: Heavy extreme environmentalist message
Appropriate for: I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone