Watership Down is a novel that fills with warm fuzzy memories. I first read the book back when I was an impressionable youngster, and while I may not remember all the specific details about the book, I do remember how much they managed to make me care about a band of rabbits in search of a new home.
Of course, the novel is full of important themes and allegories, and it’s for that reason that it’s stood the test of time and risen above being just a simple story about animals. The novel was adapted into an animated film in 1978, and while I don’t think it really captured the spirit of the novel, I know there are plenty of people who enjoyed it for what it was.
But now, the story is due for an overhaul, and the folks over at BBC are responsible for it. I am sad to say…the results are more than a little disappointing. The miniseries cast is full of big names like James McAvoy, John Boyega, and Ben Kingsley, but part of me wonders if a good chunk of that casting budget would have been better suited to the animation department, because, man does it look bad.
While we get the idea of what’s supposed to be happening on screen — and the events playing out on screen could potentially be engaging in some way, it’s really hard to take it seriously when it looks more like a PS2 game than an actual show. But will the story manage to make up for this epic shortcoming? I hope so.
Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.
SOURCE: BBC