SummaryA group of rabbits flee their doomed warren and face many dangers to find and protect their new home.
Directed By:Martin Rosen, John Hubley
Written By:Richard Adams, Martin Rosen, John Hubley
Watership Down
Metascore
Generally Favorable
64
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
64
67% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
88
Rosen has not so much adapted Watership Down as he has intelligently condensed it, and compensated for the simplifications with pleasures books can't provide. [20 Jan 1979]
88
Martin Rosen’s eloquent, wondrous film offers a deceivingly simple yet powerful view of a war-ridden rabbit society.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
82% Positive
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
15% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Oct 17, 2022
10
Where to begin with this animation classic,a milestone in independent British cinema and the greatest compliment that could possibly have been bestowed on Richard Adams' great allegorical novel(it's wise to overlook both the kids tv series(1999) and the shoddy Netflix adaptation from 2018
Mar 21, 2020
10
Watership Down (1978) Sinopsis: Valientes conejos emprenden un peligroso viaje a su nuevo hogar en esta versión animada de la novela de Richard Adams. Opinión; Una nada convencional película animada que ni Disney ni Pixar se atrevería a hacer jamás. El contexto y circunstancia son muy simples, un grupo de conejos que decide huir para encontrar un lugar más seguro para vivir. Pero no nos engañemos, no es una película para todo público, mínimo para pre adolescentes en adelante bajo la supervision de un adulto. No hay contenido sexual del cual preocuparse, pero la historia está, la cual está excelentemente contada, se desarrolla a lo bestia, es a ratos cruda y desoladora como también bella, sin embargo, la constante atmósfera de opresión y oscuridad la hacen pesada de ver y no recomendable para niños, puesto que también contiene breves escenas violentas tomando en cuenta de que es una película de dibujos animados. La música es bellísima, la animación es majestuosa y natural y personajes con los cuales es fácil encariñarse y preocuparse. Valoración: 5 de 5
75
The spirit of the book is captured here as the rabbits, faced with problems of ecology, are forced to find a new home. Their trek is filled with surprises and adventures, as well as bloodshed. The job of personifying the rabbits is nicely achieved due to expert readings by the cast.
70
Rosen's film has none of Baskshi's visual razzle-dazzle, but it is loaded with character, and it has the relentless momentum of a good war movie. [20 Nov 1978, p.79]
70
Barely adequate as a pictorial rendering of the book, the movie still thrives on the rousing nature of this unlikely but enthralling epic. [08 Nov 1978, p.C1]
40
The 'camera' takes a conventionally objective viewpoint, perpetually rolling over rolling countryside, which effectively robs the plot of all its terror and tension. And the bunnies are a crudely drawn, charmless bunch, with the final nail provided by the soundtrack's famous voices, who help turn the film into a radio play.
40
Rosen goes out of his way to avoid Disney's stylized movements and character touches, but ends by making his characters all look, sound, and act alike—conditions hardly hospitable to dramatic involvement. The animation may be naturalistic, but the fallacy is as pathetic as ever.
Feb 16, 2026
8
The movie that scarred children across the country still stands up pretty well to this day thanks to it's excellent animation and the seriousness of which it takes it's subject matter.
Feb 15, 2023
8
A wonderful film for children and adults alike. Certainly a lot darker than a Disney film, so parental guidance advised.
Beautiful animation, great voice acting, and made with much care and sensitivity. The pace is near perfect, an engaging yarn with a satisfying conclusion, and bittersweet denouement.
Aug 13, 2020
8
I saw this movie when I was 11. Needless to say it terrified me. I don’t remember much about what happened, but for some reason my memory decided it was one of the best movies ever. Super scary, so I think it serves it’s purpose.
May 14, 2023
5
I had never read the book or seen the movie, but I knew that both have a cult following and was aware their plot dealt with some serious issues such as totalitarianism, freedom and the fight for survival. The film does not shy away from showing the harsh realities of nature and the dangers rabbits face from humans, predators and other rabbits. The themes are there and, surprisingly, are not sugarcoated despite the fact that this is an animated movie and, of course, one would naturally intuit that this is a story entirely aimed at a children's audience, which is not the case.
Watership Down is a dark and somber tale, and its themes are not aimed at minors who are sensitive or susceptible to cruder material. In my personal opinion I didn't find anything special in it but it has quality and emotion. The messages are very important and are delivered in a direct way. It has some flaws in terms of pace and impact, but I still liked it.
Jan 25, 2024
4
Great, old-school painterly animation. I have read the book and didn't think this held up very well to it. And I am not even really a fan of the book. Not sure this is even for children, its pretty dark, grim, and violent.
Production Company:
- Nepenthe Productions
- Watership Productions
- Blue Sky Animation
- Embassy Pictures
- Goldcrest Films International
Release Date:Nov 1, 1978
Duration:1 h 31 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:From the novel that enthralled the world, comes an animation classic.
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Hugo Awards
• 1 Nomination
Chicago International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
