Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»1139. Watership Down (1978)

    1139. Watership Down (1978)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on November 2, 2015 100-109 mins, 1978, 6 - 7.9, Animation, Drama, Movies Of 2015, Nov 15, Review, United Kingdom
    7.5 Very dark
    • Acting 7.4
    • Directing 7.4
    • Story 7.6
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: John Hurt, Richard Briers, Michael Graham Cox

    Director: Martin Rosen

    Running Time: 101 mins


    Watership Down is a British film about a group of rabbits who are forced to flee their home, and in their attempts to survive out in the open, face many life-threatening dangers from all around.

    Well, this is a really, really dark film, especially considering that it’s meant for family-viewing. It may have the beautiful look of all traditionally animated films, and that will be appealing for kids, but the actual story is pretty horrible, coupled with some shockingly graphic scenes that make this a pretty terrifying film for almost anyone, young or old.

    The film follows a group of rabbits who audaciously escaped their warren, despite the protestations of the chief rabbit, because one rabbit had a premonition of the fields around their home being covered with blood. Already, it’s a pretty upsetting affair, but it’s the clear hardships that the fleeing rabbits face as they are forced from their home that are really heavy-going.

    On the one hand, you want to love these cute little bunny rabbits, but this film does an excellent job of showing the brutality of mother nature, and that even these rabbits can be cold-blooded killers. That’s a pretty interesting and shocking theme to see unfold as they make their journey across the English countryside, but it does beg the question of whether this film really is suitable for kids.

    A lot of the deeper and more emotionally harrowing themes will go over kids’ heads, and they’ll see the rabbits’ journey more like the one in Homeward Bound, but it’s the final act, where the rabbits come across another warren run by a disgusting old rabbit who rules with an iron fist, that it really gets too much.

    Firstly, that evil rabbit is pretty scary himself. He’s covered in scars, one of his eyes is blind, and he has a horrible voice to go with his dictatorial style. But what’s worst is the way that this film represents the fight sequences that the rabbits attempting to oppose him become involved in.

    Again, for anyone over the age of 12, it’s not traumatising, but it remains hugely disturbing and graphic, but for younger children, this is where it will be really difficult to watch. The fights are gory and violent, and feel as real as anything, with a very effective, but truly painful ripping sound effect playing every time a rabbit cuts into another with its claws, making every cut seem more horrible than the last, and making the fights even more uncomfortable, although impressive, to watch.

    Overall, Watership Down gets a 7.5 from me, because it is a fascinating and very heavy-going drama about the brutalities of nature, but you must be very careful showing this to young children, because it’s very graphic and extremely upsetting.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    June 17, 20130

    188. Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

    8.5
    Review
    November 9, 20210

    3542. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

    8.1
    Review
    October 25, 20160

    1528. The Fundamentals Of Caring (2016)

    8.7
    Review
    September 6, 20130

    276. Requiem For A Dream (2000)

    8.0
    Review
    January 12, 20140

    416. 12 Years A Slave (2013)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.