This 1978 British animated adaptation of the bestselling novel by Richard Adams is ripe for rediscovery. Featuring a distinguished voice cast—including Ralph Richardson, John Hurt, Denholm Elliott, and Zero Mostel—Watership Down tells the story of a group of rabbits who seek safe haven on high ground after leaving their endangered warren. A word of caution: this is not the proverbial delightful film for all ages—it's a grim and often intense adventure in which the rabbits are at the mercy of animal predators, humans, and each other (in the form of the tyrannical General Woundwort and his minions). In fact, a good amount of blood is spilled during several fight sequences. That said, Watership Down is excellent viewing for those seeking more sophisticated animated fare, and remains among the best non-Disney animated films ever made. DVD extras include a conversation with writer/director Martin Rosen and editor Terry Rawlings, an animation featurette, and four multi-angle storyboard-to-screen comparisons. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Feb. 10, 2015—Criterion, 92 min., PG, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1978's Watership Down sports a fine transfer and an uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include interviews with director Martin Rosen (17 min.) and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (13 min.), the 2005 production featurette “Defining a Style” (13 min.), picture-in-picture storyboards, a trailer, and an essay by comic book writer Gerard Jones. Bottom line: a powerful animated ‘70s classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]
Watership Down
Warner, 92 min., PG, DVD: $19.98 Volume 23, Issue 6
Watership Down
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