In the early ’90s, Robin Williams went where he had never gone before. He entered the recording booth to voice an animated character. While it was a small part, the director let Robin go off script with his comic twists and turns. Williams was even given a musical number. He ended up recording nearly 14 hours of audio. The director loved so much of it that the small role transformed into much bigger part of the film. His comical character become the unexpected star of the fantasy film. Are you thinking that I’m talking about Disney’s Aladdin with Robin Williams playing the Genie? That also happened in the early ’90s, but his first animated role was as Batty Koda in FernGully: The Last Rainforest. Disney was not happy since FernGully came out nearly 6 months before Aladdin in 1992. Disney wanted an exclusive on animating the genius of Robin Williams and demanded Robin Williams’ voice removed from Batty Koda. But that didn’t happen. Now we can enjoy FernGully: The Last Rainforest – 30th Anniversary Edition.
The fairy Crysta (Super Mario Bros‘ Samantha Mathis) lives deep in the rainforest in FernGully. It’s been so long that a human has been seen by the fairy population that many believed they had died out. Batty Koda (Mork & Mindy‘s Robin Williams) knows people are out there because he was kidnapped by them and had an electrode put in his brain. It kicks on and off diving him a little batty. Crysta has a rude awakening to what people are capable of doing when she encounters them cutting down her trees. During an industrial accident, Crysta shrinks lumberjack Zak (Mac and Me‘s Jonathan Ward) to save him. But she can’t make him human size. The destruction of the forest leads to freeing the evil spirit Hexxus (Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Tim Curry). He gets the lumberjacks to aim their clearcutting machines towards the heart of FernGully. Can Crysta and Zak save the land from the harsh destruction? Or will Hexxus and the humans flatten the natural beauty?
FernGully: The Last Rainforest has maintained both its message and charm over the last 30 years. It’s a beautifully animated film. The rainforest has such lush textures on the screen. You do want it to be preserved from the various buzz saws that slice apart the trees. Robin Williams’ manic performance as Batty Koda is memorable. He’s flying as much as the character including his “Batty Rap” segment. The 30th Anniversary Blu-ray is perfect if you were a fan as a kid when it came or if you want to share the film with your own children today. There’s enough magic and harsh reality to keep the story engrossing. FernGully: The Last Rainforest – 30th Anniversary Edition is vital for both its heart felt message and being Robin Williams’ first animated film.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The new 1080p transfer brings out the beauty of the background paintings for the rainforest. The audio is 5.1 Surround DTS-HD MA and 2.0 Stereo DTS-HD MA mix. You’ll hear magic and saws clearly. The movie is subtitled.
DVD with the film and bonus features.
Introduction by Director Bill Kroyer (5:10) welcomes us to the digitally restored version of the film. He wanted to not make a preachy film, but speaking to a truth we must all understand. He points out the film was made with hand drawn and hand painted animation. There’s 16 tons of artwork that went into making the film. But there’s also a touch of CGI. He says Robin Williams took in part of the film because he believed in the message of the film.
Audio Commentary with director Bill Kroyer, Art Director Ralph Eggleston and Coordinating Art Director Susan Kroyer. The trio go into how they wanted to bring the magic of the Australian rainforest to the big screen.
Seed of the Story – Script-to-Screen Comparison (8:06) mixes the script and storyboards with the final audio. There’s also an option to hear from screenwriter Jim Cox.
From Paper to Tree (29:53) is a making of featurette that appears to be made for the release. There is footage of Robin Williams in the studio behind the microphone. They praise how Williams would just go off on tangents while recording. They also point out that this is his first animation work. Tim Curry talks about his character having a vulgar charm. They talk about how the small animation company had to grow fast when they accepted the project.
Behind the Voice: Toxic Love (2:41) Multi-Angle Scene Study let you see use the angle option to see Tim Curry sing “Toxic Love,” the rough animation and the finished image. Always fun to see Tim Curry singing in the studio even if it is about acid rain and slime.
Original Featurette (5:57) seems like the Electronic Press Kit of whatever would play on a loop at your videostore. They show Tim Curry, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis recording their vocals. There was not footage of Robin Williams behind the microphone. They sent the creative team to the Australian rainforest to get a sense of it all. The creative team worked on Crocodile Dundee.
“If I’m Gonna Eat Somebody (It Might As Well Be You)” Music Video (4:17) has Tone Loc rapping to the kids. He’s a hungry man who wants to consume more. This should have been a bigger hit.
Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots (7:07) shows how Fox got kids concerned about deforestation.
Shout! Factory presents FernGully: The Last Rainforest: 30th Anniversary Edition. Directed by Bill Kroyer. Screenplay by Jim Cox. Starring Samantha Mathis, Jonathan Ward, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, Robin Williams, Grace Zabriskie, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Tone Loc and Pamela Adlon. Running Time: 76 minutes. Rating: Rated G. Release Date: August 23, 2022.
