RELEASE DATE: 1978
RATED: PG
REVIEWED BY: The DarkSider
Over one hour later and several tattered bunny corpses later...the film still gives me the creeps.
Yes, television executives seemed to think that a movie with bunnies at base level was a good idea to display on public television. As most television executives fail to realize, the plot was much deeper than that. So now years later, I decided to take on the film that disturbed me so much as a kid in a review.
The story, based on Richard Adam�s famous novel, begins with the bunny tale (no pun intended) of Frith or better known to us as the sun. This dude Frith gave birth to several animals including a fellow named El-ahrairah who happened to be the first bunny. El-ahrairah decided to f*ck up bunny future forever by bragging to Frith about his greatness. Frith immediately responded with turning many creatures into rabbit eaters such as the weasel, owl and fox.
Frith later decided to bless El-ahrairah�s bottom (don�t ask) and thus the strength of the rabbit was born. Aka running, jumping, sitting with whiny kids at Easter...etc etc. This is the word of the bunny bible or something. Side note, the bunnies all have a special dialect but to hold back confusion, I�ll just call it like I see it.
Anyhow, the story continues by introducing us to Hazel and his annoying �I see dead people� brother Fiver. Fiver gets a vision of blood on their current residence and thinks its in their best interest to leave. After confronting the old fart chief rabbit about this decision unsuccessfully, the group hook up with one of the military�s leading rabbits named Bigwig. The small group of rabbits head out on their own to seek new land.
The bunnies hop along and after much hardship come across a bunch of well fed bunnies. They are lead by a fellow named Cowslip who tell them to eat, drink and be merry. Little do the rabbits know, the food they are eating are part of a farmer�s trap. Matter of fact, Bigwig gets caught in a snare wire and almost dies. The bunnies, who go into MacGyver mode, get him out alive.
The group continues past a farm with a charming cat/dog team and find several bunnies kept up in a pen. After a brief confrontation with the local cat, the group decide to move on. However before they do, one of their former friends named Holly shows up. He informs them of how Fiver was right about the destruction of their town. Turns out some real estate people showed up to put up a building. I�m assuming maybe a Wal-Mart or something.
Anyhow, the group finally make to a place called Watership Down which is a virtual bunny utopia on a hillside. So lets do a quick check list;
1.) Hillside Real Estate-check
2.) Bunny Buffet-check
3.) Piece Of Bunny Ass-wait a minute
Hazel is first to note there aren�t any hot bunny chicks around. Luckily for them, they stumble upon the near lifeless body of a seagull named Kehaar. He�s quite the pissy foreigner but ends up being useful to the group. Hazel sets plan one into motion which sees him and a few others trying to bust a few bunnies out from the farm they passed. Of course this fails and Hazel ends up with a cap in his ass from the farmers, literally.
After Kehaar picks the buck shot out (interspecies relationship maybe) Hazel sets up plan to spy on a nearby place called Efrafa. Only problem, as explained to us by Holly, it is a fascist bunny nation led by the cold hand...excuse me...paw of General Woundwart. Although the odds are high, the temptation of sweet bunny lovin� wins out and the group sets a plan into motion.
Bigwig goes undercover and joins General Woundwart�s army. It is there he meets up with a female bunny revolutionary Hyzenthlay and sets up a plan for escape. The plan goes into motion and Kehaar helps the group escape thus flying his annoying loud tail feathers out of the movie.
The movie wraps up with General Woundwart�s assault on Watership Down. Several bunnies are wiped out when a nearby dog rips them apart. Inside the hollow, Bigwig battles Woundwart to a draw and eventually Woundwart takes on the dog. The film says his body was never found which of corse isn�t a real surprise when its bunny vs rottweiler.
The film ends with an aged Hazel passing on who I assume must of gotten plenty of bunny tail in his life. He heads off into the bunny beyond leaving behind a very successful bunny colony which I�m sure pissed off nearby gardeners for years to come.
Looking at this film as an adult makes all the difference. The idiotic people who decided to show this at holiday time really needed to watch it to understand what its about. This is not a kind film and the blood flows freely. It is refreshing that a film had the balls to do this because after all, bunny life isn�t always like Thumper�s in Bambi.
The film has some serious social commentary as represented within Adam�s book. It questions leadership values while exploring the determination of the working class. The rabbits are given distinct characteristics and the voice over actors did an excellent job bringing them to life. Matter of fact, the great John Hurt supplied his voice to Hazel. The film also features a song by Art Garfunkel...you know...the guy who hung around with Paul Simon for a few years.
Although I doubt Watership Down will make me slow down if theres a bunny in the road, I may...just may think twice about it from now on.
1.) Some Bunny Doesn�t Love You - In the film bunnies get snared, suffocated, shot and torn apart by dogs. Where�s Monty Python�s White Rabbit when you need him?
1.) General Woundwart - The film claims he was never heard from again although I�ve heard that after this movie, he received extensive plastic surgery and went on to a lucrative career working for Trix, Nestle Quick and Energizer.
2.) Man - From Bambi�s mom to Hazel, celebrating millions of years of causing orphans and extinction.
3.) The Farm Cat - From Tweety Bird to Hazel, celebrating millions of years of killing for no apparent reason.
