Notorious for scarring a generation of unsuspecting children, 'Watership Down (1978)' is properly horrific in places, featuring many on-screen deaths and other injuries via clawing, biting, throat-ripping, mauling and suffocating to name a few. The story itself is also rather bleak, unafraid to take a darker turn or play starkly allegorical. Let's just say it's easy to see why the BBFC apparently receive yearly complaints about their decision to classify the film 'suitable for all'. This more 'adult' appeal, shall we say, isn't so much an issue as an intrinsic aspect. The film tells a tale of survival and the stakes are serious straight from the start. The generally downbeat tone and occasionally visceral violence plays to the harshness of the world, acting as an extra antagonistic element for our heroes to struggle against. Unfortunately, the flick falls victim to a slow and episodic pacing. The main narrative through-line is rather weak, if relatively compelling, and the experience doesn't get properly interesting until its epilogue-esque final third - which occurs after the main plot has, essentially, already wrapped-up. Thankfully, this last movement is actually rather exciting. It's relatively action-packed, compelling and, ultimately, fulfilling. If the entire piece had been like it, it would have been much more enjoyable overall. That's not to imply that the affair is ever unenjoyable, per se. It's just not exactly gripping for its majority. The introduction of a bizarre, borderline- comedy character in the second act is problematic, too - both for the obvious reason and because it really messes with the established tone. There's also an underlying misogyny to the entire thing, with the female characters existing in the periphery purely as possible mating partners. Still, the movie is a product of its time so these issues are forgivable. In the end, this animated classic is uneven but entertaining. 6/10
Review of Watership Down
