Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Rob Can Ah memories. Coming home from boredom and stress of school. On goes the TV and ahh, nice, watership down. Maybe it was the music that got me watching this. Who knows what it was but I know what made me keep watching it. If anyone asks me which is better: films or TV series's, I'd have to say TV series's. Why? Mainly because if you make a film you're stuck having to make it all fit into say one or two hours (three sometimes) and even when you're making a film of a book a lot can be missed out. Non readers of that book can be lost with events and sayings which were only explained in the book. With a TV series you have time to spread things out. To explore and develop characters. To explain backgrounds in detail. To really make the audience understand things. If you've seen the film then read the book you'll know what I'm talking about. That's why I prefer this to the film. There's more of it. You can't help but be drawn into the story line. It's exciting, it's fun. It also has a darker side that gets explored. Scratch away the surface of kiddiness of this show and you'll see.Why be restrained with only having what's in the book? Apart from spoiling the book it'll never look really good. They've made the story more politically correct by changing one character from male to female and having a main character female mouse so the cast isn't entirely male. But you get by that if you don't think much of that idea.The underlying plot is really gripping as the rabbits find that new life on watership down isn't as safe as it seems. I won't explain in fear of spoiling the show but it's there. As I said in the summary, there's a lack of good quality adventure stories that aren't just very very childish and bad. Maybe that's why Harry Potter is doing so well. This is childish as well, I know. After all it was made for children. It's good but some viewers may be thrown by its at first glance childishness.I miss this kind of show.

orcagurl I don't see why most of the comments are negative. This cartoon actually makes you think and actually has a serious plot. I mean, look at Sponge Bob Square pants! It isn't a show full of nonsense and crap, it's beautifully animated and challenges the little kids watching it to think and try broaden their perspectives on different situations.Sure, it has it's cheesy morals about understanding and friendship and unity, but it has to or it wouldn't be considered quite appropriate for young kids now would it? But it still retains some of the melancholy, beautifully depressing atmosphere Adams gave his masterpiece of a novel.Watership Down's a great show. You should at least watch a few episodes. And the second season, though straying greatly from Adams' novel is still good. More action-packed and a more creative story line, now that Adams' story line is done and they can expand with their own ideas.

Raleon It is still better than nothing, but it may leave fans of the book unsatisfied. It would have been a great idea to turn the movie's adaptation of the novel into a show, and it could have worked, but they have messed around with it too much. Blackberry should not have been turned into a doe. Some say it was to be politically correct. However, this is not politically correct or factually correct. It was an important part of the story that no does had come on the journey, and therefore they needed to go and find some. They could have written the story to have more does. But the bigger problems are with the characterizations. They are more disney like and made to appeal to more to the younger generations, which is the opposite of what the movie did. A significant aspect of the characters is that they are not disney like. and although I am usually opposed to senseless violence, it ruined the story to lighten the violence on this show too. The dialogue is also dumbed down. However, it does give a much more broader look on the story it is based on, and additional stories they made up from the novel. This makes it worth watching. Other than that, let your children read the novel if you want them to experience Watership Down.

G.Spider The famous novel is the latest thing to fall victim to the commercialism industry. Everywhere you look now there is 'Watership Down' merchandising based on this TV series.Re-makes rarely turn out anything as good as the originals, and that's certainly the case here. This series is a product of a modern generation which seems to think that kids can only watch cosily bland stuff - I saw the original film when I was a youngster and I never had nightmares. The voices in this TV series version are variable. A few of the vocalists from the original film return, but most of the voices are just typical 'cute cartoon bunny' voices and many supposedly serious scenes are rendered laughable.Too early-morning-cartoony to be taken seriously, too slow and uneventful to be regarded as comedy. Do yourself a favour and get the original film on video - it's been re-graded from a PG (Parental Guidence) to a U (suitable for all), so even the producers must realise it isn't all that shocking for youngsters.