ONCE UPON A FOREST
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating: 5.9 out of 10 (C, ** out of ****)
Date Released: 6/18/93 Running Length: 1:11 Rated: G
Featuring the voices of Michael Crawford, Ben Vereen, Ellen Blain, and Paige Gosney Director: Charles Grosvenor Producers: David Kirschner and Jerry Mills Screenplay: Mark Young and Kelly Ward Music: James Horner Released by Twentieth Century Fox
A small group of forest critters goes on a quest to find herbs with which to heal their friend after the local village has been devastated as the result of a gas spill. This is the premise of the lackluster and very politically correct ONCE UPON A FOREST, the latest subpar G-rated animated feature to go after the money of parents in search of suitable entertainment for their young offspring.
With its recent three animated features, Disney has proven that animation capable of entertaining adults (as well as children) is not dead. I enjoyed THE LITTLE MERMAID, was enthralled by BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and had a lot of fun watching ALADDIN. Other than those at Disney, however, the only person around today capable of achieving a high standard for animated features is Don Bluth, the driving force behind AN AMERICAN TAIL.
But wait--don't the ads for ONCE UPON A FOREST state that this film comes from "the creator of AN AMERICAN TAIL"? Yes, they do, but the man they're referring to is David Kirschner, who served as executive producer for TAIL. Those going to this film expecting to see a Bluth-quality motion picture are in for a rude surprise, although it's a mistake Twentieth Century Fox would like to see repeated over and over again.
The story is pathetically thin, even by the limited standards of an average five-year-old. Children will enjoy this movie the way they do Saturday morning cartoons, finding it mildly entertaining but nothing special (does that make it worth an admission price?). Mercifully, the running time is short, so parents accompanying their children won't be bored to death.
For the most part, the animation isn't worth mentioning. The characters move, but the background doesn't, and there are only a few scenes where any real attention was paid to establishing some sort of mood (those include a venture into a construction site and an adventure involving a well-depicted owl).
Remember last year's disappointing FERN GULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST? Well, ONCE UPON A FOREST shares many of that movie's traits, right down to the "don't destroy nature" theme. However, while FERN GULLY could at least claim the asset of Robin Williams' vocal talents, ONCE UPON A FOREST is stuck. It has Ben Vereen, but his voice is used for maybe two minutes worth of screen time.
There's not much else that I can say about ONCE UPON A FOREST. Lackluster productions like this aren't worth additional words. The movie is dull and shows an obvious lack of innovation and creativity, but for those desperate to take their kids to a "suitable" movie, this one will fit the bill, although it might be better to wait a few weeks for the re-release of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES. If you go, however, remember this: it's the adults, not the kids, who will have trouble sitting through the movie.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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