Watership Down (1978)

This not only is one of my all time favourite animated features, it also is one of those occasions where a story is masterfully told to all ages and does not shy away from violence and dark imagery in order to be that horrendous 'PG-13' that so often is aimed for. This is hardcore stuff, yet also beautiful and gripping.

And it's all about rabbits. Go figure.

'Watership Down' is, of course, based on the book by Richard Adams. In case you have never read the book, this film tells the exact same story. Sure, you will probably miss certain items and references here and there, but as adaptations go, this one is pretty darn solid.

Don't be fooled by the slightly trippy opening sequence, which is basically the rabbits' version of how their god named Frith created the world and the rabbit. Shortly after this opening, that already has some pretty hardcore stuff in it, we go to a beautifully bucolic scene, a field near a copse where the warren of our protagonists lies. Hazel's younger brother Fiver has portentous omens and visions and warns that they should all flee. Naturally, most don't believe him, but some rabbits manage to get away. Later on, it will turn out that Fiver was right all along. They come across a farm, another warren with rabbits that are surprisingly morose because they're actually being fattened for a poacher (and they know it); make friends with a hilarious seagull named Kehaar (Zero Mostel is great as this cocky bird) and run into the fascist state of Efrafa, run by the scariest rabbit you'll ever see: General Woundwort.

You might think: how can an animated feature about rabbits be scary or food for thought on so many levels? Well, for starters, adults will get the many references to modern society and its myriad problems and situations. Children will get drawn in by the animation and discover an adventure story that is both gripping and intense.

Really. Check the fight with the rats in the cemetery, or the escape from Efrafa. Heck, that final stand on Watership Down is nailbitingly tense.

The cast is a veritable who's who of excellent brilliant British actors and actresses. When names like John Hurt, Richard Gielgud, Richard Briers or Roy Kinnear don't ring a bell, I'm sure you will still recognize them should you look up their names on IMDB. They all lend a gravitas to their roles and approach them as if they were playing it straight, which the material actually requires. This is very dramatic and heavy stuff at times and you'll soon forget that it's rabbits that are doing the talking. Hazel is composed and clearly a leading figure, Bigwig is the gruff strong one with a heart of gold, Blackberry is the clever one and so on. And it's the designs and voices that meld nicely together. The look and sound of Woundwort remains one of the most chilling villains that I have ever seen, especially because in his heart, he truly believes he is right in his actions.

But beware: for very young children, the blood and guts might be a bit much, even though this film just shows what could happen in reality.

You'll also never look at rabbits the same way ever again.

Highly recommended!