2. Ashley Lester: introductions, cultural aspects, & video clips.
Cassandra Cicero: storyline, character analysis, & power
point.
Jackson McIntosh: overview, technical analysis, & major
themes.
3. Literary
Reference
This movie is based on the
novel by Diana Young. The
book features the same name,
“FernGully: The Last Rainforest.”
4. Introduction
FernGully is about the destruction of the Australian rain forest. This really hits home, because
deforestation is causing the destruction of the world, as we now know it. The animated film
FernGully has brought this topic out into the public eye. FernGully is a story of a huge greedy
logging company clear-cutting, or removing all the trees and burning the land. This is an
example of polluting the land and of an environmental disaster. The rain forest makes up a
big part of supplying the world with water, not just its own environment. The industrialized
world is taking advantage of poor nations, with deforestation. This hazard of polluting the
earth with oil from machinery to releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, is raising the
temperature of the earth several degrees, and may be causing a total collapse of our
ecosystem. With 60% of the rain forest gone and all of it will be destroyed by 2020 the world
will see an environmental change like never before. Is this a doomsday religious idea or are
there things happening on the earth that raises concerns about our environment? FernGully
with its magical fairies and trees that say "ouch," seems to allow for some religious ideas. Is
our environment talking to us with its moans and groans over the devastation of the
ecosystem? How about the melting of the Polar Regions? Why aren’t governments taking
action about the nearly total depletion of ice and snow on Greenland? In 2010 nearly 40%
was gone and 2011 nearly 90% was gone as last viewed on satellite imagining. The North
Pole melting is causing the extinction of the polar bear and the South Poles heat is causing
blindness in fish and mammals alike. Is this a warning to stop the depletion of our natural
resources, especially rain forests? The worlds watering holes are being devastated by
deforestation, is the melting of the Polar Regions an attempt by our environment to correct
itself? Other areas of the globe are being destroyed for the greed of the nations, large
business and the rich. Areas like Indonesia, Africa, and Canada are clear-cutting the forests
and ignoring the environmental strain that is putting on our ecosystem. Government and
science can already see the effects that man has put on the environment. Former Vice
President Al Gore, for example, has shown concern about our environment with the movie
”An Inconvenient Truth,’’ How can we help stop the depletion of our rain forests
worldwide? Can we as individuals call attention to the rain forest depletion? We should try
to solve this problem before it is too late. An animated movie like FernGully has helped show
the desperate need to keep the rain forest around. If an animated movie can show the
world not to destroy the rain forest just think how much more one individual will be able to
make a difference.
5. Overview
FernGully: The Last Rainforest is an animated film that follows
the adventures of Crysta a fairy and Zak, a human that was recently
shrunken down to fairy size. When Crysta discovers a part of the
forest she has never seen before, her curiosity gets the best of her as
she begins to explore the new found land. When she arrives there,
she discovers three humans in which she has only ever heard about
in tales. Frightened by Zak, she shrinks him down to fairy size.
Together they journey the rainforest until Hexxus, the films antagonist
is introduced into the equation. Hexxus, an evil spirit with nothing but
bad intentions tries once again to destroy the magical land known
As FernGully. In an effort to save the rain forest, Crysta and Zak as
well as the fellow FernGully natives must do whatever it takes to stop
Hexxus. This film demonstrates how both deforestation and pollution
harm the rainforest but all is not lost with effort to preserve the
rainforest.
7. Storyline
The movie begins in FernGully, a magical rainforest which is
home to the faeries who protect it. Humans are only myths to the
faeries, and are learned about through stories and never seen. The
main character is Crysta a faerie driven by her insatiable curiosity.
She is learning the magic of the forest by the faeries elder Magi
Lune. When a fruit bat crash lands in the rainforest, he befriends the
faeries and brings them a warning. Batty, the fruit bat, warns the
faeries of humans destroying the forest not too far from their home,
near Mount Warning. Crysta, driven by her curiosity, decides to
investigate the humans destroying the forest. There she meets Zak, a
human who is part of the team who is destroying the forest. When
Crysta is frightened by the tree leveler, believing it to be a monster
about to attack Zak, she shrinks the human into a faerie size. While
being faerie sized Zak is able to learn about all the damage the
humans are doing to the forest. FernGully has one enemy, Hexxus;
he is the embodiment of pollution and seeks to destroy their
rainforest. The last time he was in FernGully he was locked in a tree,
and the humans have set him free. Crysta, with the help of Zak,
Batty, and the other faeries, defeats Hexxus before he can destroy
the forest. The movie ends with Zak returning to his normal size and
working to help protect the forest.
8. Character Analysis
Main Characters:
Crysta is a free-spirited faerie, with Zak Young is a human who works as a
an insatiable curiosity. She learns logger for the company destroying
magic from Magi, the faerie elder. the forest, and does not take his job
She desires to learn about humans, seriously. He is ignorant of what his
as they’re only a myth in FernGully. actions are doing to the forest, and is
Her lack of control over her magic selfishly absorbed in his own life.
leads her to a few accidents. She is Crysta opens his eyes to the
the heroine of the film, her desire to consequences of his actions, by
save her home and family from shrinking him to the size of a faerie.
Hexxus. She cares about the forest Once shrunk Zak is able to learn
and the magic within it. Her lack of about the damage being caused to
control over her magic leads her to the forest. While there he teaches
a few accidents. the faeries about humans and the
human world. He helps protect the
forest because he cares for Crysta
and the forest is important to her. He
goes on to teach others the damage
logging causes to the forest and the
creatures living in it.
9. Character Analysis
Batty Koda is a fruit bat whom
Crysta befriends after he crash Supporting Characters:
lands in FernGully. After being
experimented on in a lab facility,
Batty holds a dislike against
humans. The experimentation
causes him to crash into things
and say random things; he has an
antenna that receives radio
interference. He warns the faeries Magi Lune is the elder faerie of
of the danger they are in, FernGully. She teaches Crysta
because of the humans
damaging the forest. While about magic and the dangers
lacking courage, he overcomes the forest faces. Magi has a
his fear of humans to help the larger understanding of
faeries save FernGully. Batty is humans, and refuses to share
another example of the damage
humans are doing to the her knowledge about them.
environment. She was originally responsible
for trapping Hexxus the first
time, and sacrifices herself the
second time.
10. Character Analysis
Villain:
Hexxus is the enemy of the
faeries in FernGully, and the
antagonist of the movie. He
has previously attacked
FernGully and was caged in
a tree by Magi. He brings
chaos and destruction
wherever he goes. He is the
embodiment of pollution,
and is released by the
loggers when they destroy
his cage. He takes over the
tree leveler and heads to
FernGully to try and destroy
the faeries’ rainforest.
11. Cultural Aspects
Ferngully and Culture in Australia:
The movie FernGully spurred me on to research the culture of Australia. The movie is set in
the beautiful Australian rain forest. What I found was the present day culture and the
culture of the past, is of oral tradition, and was very interesting. From the time of the first
settlers, who were convicts, set up a penal colony on the huge island, in 1788, the culture
of Britain became a part of Australia. The Church of England, a branch of the Roman
Catholic Church has an interesting cultural idea involving FernGully. The fairies mentioned
could have very possibly been conceived from the idea, from the church, that these
were mischievous angels sent to earth. They would only make themselves known to us if
humans would need help. This is what happened with the fairy Crysta; she saved the
human, Zak by shrinking him, as he is about to be killed by a falling tree. She would have
stayed out of sight and would have never gotten involved with humans. The movie
FernGully mentions the name, of a mountain, Mount Mourning that is in the Australian rain
forest. Near Mount Mourning is the Kakadu National Forest. This area is loaded with the
Aboriginal culture. When Crysta is talking to Magi there are paintings like those of the
Kakadu stone paintings in Australia. These Aboriginal Paintings have been part of the
Australian culture since prehistoric, times, for more than 50,000 years. The Aborigines have
contributed to these paintings as late as 1986. One of the newer paintings, created in the
1960's, is of an aborigine throwing a spear, by famed artist Nonjombolmi. Ferngully shows
beautiful colors of trees, landscape and animal's alike. These trees and animals have
been preserved by the Aboriginal paintings. They have painted pictorials of many of the
same birds, trees, turtles, catfish, wallabies, mullet, possums, Barramundi and turtles that is
shown in the movie.
12. Cultural Aspects
An interesting part of the culture is the spirit paintings. Like the fairies of FernGully
the aboriginal culture have paintings of spirits, one such painting is of the Rainbow
Serpent dating back 23,000 years. Another painting is of the Namarrgan sisters,
sisters that are spirits who live in the stars and are responsible for making people ill
on this planet. Maybe, the fairies of FernGully and these spirits, from prehistoric
times, were more than just imagination. Maybe the Aboriginal culture will help us
determine weather the spirits and fairies are real, since the Aboriginal culture is the
oldest on the planet, dating back 50,000 years?
13. Technical Aspect
The magical world of FernGully was created by use of pictures that
were painted as well as the use of computer animation for the more
difficult animation aspects. Computer animation consists of computer
software that helps bring 2-D drawings to life. This is done by
uploading key positions of characters and scenery into the software
and allowing the computer to calculate the movements that would
take place in between the two positions. This process is known as
tweening. Although this process can be done by hand, it is much
quicker with the use of a computer.
14. Major Themes
Industrialization and Deforestation:
In the magical land known as
FernGully, fairies take shelter as well as
help continue the growth of the
rainforests through magical fairy
powers. While the film may be
intended for children, its message may
not be. A major theme that is
demonstrated in the film is
industrialization and its negative
impacts on our environment. This is
demonstrated in the film when three
humans use the leveler to cut down
and trim trees in the rainforest in
miraculous time.
15. Major Themes
Pollution:
While deforestation is a major factor that contributes to
the loss of habitat in FernGully, pollution is also a contributing
factor. Instead of the typical trash on the ground example,
pollution is demonstrated in the form of the antagonist known as
Hexxus. Hexxus, an evil spirit that uses common pollutions to both
transform his appearance as well as for food. Upon eating the
spray paint used to mark the trees, Hexxus takes shape as a blob
of toxic matter. When he begins to feed off the smoke coming
from the leveler, he takes the form of a silhouette of smoke. Lastly,
when he eats the oil from the leveler, he then becomes a burning
skeleton like creature with oil covering him.
16. Works Cited
FernGully: The Last Rainforest. Dir. Bill Kroyer. Writ. Jim Cox and Diana
Young. 1992. 20th Century Fox. DVD-ROM.
WWW. Raintree.com -The International Communication Gazette
Rainforest Information Center-Christian Callahan- P.S.U
Why I love Fairies-WWW. Why I Love Fairies-The Origin of Fairies-Taylor
and Beauregaurd-2009-Culture of Australia
WWW. Discovery Channel-How Stuff Works
IMDb. "FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)." 1993. Web. 12 Feb 2013.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104254/>.
Villains Wiki. "Hexxus." n.d.. Web. 13 Feb 2013.
<http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Hexxus>.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleybaccam/10-facts-you-may-not-know-
about-ferngully-the-las
HowStuffWorks "How Computer Animation Works"
Roos, Dave. "HowStuffWorks "How Computer Animation Works"." 2008.
Web. 20 Feb 2013. <http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/computer-
animation.htm>.
