Buy it... if the sounds of birds, waterfalls, and thunderstorms seem
like a good addition to an average, synthetic children's score by
Silvestri.
Avoid it... if the sickeningly positive music you hear at amusement
parks makes you want to maim something.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Silvestri
FernGully: The Last Rainforest: (Alan Silvestri) Few
films are so blatantly motivated by politics as this animated adventure in
the rainforests. To be honest, FernGully: The Last Rainforest is one
of those children's films that masks itself in the feel-good genre of
filmmaking while pushing the real agenda at children... an agenda that
causes the film have a feel-bad message (that message being: we're
destroying the lungs of the Earth!). Essentially, the film takes cool
characters from the rain forests and shows us how they overcome the hideous
actions of "those humans." A portion of the proceeds from the 1992 picture
was sent to the Smithsonian Institute to manage in favor of causes around
the world that save rain forests (and the Amazon in particular). Perhaps it
was the pseudo feel-bad message that caused the film to slip away from the
public eye after a year of hype and publicity surrounding the reasons for
its existence. To the credit of the filmmakers, they did everything right to
mask the feel-bad message in a pretty package. The musical approach was one
that was very strongly rooted in the psyche of children. A series of songs
by popular artists, ranging from Robin Williams to Elton John were littered
throughout the film, as was an abundance of soothing, happy sound effects
for the location. An upbeat, flaky score by Alan Silvestri would be a
perfect addition to the mix. Familiar with composing in studios with arrays
of synthesizers, Silvestri could create the ambience of an orchestral score
electronically while also infusing the music with some of the basic sound
effects from the film. Many of the birds, waterfalls, insects, and
thunderclaps in the film are actually part of the musical score by
Silvestri, who integrates the sounds into convenient rhythms instead of
using traditional instruments.
If this is starting to sound a little weird... well, it's
supposed to! The score is a crazy combination of Free Willy and
The Pricess Bride (the former of which was not yet released, but
features a strikingly similar title theme). There really isn't an orchestral
presence, but rather a electronic replacement of an orchestra; Silvestri
pulls it off better than you would think that anyone could accomplish given
the technology of 1992 studios. There are a few strong thematic sequences of
the score, often involving light keyboarding. Otherwise, however, some of
the happy-go-lucky sequences of bouncy electronics make you sound like
you're stuck in the Disneyland light parade --or some bizarre kiddy
amusement park ride (Someone... make it stop!). This music evolves into a
full pop song ("The Grotto Song") of Silvestri's co-creation, and perfectly
sums up the sickeningly positive environment of the whole affair. The score
dances through the forest with light feet and a sometimes annoying sense of
glee. What saves the music from being a torturous procession of good vibes
is, ironically, the vast collection of sound effects. There are entire
tracks with only the chirps, the waves, and the various animal sounds of the
forest, and when Silvestri combines these effects with minimal music, the
score is surreal in its ability to relax the listener. There is even a scary
grinding/mechanical sound, followed by a falling tree, in the "Leveller"
cue. As was becoming the custom for record labels in the early 1990's, music
from FernGully: The Last Rainforest was released on two albums. The
first album contained mostly the songs from the film, and was generally
considered a decent product. The Silvestri score was released on its own at
the same time, at about 45 minutes of length (if you include the sound
effects). There isn't much adventure in the score for FernGully: The Last
Rainforest, but there is an overdose of cheesy attitude and
well-rendered synthetic moments of awe that are meant to wow the minds of
children. It's an interesting study from the political standpoint, and
certainly a unique entry in the career of Alan Silvestri. ***
• 1. Main Title (2:27)
• 2. Skylarking (2:28)
• 3. Magi Lune's Cave (2:43)
• 4. Xanthoreas (1:27)
• 5. Crysta's Journey (3:00)
• 6. Rainforest Suite - sound effects (1:13)
• 7. The Leveller (1:38)
• 8. Going to Ferngully (6:58)
• 9. The Grotto Song (4:56)
• 10. I'm Back (4:27)
• 11. The Battle for Old Highrise (3:29)
• 12. Remember Everything (3:02)
• 13. Spirit of the Trees (3:41)
• 14. Genesis (2:28)
Notes and Quotes:
Insert includes a political note about the purpose and vision of the film.
