Once Upon a Forest

It's a good thing this breezy animated adventure lasts only slightly more than 70 minutes. Children will no doubt enjoy its simple tale, but would probably grow restless if it went on for a minute longer.

Respect for nature and the environment is a message that no one would quarrel with, but this is yet another example of a movie that can't or won't differentiate between technology and the use to which it is put.

The characters are not memorable; the songs are lame and the drawing style is pedestrian.

It contains a dire message: Man is destroying nature and progress is evil. It is hard to know what small children, the film's intended audience, are supposed to do with this idea. Nag their parents about recycling? Work it out in nightmares?

While an agreeable enough effort in most respects, pic is a bit dark and somber to be terrifically appealing to kids, and could have used bigger doses of humor and music.