Cheap Watership Down (Video) (John Hurt, Richard Briers, Ralph Richardson) (Martin Rosen) Price

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Customer Reviews of Watership Down

Powerful animated movie
A few days ago, I finally managed to watch the popular anime title Grave of the Fireflies. While I considered it to be a good animated movie, I was disappointed by the apparent lack of true drama. With Watership Down, however, we get something powerful. While I don't consider mindless violence to be drama, here the violence actually works because it represents the hardships these rabbits have to endure. Everybody acts realistically, and everybody makes the experience enjoyable, especially the haunting Fiver. And with this movie, you can't actually say the animation is bad because the surrealistic quality makes the movie that much more haunting. It just wouldn't be the same if the movie didn't have the bleeding fields or Captain Holly's nightmare or the sad but powerful "Bright Eyes" sequence. While uninitiated adults won't want to see an animated movie, and this is certainly not a movie for kids, those that have seen this movie have seen something, in my opinion, epic and powerful and genuinely sad. The ending is also something very different, neither a happy one nor a sad one. That is something you won't see in any Disney movie, with the possible exception of The Fox and the Hound. Truly a gem of an animated movie. I consider Watership Down to be the anime of western animation, and it is many times better than most anime movies I've seen.

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For Frith's Sake
One can only imagine where novelist Richard Adams conjured up his ideas for this intriguing story. He often said "Watership Down" blossomed from the many bedtime stories he told his children. Regardless, it is a brilliant introduction for young readers to some of the unpleasent (as well as pleasent) realities of life. The book is sensational in how it establishes an entirely believable world as would be seen and lived by wild rabbits (albeit rabbits with some very human traits, like intelligence, but let's not be picky). This fantasy world is complete with societies based on organizational structure, discipline, and even religion (there's even a leporidaen version of Noah's Ark...a real treat!)

Sadly, it is impossible to make an animated adapation of the novel without losing so many of the wonderfully unique aspects of the book. Yet, Martin Rosen does a faithful job in reconstructing the basic story line so that fans are not likely to be disappointed. Children ages 6 and up should be able to watch and enjoy the film (I first watched it when I was five). However, I would urge parents to be present with their youngest to help them understand some of Watership Down's harsher elements.

The movie's strongest attributes are its beautiful music (scored by Angela Morley), fine character development, and the unique animation style of the short story that opens the film. Less impressive are the editing blunders, such as when the voice of one rabbit (Silver) is mysteriously replaced with the voice of another (General Woundwart). Still, a very fine adaptation.

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An animated classic!
A group of Rabbits seek a new home in England to a special place called "Watership Down" but unfortunately there is some danger like dogs, cats and some enemy rabbits.

Splendid and brilliant animated British-Canadian drama based on Richard Adam's brilliant novel. The animation is quite good for it's time, there is some bloody violence enough though it's rated "PG" and the music score is just one of the best i've heard.

This is truly a must see animated flick! also listen for the voice of John Hurt.

Also recommended: " The Last Unicorn", " The Secret of NIMH", " Wizards", " Grave of the Fireflies", " The Flight of Dragons", and " The Hobbit".