Watership Down is a 2018 limited animated series about a colony of rabbits who struggle to find and defend a new home when faced with certain doom.
Richard Adams‘ evocative Watership Down was a favorite of mine growing up, tucked right along The Hobbit and Where The Wilds Things Are on the bookshelf. I may not have understood its larger themes back then but was so drawn into the colorful and dangerous world of these brave rabbits that it never really left me. I even wrote about it a few years ago. I remember watching the first film adaptation of it as well, the 1978 beautifully animated film doing a superb job of capturing the atmosphere and plight of the animals. Since then, there have been other attempts in introducing the timeless tale to new generations.
Now comes a CGI-animated endeavor on Netflix, a four-part event with a host of famous voices that condenses the story for a broader audience, aiming for children while not slacking too much of the inherent frights that are integral to the telling. It’s a fast-paced and easy to consume adaptation that does better with its dialogue than it does its visuals, but succeeds as it intends simply for its commitment to Adams’ vision.
The story follows a small group of rabbits who leave their warren after a young rabbit named Fiver (voiced by Nicholas Hoult) has visions of impending doom. His older brother Hazel (voiced by James McAvoy) believes him and a few others decided to follow the pair away from the others towards a safe place called the Waterships Down. Along the way, there are many adventures and lessons to be learned, enemies to avoid and new friends to be made.
That’s a rather simplistic description of course as much of the story takes place after they arrive and search for females to join their new home. Where the series hooks you is with the excellent voice work, the entire cast giving each of the iconic characters plenty of weight. Listen for Gemma Anderton, John Boyega, Ben Kingsley, Taron Egerton, and more. Yes, the animation might be a little under expectations, the color pallete purposefully sallow and muted, though it’s a bit unfair perhaps to judge, this not a big budget studio production. However, in an age when CGI animation has become so essential in mass entertainment, it’s hard to avoid. When you can go from something like The Jungle Book and then straight to this, comparisons will be unavoidable.
That said, the art style does eventually win you over, mostly because the story and characters so lively inhabit them. The series manages to pack plenty of punch in recreating the emotional moments that shaped the book. Some of these might be a wee bit traumatizing for the little ones, but it’s nothing compared to the harrowing lengths recent movies aimed at kids have presented (just take a look at the other Jungle Book adaptation Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle). The danger and violence seen here is well earned and never so hard to watch that will make any parents second guess.
If you’ve read the book, it’s easy to appreciate the filmmakers’ efforts in bringing it to a new audience. I found myself well sunken into the small hollows of these courageous creatures, journeyed back to my days when it was imagination that made it all come alive. That’s the real hurdle here, something any studio looking to represent what so many already have in their heads must cross. Peter Jackson did it right with the The Lord of the Rings trilogy and I have to admit, it works well here, director Noam Murro keeping things huddled right to the heart of the classic book. A modest and ambitious watch, this is highly recommended.