Uma Grande Aventura

I had absolutely no knowledge of WATERSHIP DOWN was going to be about except that it featured rabbits in some capacity . I had an inkling it was going to be some patronising , juvenile crap that anyone above the age of seven would find nauseating . It says something about the quality of television on the run up to Christmas when a bitter and twisted 39 year old man sits down to watch a feature length about talking rabbits - Talking rabbits ! OMG , it's not like the author Richard Adams meant the story to be some drug metaphor is it ? OMG talking rabbits just how pathetic is that ? And the one thing that I remembered on its initial release - And which I'm still trying to forget to this very day - is that gawd awful song by the guy with the worst hairstyle in the history of pop music . You know the song .... " bright eyes burning like fire " . Bad enough I saw BARNEY'S BIG ADVENTURE the previous day . Now I was going to be watching equally childish sentimental crap with talking rabbits

Oh hold on . I've just seen WATERSHIP DOWN this very minute . Can everyone reading this review please ignore erroneous phrases like " Childish pathetic crap " because this is not how the story plays out . I do confess that perhaps the original story has perhaps been slightly flawed in the adaption with the hierarchy of the original warren somewhat unexplained ( For example why is it treason to leave the warren and search for a new one ? ) but that is my one and only criticism of this superb animated adventure which can be enjoyed by anyone of any age

In a nut shell WATERSHIP DOWN resembles one of those post apocalypse dramas by John Wyndham or more especially John Christopher except instead of humans it features rabbits that talk . No seriously forget all about the characters being humanized bunnies , this is a dark dramatic adventure where survivors of an eco-disaster try and find sanctuary in a bleak , desolate and dangerous world . As crazy as it sounds some people have picked up on the coincidence that the plot resembles 28 DAYS LATER and one can't help thinking that it's a little bit stronger than coincidence . If you've seen one you can't noticing the quite striking similarities between the two especially the climax . Of course it could be that the original novel of WATERSHIP DOWN was influenced by Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS which seems to have influenced much of Alex Garland's work but even so

A thoroughly enthralling adventure that may have children weeping at the sad bits will certainly keep adults interested as they try and spot analogies . Let me repeat once again that while there's sad scenes there is nothing sickeningly sentimental and is a shockingly sophisticated tale . I certainly rate as being one of the greatest British productions of the 1970s

I saw this film initially when I was about six or seven years old and have seen it several times since. Of all the films I saw during my early childhood, none captivated me as much as Watership Down. I am now twenty eight years old and, despite the violence and sadness of the film, I have somehow turned out to be a fairly normal bloke rather than a murderer or manic depressive. Funny that.

It is a complete fallacy to suggest that we must shield our children from anything that hints of the injustices that may exist in the real world. In fact, seeing a film such as this may help them in dealing with issues in their own lives or perhaps teach them lessons in understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Watership Down had that effect on me.

While not as good as the book itself, the movie was well done indeed. This was one of those books I lived in when I first read it, never has Richard Adams come close to what he achieved here, able to pull you the reader right down into the grass roots along with Hazel, Fiver and BigWig. And the animators did him justice...I don't have much to add here that others here haven't, save to say I enjoyed the classic voices used here a lot-from Joss Ackland as the 'Black Rabbit of Inle' to the late, much lamented Harry Andrews as Woundwort. Now THAT guy was as tough and ornery a character actor as ever I saw onscreen, and he did the brutal Woundwort character justice indeed.

Of course I recommend this-***1/2 outta ****, the book being ****.

British animated film about a bunch of rabbits leaving their old warren (which one psychic rabbit can tell is going to be destroyed) and searching for a new one. The movie recounts their adventures searching for one.

It may sound like a movie ideal for little kids--but it really isn't. It's an excellent adaptation of Richard Adams book which was written more for teenagers and adults. It's an ecological tale of how men are destroying the earth and (inadvertently it seems) killing innocent wildlife. It's also a very interesting story about how a group of rabbits survive on their own.

The animation is excellent--right up there with Walt Disney. The score is great, the script intelligent and the voices used perfectly match the characters. However, as I said, this isn't really for little kids. The story is dead serious and the only humor is provided by the bird Kehaar (who I personally found very annoying although Zero Mostel DOES have fun with the voice). Also, at the end, it gets very violent and quite bloody. When I saw it in a theatre in 1978 one small kid was in tears by the conclusion. So, use your own judgment but I would never let a small kid see this. This is perfect for teenagers and adults. A 10.

Honestly, I didn't even know there was a movie until I was half way done with the book. I was absolutely LOVING the story and trials the rabbits were enduring. Then one day I was at a rental place looking for the Planet of the Apes movies (don't ask) and I saw the cover of Watership Down (movie)! I was very much tempted to renting it, but then I told myself NOT to rent it until you've finished the book. I sure am glad I waited!

When I closed the back cover to the book, it had taken my breath away in an instant! The storytelling was captivating, heartbreaking, very interesting, and best of all it was easy to read and follow along! (Some books just confuse me from page 1).

After that, I ran over to the movie rental place and rented the movie. When I watched it the first time, I was pretty much trying to capture the differences from the book, and there were plenty, but overall, it was much better than most book-to-movies. I watched it a second time, this time to enjoy the adventure of Hazel and Bigwig and the rest. That's when I noticed how wonderful the music went along with the feeling and tone. The third time I watched it, I closed my eyes and only listened to the music and dialogue and imagined the movie in my head. I must say I almost cried when Bright Eyes (main theme) played. Watership Down's musical score hits you in just the right place to give you Goosebumps!

When I returned the rental, I rushed to the Bookstore and bought Richard Adam's other book "The Plague Dogs", which in my opinion was a terrible book because it doesn't get interesting until the very last chapter...but that's a whole different story.

Overall of the overall, I give the movie a 8/10. The score would have been lower, but the music got to me and now I can't get it out of my head. Someday I'll buy it if it ever comes to DVD in the future.