Criterion Collection: Watership Down [Blu-ray] [1978] [US Import]

Let me first clarify something, before I get into the review:It's NOT a children's story and was never solely intended to be - the decision to choose animation as the medium gave the director the most freedom to express and interpret the story in the most effective way. Ballet, puppets or using real animals were not viable options, (although they were given serious consideration) and let's face it, they wouldn't have aged well!That being said, I went to see the film when I was six and far from being traumatised, I was utterly blown away by what I had seen. Everyone reacts differently though and that is something to bear in mind.But, is it the scary, relentless blood-fest that a lot of people would lead you to believe? Well, no actually. The scary moments add up to about 10 minutes out of the whole thing and given the fact that the running time is almost 90 minutes tells you all that you need to know.You could take stills/scenes from most animated films where the characters look frightening and it would give an impression that the entire thing wasn't suitable for a younger audience. People need to bear the concept of context in mind!The whole uproar over the film took place a few years ago, when Channel 5 in the UK decided to show it over the Easter weekend(!) - this was a massive blunder on their part for not doing their research and thus, in the era of immediate outrage, numerous messages from parents rolled in and the media saw an opportunity to milk some controversy; this is the result when people on both sides fail to do their research, use their common sense and use the TV as an automated childminder and are not willing to take responsibility for what their children consume visually when left unsupervised.It is realistic, though. Nature can be cruel and punches are not pulled in that department. Again, it was never meant to be solely a children's story. What it doesn't do is condescend to the younger audience - it teaches them that all things must pass and return to the earth...the cycle of life if you will. Disney, it is not.It is a mystical, thrilling, emotional journey, carried along seamlessly by excellent direction and production, plus a who's who of voice talent from back in the day - Michael Hordern, Richard Briars, John Hurt, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliot, Roy Kinnear and Derek Griffiths.The animals are animated in a very realistic way, the animators having researched and studied the movement of rabbits very closely before commencing work. You can also tell the characters apart very easily; something that was sadly lacking from the Netflix version.And then there are the stunning and beautiful backgrounds that the animals are brought to life on. The colour and style is a feast for the eyes.I have to mention the soundtrack as well, as it would a massive oversight not to; Angela Morley only had two weeks to write it as the production company had been left high and dry two weeks before the deadline! What she achieved was nothing short of a miracle. It is a scintillating piece of work, very English and pastoral, with lots of dynamics and tension thrown in; I always hear shades of Vaughan-Williams, Debussy, Prokofiev and Elgar. It's something of a sonic roller-coaster ride and compliments the film narrative perfectly.Is it thrilling? Powerful? Exciting? Tense? Gripping? Spiritual? Emotional? Scary? Absolutely - all the key ingredients of a great film, the main theme being how one rises to the challenges of life, deals with them and the legacy that is left afterwards.If your child is sensitive, then I would advise caution and perhaps wait until they are older before allowing them to watch it. However, be prepared to potentially have some deep questions to answer at the end. Oh, and perhaps have a couple of tissues handy as well.In all fairness, I do feel that the BBFC made a blunder when they gave the film a 'U' rating; I feel it should be a 'PG'. I imagine the conversation went something like this:"What's the next film we need to classify?""An animated film about some rabbits.""Oh, how enchanting! Give it 'U' rating."However, when all is said and done it's a classic 'Best of British' animated film, a feast for the senses; prepare yourself for an unforgettable journey and enjoy!

Cheap, basic good value DVD

After so many false alarms thank Frith we finally have Watership Down in high-definition and with the original silhouette cover, but what is the Blu-ray picture quality like? The old standard-definition DVD version has a lot of dirt and grime popping up almost every frame, but this Blu-ray has been cleaned up to an extent. They have somehow erased the majority of those horrible ugly black spots, specks and other bits of debris, but there are still white specks fizzing in some scenes; there is also a bit of screen flicker passed over too. Also on the DVD version I noticed there are sometimes lines running vertically down the screen, but on this Blu-ray they are gone except for one. The image transfer to high-definition has certainly made the picture look much brighter, cleaner, sharper and has much better definition, but the white specks that are present won't exactly make El-Ahrairah proud of this Blu-ray presentation.I remember watching this film when I was seven years old. As soon as the film started I remember it gripped me from start to finish and by the end I wasn't traumatized or disturbed by it at all. As a seven year old it opened my mind to what possible dangers there are in the world and that there are tyrants out there who are bent on destroying it when the rest of us want to live in peace and harmony. I remember it completely opened my mind to mortality and to how precious friendship is. Watership Down is an enchanting very emotive animated film with endearing characters and a beautiful score, it has humour too, but it doesn't hold back on the harshness of reality and often shows that we truly are just made of flesh and blood, but with an unbreakable everlasting spirit. It is at times graphic, especially the ending, so it's not recommended for very young children who won't understand it, but older kids will get it, some perhaps with a little parental guidance. For me when I was seven years old it certainly enlightened and touched my heart in a way that hasn't left me since.Watership Down was made over thirty years ago, but I expected this new presentation to be in better condition because Disney's early classics start from over seventy years old and all of them are impeccable? I believe restoration work could have been done on this and is unfortunately a half-hearted release. If you already have the standard-definition version then it is worth upgrading to this Blu-ray, you will notice a big difference when you see this edition. The only downsides are those scruffy white specks are still present in some scenes and that the extras are just the same as on the DVD version.

Fantastic film. Loved it as a kid and I still love it now, i'm 54.

this film may not be as long and detailed as the book is, but it is still a beautiful piece of storyline. Obviously, it would take hours to have the whole book included in the movie, but the most important scenes of the book are in there I believe. I may have missed the nice stories about El-ahrair-rah though, they would have certainly been nice. BUT let's get to the point:the story itself is nicely done, the character art is fabulous, not like the stuff you see on today's TV. these rabbits actually look like rabbits... Woundwort has been depicted very well. the fight with thlayli was so amazing. and the voice actors also were great. the overall quality of this dvd is very good, considering how old the movie is. All in all, you are there with the little rabbits on their long journey to find a new home. the movie is so well done, it actually made me worry with them if they could make it, even though I knew they would, but still...if you like the book, you will definitely like the movie too. the ending is a beautiful and it somewhat made me sniffle a little. it is worth getting this film, also, because the violent scenes have been mostly taken out, so children can watch it without problems. and they also do not use the rabbit names like in the book, such as thlayli, and hlao-roo, but I would assume that would be too much.

Great value for money and arrived on time