Watership Down (Deluxe Edition)
by Martin Rosen
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DVD details
Actor: John Bennett, John Hurt, Michael Graham Cox, Ralph Richardson, Richard BriersDirector: Martin Rosen
Brand: Warner Brothers
Producer: Martin Rosen
Writer: Martin Rosen
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Writer: Richard Adams
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-10-07
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- An animated adaptation of Richard Adams' best-selling book about a group of rabbits desperately searching for a new home after the demolition of their warren. The bunnies endure a danger-filled journey in which they contend with hunters, vicious dogs, and even other rabbits who are out to stop them. As the heroes travel, they are befriended by a wisecracking seagull named Kehaar. Will Hazel an
DVD Reviews of Watership Down (Deluxe Edition)
DVD Review: Great book, good movie
Summary: 5 Stars
If you loved the book, you will love the movie. If you've never read the book, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Rabbits?!! you say. Yes, rabbits - but we are not talking Disney bunnies, here, or Warner Brothers wabbits, either. These rabbits are people, with a rich and carefully thought-out culture and history and language and mythology of their own, and even in the movie they manage to weave all this rich supporting material seamlessly into the story.
Which reminds me: first let me get this "Family Entertainment" designation out of the way. This isn't really a story for very young children, at least, not for children whose parents feel they still need to say "went to sleep" instead of "died," because, well, the rabbits in the story are realistic in EVERY way, and deal with death on a daily basis. (It's not easy being small and edible!) But if you (or your children!) have no problem with movies like "The Lord of the Rings," or "The Last Unicorn" etc, then this really is Family Entertainment, because it is definitely intelligent and thoughtful enough for adults, as well.
Speaking of "LOTR," I have Watership Down (the book, that is, on which this movie is based) shelved right beside it on my shelf of "Top Novels IMHO of All Time" because of the depth of character and timeless themes such as courage, loyalty, honor, kindness, the victory of the small over the powerful and evil, etc. I was very pleased to find that the movie truly does it justice and sticks quite close to the source material.
This is not high-tech animation, mind you, but there's something very beautiful and touching about the watercolor mattes that remind me of old botanical prints. The animation of the rabbits is amazingly realistic, too - the animators clearly studied real rabbits very closely. There are times when they come a bit too close to making the rabbits' faces themselves a bit too cute, though (or too human-cartoon-ugly, in the case of the "bad guys") but on the whole I was relieved at the lack of cartoonishness. I'm not sure a more modern form of animation would be an improvement. (But what do I know? I thought the Lord of the Rings was unfilmable, at one time, too!)
The sound-track is good, too. Haunting and bittersweet. The brief bit of "Bright Eyes" sung by Art Garfunkle brings tears to my eyes every time - it alone is worth the price of the movie.
Speaking of Bright Eyes, the Deluxe Edition of the DVD, besides having nicer picture quality, contains two commentaries and a storyboard-to-screen comparison. The commentaries are marginally interesting and storyboards are always hard for anyone but true film buffs to watch for more than a few minutes. But it is kind of interesting to learn the history of Art Garfunkle's feelings about singing "Bright Eyes" (He hated it! Go figure!)
Description of Watership Down (Deluxe Edition)
A group of rabbits flee their doomed warren and face many dangers to find and protect their new home.Much like Richard Adams's wonderful novel, this animated tale of wandering rabbits is not meant for small children. It is, however, rich storytelling, populated with very real individuals inhabiting a very real world. The animation is problematic, sometimes appearing out of proportion or just subpar; but it seems to stem from an attempt at realism, something distinguishing the film's characters from previous, cutesy, animated animals. A band of rabbits illegally leave their warren after a prophecy of doom from a runt named Fiver (Richard Briers). In search of a place safe from humans and predators, they face all kinds of dangers, including a warren that has made a sick bargain with humankind, and a warren that is basically a fascist state. Allegories aside, Down is engaging and satisfying, and pulls off the same amazing trick that the novel did--you'll forget that this is a story about rabbits. --Keith Simanton
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