TheBlueHairedLawyer Let's see, first there was Ferngully: the Last Rainforest, Captain Planet, Toxic Crusaders, Blinky Bill, and now this thing! Was the 1990's the era of ecophiles or something? If I actually cared about the environment, which I don't (I love polluting things on purpose), I still wouldn't ever be interested in watching this again! Once Upon A Forest is like if you tossed Ferngully and The Secret of N.I.M.H. in a blender together. The "poor little adorable baby animals try to help their friend, who was poisoned by Satanic industrious evil monsters... humans." Huh, I wonder if the movie company feels at all responsible every time a child watches this and then starts asking their mother or father, "Daddy, you drive a car and work in a factory, and mommy, you use pesticides. Are we monsters?" ...Maybe that's a question I'd better let the enviro-freaks answer.But it wasn't even the environmental propaganda that was as bad as the cheap animation, corny, sappy soundtrack and biased themes! Not to mention it's aimed at little kids, it'll either scare them or bore them but I have yet to meet a kid who cares about saving trees. Kids want entertainment, not greener rainforests and recycled bottles, for crying out loud! And how much plastic was used in all the DVD and VHS copies of this movie? The voice acting, that was just plain weird. It was like a really bad eco-friendly Disney rip-off. I recommend you only watch it for nostalgic value (if you were ever forced to watch it growing up), and show your kids something better, something educational but not brainwashing, or just show them something fun! Kids aren't political scientists, they're not doctors, they're not environmental alarmists, they just want to watch something funny and interesting. Don't subject them to this stuff.

The_Film_Cricket 'Once Upon a Forest' is so much an eco-toon that in the end we would expect for the lead character to turn to the camera, take his hat off and plead for our help to save the environment. This would be just about the only politically correct element that isn't on display here.Like 'Ferngully', 'Once Upon a Forest' spells out the same message – forest creatures are good and man and his destructive fumes and bulldozers are bad. The message is spelled out in this movie in these terms: the fuzzy woodland heroes are herbal vegetarians and man is a meat-eating source of environmental apathy.The creatures in the film are called Furlings and they live in a tiny woodland looked over by the wise old Uncle Cornelius who informs the youngsters of a time when man destroyed the woodlands with heavy machinery in his mad pursuit of progress. Low and behold – no sooner does unc spin that tale then a tanker truck hits a glass bottle in the road (tossed out of the car by a drunk driver) and spill deadly fumes into their homes.Just to drive the message home the fumes kill a few of the Furling parents in a scene I found profoundly disturbing to the movie's target audience. The children Furlings have to set out on an adventure to find rare plants that will save the Furlings who are now comatose.And so we're off on one of those familiar adventures where the kids get into one scrape after another at the hands of the human's environmental hatred. Nothing bad happens to any of them – that much is obvious – but that's strange considering that a few of the characters in the toxic spill are allowed to die.The characters in the movie aren't terribly memorable, they are just a conglomeration of characters from countless other films of the same level. They speak in their respective character traits and are given dialogue that never breaks away from the pattern of the furthering of the plot.'Once Upon a Forest' isn't exactly a jarring experience especially after having been recently dazzled by the imaginative power of 'My Neighbor Totoro' and 'Mononoke Hime'. This is a movie in which the filmmmakers were afraid to try anything bold because they didn't want to go over the audience's head – they didn't think that kids had the ability to accept anything new. I only saw the film a few days ago but I am having trouble remembering much about it. It's been six years since I saw 'Mononoke' or 'Totoro' and I remember them in vivid detail.

Gavin Cresswell (gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297) After I grew up in the 90s, I watched some of my favorite childhood stuff (The Lion King, The Swan Princess, etc.), but I never heard of this film before although it did came out before I was born the following year. Years later, at elementary school, I watched it with some of my friends at class and I think it was pretty good. OK, it's not as excellent as some of Disney's great films, but I think this is completely underrated for a children's film.Sure, there are some moments that could easily frighten younger kids and the fact that it could've been a little bit longer, but these two flaws are easily overcomed by it's beautiful animation and some great characters. Abigail, Russell, Edgar, and Michelle are likable furlings and some of the minor characters are fine. Cornelius, however, is by far my favorite character thanks to Michael Crawford's excellent voice work. In fact, the voice acting is pretty good for a non-Disney film released in the 90s. The musical songs aren't the best, but they're tolerable enough to listen to especially (Please Wake Up sung by Michael Crawford).Overall, Once Upon A Forest may be flawed, but I think that this is completely underrated and I think people would give this a chance. Besides, I didn't understand all the hatred it had on rottentomatoes.

Mr. Neutron Once Upon A Forest is a touching film. Its strong emotions and sincere message make it as captivating for both children and adults. The central story is one of love. Three children venture into a frightening world to save one whose life has only begun. It all takes place in a world endangered, setting the stage for an environmental message - one that avoids demonizing mankind. There's even a bit of social commentary near the end. The music helps to heighten the mood. "Please Wake Up" and the closer "Once Upon A Time With Me" are simply beautiful, even if they are hinted at a bit too much. "Please Wake Up" is sung by the aging Cornelius early in the film, and Michael Crawford's emotional performance, truly on the verge of tears, immortalizes it with such sincerity. The film's only real flaw is its length. At the very least, the whole day skipped when the furlings set out on their journey could have been touched on. I could nitpick with small problems, but I won't. It's rare that a children's animated film has such heart. It's also rare that such a film dares to defy the "happy ending at all costs" attitude.