Watership Down
1978
Drama, Family/Kids
1h 31m
A group of rabbits flee their doomed warren and face many dangers to find and protect their new home. (imdb)
Directed by:
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Watership Down
1978
Drama, Family/Kids
1h 31m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 62.85% from 1178 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
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Rated 25 Sep 2010
73
88th
Bunnies!!!! Oh....oh God... OH GOD NO!!!!
Rated 25 Sep 2010
Rated 03 Jan 2013
75
79th
Captures the essence of the book quite well, but the necessary shortcuts in the story and the questionable animation quality let it down a bit. However it still tells a good story in the way that entrances and horrifies kids at the same time, something 1970s British kids' shows excelled at. Just imagine this getting through Disney focus groups these days without being butchered like a bunny in a blender.
Rated 03 Jan 2013
Rated 13 Jan 2019
80
80th
B-but you're bunnies! You're supposed to be soft and cuddly and make me feel good!
Rated 13 Jan 2019
Rated 01 Mar 2007
75
89th
One of the best animation films ever made.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
Rated 02 Sep 2019
77
72nd
Have not read the book but I'm going to assume it's more narratively cohesive & well rounded. Honestly though this kind of children's epic is hardly brought down by such issues, especially when the aesthetic/thematic values are as powerfully presented as they are here. The quietly evocative animation, backgrounds, voice work & music provide grit to its survivalism & metaphysical heft to its fatalism. I like to think children can appreciate this but I'd be hesitant to test that on anyone I know.
Rated 02 Sep 2019
Rated 14 Aug 2007
92
95th
Quite possibly one of the best animated films of all time. They could not have picked a better story to translate to film, and they quite possibly could not have done a better job conveying the emotions of the tale as well. Even grown-up, I still love this movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 06 May 2008
75
65th
IT'S A LITTLE BUNNY. THE LITTLE BUNNY IS DEAD.
Rated 06 May 2008
Rated 21 Dec 2015
65
42nd
This was an absolutely beautiful movie that made me really nostalgic for the days where hand-drawn animation, watercolor backdrops, and orchestral scores were the norm. And it also seemed really damn rushed - in a way that I can't help but feel a 400-page narrative would feel much more contiguous than this 90-minute movie did. That said, the final 20 minutes or so were absolutely glorious and went a long way towards getting this picture on the positive end of these rankings.
Rated 21 Dec 2015
Rated 15 Dec 2018
80
77th
40 years ago, this film scared me as a child. Watching it as an adult can be existentially terrifying. Pretty dark flick at times, but also pretty damn good. Should be required viewing for all the little kiddies; give 'em a dose of the cold, hard realities of life. Sweet dreams you little knee-biters.
Rated 15 Dec 2018
Rated 21 Nov 2015
85
86th
One of the most violent, bloody, and freaking harrowing animated movies of all time. That last showdown with Bigwig was just so fucking awesome. Still the best version of this film.
Rated 21 Nov 2015
Rated 17 Mar 2010
50
36th
A good adaptation of the book; unsentimental and not at all cutesy, lumbered by dull animation, poor design and an obviously low budget.
Rated 17 Mar 2010
Rated 29 Mar 2010
77
52nd
I'm conflicted with this movie because somehow I expected more from what I've heard over the years. I must admit that I don't know the novel. But, when I watched the additional material I understood what the problem of the movie is: It was directed by somebody who never before had directed an animated movie and that explained why I felt uneasy about the adaptation. It's uneven but on the other hand good in terms of being an independent production. Make up your own mind.
Rated 29 Mar 2010
Rated 01 Mar 2008
70
63rd
Really dark and nasty for a kid's film. In other words, the perfect thing to show your young niece on a Saturday afternoon.
Rated 01 Mar 2008
Rated 25 Feb 2018
85
66th
I'm really not sure why people cite this as an example of "adult" animation. It's mature by (Western) animation standards but I think it falls solidly in the camp of animated films which appeal to children on the surface but are intelligent enough for adults to enjoy as well, along the lines of a Toy Story or The Incredibles. It certainly doesn't come across as explicitly intended for an adult audience.
Rated 25 Feb 2018
Rated 07 Nov 2011
86
94th
Watership Down is an oddity. It's often labeled as a kids' movie, and is based on kids' books, but the material is anything but. It's oddly dark, violent, and emotional, but people see that it's a movie about cartoon bunnies on an adventure, so it must belong in the kids' section. I'm a big fan of animation in general myself, and this is a must-see for any like-minded person.
Rated 07 Nov 2011
Rated 04 Sep 2009
69
65th
Not as horrific or violent as many persons childhood memories will recall. That said there flash of gore and violence there is, is well presented, in what is a good adaptation and a high quality animation for its age and budget.
Rated 04 Sep 2009
Rated 20 Dec 2010
70
54th
Actually damn good..! Saw it when I was a child, can't believe it's rated "U" (Universal)....
Rated 20 Dec 2010
Rated 19 May 2009
3
38th
From the memories people have of this film from their childhood, I was expecting to see bunnies run through a meat grinder, the remains lit on fire and the ashes pissed on. Needless to say, it's a lot less violent than that, though there's a bit of bunny gore. But it's a surprisingly good film, one of the best animated films I've seen that takes itself so seriously. The fable-like quality of the tale helps suspend disbelief so that you can take it at face value.
Rated 19 May 2009
Rated 22 Feb 2019
80
77th
I'm not a fan of classic cinema, but 40+ years on this is still highly watchable and can be enjoyed by those 10 to 110. Great!
Rated 22 Feb 2019
Rated 19 Apr 2019
60
26th
Narrator: "All the world will be your enemy, Prince of a Thousand enemies. And when they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, Prince with the swift warning. Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed."
Rated 19 Apr 2019
Rated 09 Sep 2019
80
79th
A dark watch for kids, this is a good example of animal allegory. Its sobering and thought provoking, just not ideal for young kids to see as its somewhat graphic with depictions of violence towards rabbits and the like.
Rated 09 Sep 2019
Rated 26 Sep 2020
80
68th
Martin Rosen's astonishing adaptation of Richard Adams's novel manages to have a relaxing, pastoral Britishness to it, while never hiding the story's preoccupation with violence and death. It's status as a children's film has been controversial over the years, but I think it's the best kind of children's film. It creates empathy by believably placing you in a realistic colony of rabbits and then teaches some fundamental lessons about life.
Rated 26 Sep 2020
Rated 15 Dec 2020
80
85th
Scary, yet brilliant. An absolute sensation of story telling, lore and symbolism. Just a shame, that being a film, it can't include even more inspiration from the novel.
Rated 15 Dec 2020
Rated 14 Jan 2021
90
93rd
I mean it's fucking unreal how brutal this is. Great book too. Assuredly deals with death better than most live action movies. The musical interlude prevents 100. Jesus it's so bad.
Rated 14 Jan 2021
Rated 22 Jul 2021
93
75th
I loved it. I think the screenplay is super mature and straight forward. It doesn't at all feel like a kids movie and it doesn't try to spoon feed the audience. Kids movies (and animated movies in general) should be more like that. I also like the filmmakers' choice to leave in all of the BRUTAL violence and dreadful tone that I'm sure is straight out of the book. A handful of scenes legitimately had me anxious or claustrophobic. Very well directed, acted and animated. Very good.
Rated 22 Jul 2021
Rated 14 Oct 2021
92
85th
A beautifully emotional tale of war told through the different factions rabbits. I'm a big fan of Bigwig y'all.
Rated 14 Oct 2021
Rated 27 Dec 2007
83
72nd
A very good animated movie with a beautiful art style. IT follows a group of rabbits who leave their warren in search of a new home and run into problems on the way. The characters are somewhat archtypical, but they're nuanced enough to be interesting, and the same can be said about the story. While it is a children's movie it's not light fare.
Rated 27 Dec 2007
Rated 24 Mar 2016
80
55th
Totally unique in style and tone and just gorgeous to look at. Above all else, it has one of my favorite scores in film history, brilliantly evoking the best English pastoralists like Elgar, Britten, and Vaughan Williams. How cool that they gave this a Criterion release.
Rated 24 Mar 2016
Rated 29 Oct 2012
40
4th
Animated, but not a movie I would let kid's watch.
Rated 29 Oct 2012
Rated 01 Jun 2008
67
20th
Amazing, but at some points extremely grotesque. I have watched this since I was a kid, and that is something hard for kids to understand. The meaning of death and the brutal fighting between fuzzy rabbits that we want to cuddle when we're young, can bring about some questions that are not easy to answer.
Rated 01 Jun 2008
Rated 04 Oct 2010
95
73rd
I have such vivid memories of seeing this as a little kid. the animation was beautiful and frightening all at once. Should be rereleased.
Rated 04 Oct 2010
Rated 13 Oct 2015
60
32nd
Hackneyed anti-urbanism. Samey characters with samey voices. An episodic plot relying heavily on monomyth tropes. The occasional visual flights of fancy leave the blandly literal bulk of the film feeling all the more creatively starved. Due to its stuffiness, violence, and its source material's prestige, it's a byword among "adult cartoon" boosters, often praised alongside similar cult mediocrities like Felidae and Wizards.
Rated 13 Oct 2015
Rated 22 May 2016
77
52nd
Creative, storybook-esque animation. Love what they did with the frame to mimic camera techniques. Impressive amount of blood for a kids movie. Showed this to my sister who loves rabbits. That was fun.
Rated 22 May 2016
Rated 21 Nov 2009
50
11th
Read the terrific novel first, if you must see this. Maybe one day they'll make a decent version, but it's not nessary.
Rated 21 Nov 2009
Rated 22 Sep 2007
82
96th
Not as good as the book and it's aged a little tarnishing my fond memories slightly. Still, a great watch. The kind of story that carries me away.
Rated 22 Sep 2007
Rated 11 Dec 2009
71
50th
Darwinian animated tale. The problem of reconciliating animation, dramatic forms, and realistic drawing of rabbit protagonists is not really solved.
Rated 11 Dec 2009
Rated 26 Feb 2010
95
84th
Amongst its gorgeous backdrops that depict an almost fantastically bucolic setting, there are dark things and evil things hidden within Watership Down. Stunningly well-written, Watership Down almost suffocates with its non-stop tension and threatening world. This is one of the few films that surely and adequately depicts the persecution all little critters must face in their lives, and because of that it is both bleak and starkly beautiful. Recommended watching for anyone, child or adult.
Rated 26 Feb 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
Great adaptation of one of my favourite books from my youth. Although, I'm not sure if the movie works without having read the book.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 02 Sep 2011
80
47th
The animation is only so-so, but the story is deep and dark. Not for kids, especially not for kids who like rabbits. But a classic tale.
Rated 02 Sep 2011
Rated 07 Aug 2012
61
22nd
Read the book
Rated 07 Aug 2012
Rated 05 Jun 2010
67
21st
A good effort, but inferior to both the novel and the spiritual successor movie by the same studio, Plague Dogs. The plot is unfocused in the first half. The biggest problem is the character; they are drawn so close, sound so alike and are so numerous that they become almost impossible to distinguish, and therefore impossible to care about. However, I think the villian is quite intimidating, and gets a good amount of screen time. Picks up in the second half, but dosent make up for slow start.
Rated 05 Jun 2010
Rated 21 May 2009
60
85th
Like Disney, it has a sense of hot-blooded melodrama, although the timing of its hare's-breadth escapes and rescues is occasionally too hurried, due to some labor-saving and penny-saving shortcuts in the arduous animation process. This superior kiddie movie is probably the most metaphysically sophisticated animal story yet to reach the screen, but none among its quick and cunning animated rabbits is fit to challenge Bugs as the screen's premier bunny.
Rated 21 May 2009
Rated 17 Nov 2007
60
69th
good adaptation of a wonderful book.
Rated 17 Nov 2007
Rated 30 Apr 2011
7
67th
This movie makes me want to do drugs.
Rated 30 Apr 2011
Rated 26 Aug 2014
85
93rd
Don't let its annoying new reputation as a 'video nasty for kids' fool you. This is a beautiful allegory on freedom, rebirth and the use of intelligence in the face of brutality, and captures the book's otherworldly atmosphere as well as an animation of its type could be expected to.
Rated 26 Aug 2014
Rated 06 Jun 2009
77
46th
I don't think many people realize what this book/movie is actually about. It's about Jews and Nazi's and the holocaust. It is an interesting way to introduce to kids to the idea of the holocaust. If you like this movie check out the book "Terrible Things." Which is a great book for small children. No other review mentions what this story is actually about. Maybe you people should watch it again.
Rated 06 Jun 2009
Rated 17 Jan 2014
75
43rd
Very dark movie. Saw this as a kid and it made a big impression of me. Remember feeling frightened. Always feel a little sad when I think about it. Well done but a little too intense for my taste.
Rated 17 Jan 2014
Rated 13 May 2015
8
71st
Exceedingly mature in content and art style, "Watership Down" still stands as an impressive feature in all of Western animation.
Rated 13 May 2015
Rated 04 Sep 2016
72
72nd
Pretty heavy for a kid's movie, to be honest.
Rated 04 Sep 2016
Rated 11 Nov 2007
30
7th
- not worth your time :: I *loved* the book, but something was missing in this version of the story ...besides the magic.
Rated 11 Nov 2007
Rated 07 Aug 2014
79
47th
It's not as smoothly structured as I'd anticipated, but no real matter: Watership Down remains a thoughtful, plaintive and upsetting work, a precursor to the more broadly-targeted animation that the 1980s and beyond would harbour. The animation is lovely - and loving - from the light watercolour landscapes to the shocking blood reds and dark, black origin story.
Rated 07 Aug 2014
Rated 24 Apr 2017
85
80th
Yeah, I wouldn't say that this is for kids. I mean, most of it is relatively inoffensive these days, but there is some pretty explicit violence and I think the mythology/themes would be lost on kids. However, as a not-kid (also known as an adult) I greatly enjoy it for the issues it tackles and the finesse that it has while doing so. Great animation for the time, the Bright Eyes moment was wonderful and it didn't overstay its welcome. There's also a constant fear here with the characters.
Rated 24 Apr 2017
Rated 29 Jun 2017
67
29th
You know what there needs to be? A rabbit snuff film, said someone, somewhere, at some point. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, gritty animated films had a brief heyday, and some were great. Some I feel ruined the genre.This was just too fear-based to ever enjoy. Whatever point it could make- it got lost in the storytelling.
Rated 29 Jun 2017
Rated 31 Mar 2008
73
41st
Like any book-to-movie adaptation, the pacing is off. But it's a very moving motion picture about the tragic and tough lives rabbits must face. No cookiecutter Disney crap. Cute animals get savaged.
Rated 31 Mar 2008
Rated 21 Sep 2012
93
88th
Superb animated film presents a remarkably uncompromising, bleak vision of the novel which, while certainly grim and savage at times, ultimately becomes quite stirring and moving, thanks to a pearly British voice cast, and warm score highlighted by Garfunkel's wonderful vocalisation of 'Bright Eyes'. A mature, perceptive study of facism and brutality, without any attempt to sugar-coat the implications of its story for youngsters.
Rated 21 Sep 2012
Rated 12 Jan 2016
89
92nd
Not as bad as it's notoriety made it out to be. Actually, it was a very good movie. I think I need to read the book in order to get a better grasp of it though... Wonderful music and use of it
Rated 12 Jan 2016
Rated 06 Oct 2014
73
35th
The story feels a little abridged and the pace suffers as a result, but Rosen imbues it with such warmth and humanity, even at its most horrifying moments. That prologue is a work of art all its own, too.
Rated 06 Oct 2014
Rated 23 Jan 2016
81
66th
Impressed at how well the filmmakers retained the tenor of the story while trimming and rearranging certain elements. Of course, outside the prologue, the film lacks the deep connection to the mythic stories that form a chunk of the book's core for me. But I did appreciate the overall subdued tone, the animated English countryside, and, of course, Mostel's take on Kehaar.
Rated 23 Jan 2016
Rated 30 Aug 2015
70
50th
Watership Down is a classic adventure story with a youth-friendly aesthetic, but realizes children will eventually have to come of age and stop only watching comedies. Triumphs aren't given by fortune but instead constant suffering full of threatening risks. The art and animation is pretty but blandly realistic, so it's the surreal religious visions where the film comes to life. This is a great story for maturing children, but the themes don't hold too much depth for adults.
Rated 30 Aug 2015
Rated 24 Oct 2008
67
39th
seen it, just didn't get to me enough. Sweet childrens movie, except for the amounts of blood.
Rated 24 Oct 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
40
26th
The characters felt a little udnerdeveloped in comparison to the book's but the film still held up admirably and the animation was great.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 26 Mar 2007
60
47th
Ooh bunnies! *sigh* I bet the book is better...
Rated 26 Mar 2007
Rated 05 Apr 2012
82
64th
one of the most graphic, but also most interesting cartoon films ever made
Rated 05 Apr 2012
Rated 09 Jun 2015
77
47th
The most morbid movie you will ever see about bunnies.
Rated 09 Jun 2015
Rated 26 Oct 2007
69
74th
I'm biased because I loved the book, and this British animated movie did well in capturing the feel of it. So I liked it. The animation is more "television quality."
Rated 26 Oct 2007
Rated 15 Jan 2008
7
77th
Is there anyone who first saw this on home video in the early 80s - or even in the cinema a little earlier - who didn’t have it leave an indelible scar? I liked it enough to plough through the novel at age 10 or 11, but it was the film that haunted me for years afterwards. Just hearing the opening to ‘Bright Eyes’ can still make me tear up.
Rated 15 Jan 2008
Rated 20 Apr 2011
3
7th
Terrible movie, Incredibly awesome book...'tis sad how they ruin books reputations like that.
Rated 20 Apr 2011
Rated 09 Apr 2017
5
57th
I was totally down with the dark vibe and threatening depiction of a world where everything is out to kill you in this film. I found the animation a bit rough and - maybe I have rabbit faceblindness or something - pretty much all the characters except the bird freaking impossible to tell apart.
Rated 09 Apr 2017
Rated 19 Dec 2008
70
80th
Not really a kids movie despite what you might think
Rated 19 Dec 2008
Rated 19 Dec 2008
78
62nd
This movie scared me to death when I was a kid. Some of these rabbits are terrifying looking, and then there were some spirit rabbits in the sky or something... good movie, not really a kids movie though.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
Rated 26 Apr 2014
70
52nd
It's very depressing and at parts even melodramatic. And it traumatised me pretty badly as a kid. Once I re-watched it as and adult I didn't find it that thrilling though... Maybe because some part of me didn't really want to watch too closely any more.
Rated 26 Apr 2014
Rated 07 Feb 2013
80
81st
If you didn't cry when Art Garfunkel started to sing "Bright eyes" you are probably dead inside .
Rated 07 Feb 2013
Rated 13 Oct 2018
5
22nd
Feels like a rushed, watered down version of stronger material, but there's production interest along the way, and may be worth watching for the prologue and the last 10 minutes. The amount of gore/blood is absolutely uncalled for and ridiculous, but I guess it's some sort of dramatic license.
Rated 13 Oct 2018
Rated 03 Feb 2019
60
47th
Good animations, and some of the details are nicely done.
Rated 03 Feb 2019
Rated 18 Mar 2021
74
75th
This is up there with the most heart-wrenching of anime's. Show it to your kid, teach them to grow up
Rated 18 Mar 2021
Rated 11 Aug 2022
20
9th
Would you like childhood trauma? Here's how.
Rated 11 Aug 2022
Rated 03 Nov 2022
75
71st
Those are some violent bunnies! I never saw this as a kid, but I can imagine it would have been traumatic watching as a kid. It's got more deaths and blood in it than some slasher movies have. In it's core it's a beautiful and sad story of perseverance and dedication. The animation feels a bit inconsistent now, but most of it is truly stunning and very fitting for its mood.
Rated 03 Nov 2022
Rated 16 Aug 2023
85
73rd
NOT A KIDS MOVIE
Rated 16 Aug 2023
Rated 01 Sep 2023
70
53rd
Biblical+bird+wegotyououtlolit'slikeahorrormovie+omgfilledinburrows+badrabbitclanlikepostapoclol+birdhelpsfight+dogsarentdangerouslol+spirithelpshimdieintospirittoo
Rated 01 Sep 2023
Rated 31 Jan 2024
80
78th
The tragic lives of rabbits. It's not quite as brutal as I expected, but it doesn't pull any punches either. Good to know that in any cluster of bunnies there may be a clairvoyant one suggesting there's always a better place to be. Unfortunately, he may have to do so while hearing Art Garfunkel crooning inane lyrics in his head.
Rated 31 Jan 2024
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