Often decried for being unsuitable for children (presumably based on the ridiculous notion that animation is purely for children), this is a film that can be appreciated at the right age for not talking down to its audience and presenting some pretty weighty themes. Whilst many project their own adult sensibilities onto how children might react and deem the film inappropriate, for adults of a certain age, however, it is one of those memorable film experiences from childhood that did not leave you mentally scarred, much to the surprise of modern viewers. Rewatching the film as an adult, it is one of those rare occasions that those memories of seeing the film from childhood remain untainted. Rosen deserves a lot of credit for ensuring that both the cruelty and beauty of nature were given equal footing in the film when it would have been so easy to create an animated film about talking rabbits that pandered to the audience. He never shies away from depicting both the sudden, unexpected nature of the violence and the physical and mental consequences of it - it's a cruel world out there and nature is often unforgiving, his characters often bearing the wounds and scars to remind us. In doing so, he immediately endears us to the central characters, with Bigwig and Fiver, in particular standing out. Equally, whilst the violence is presented in a realistic way, Rosen doesn't dwell on it - life goes on and characters move on too. There are haunting images to be sure that the very young should probably avoid - an abstract sequence of rabbits being poisoned and a particularly memorable villain still disturb. But in context they lend the film an edge and a tension that is often missing from animated films. With a stellar voice cast, beautiful artwork and a memorable score (even without the famous "Bright Eyes" sequence), this is a film that reminds people that animation is medium that can work for everyone.
Review by Simon MasseyVIP 11BlockedParent2015-04-11T01:38:30Z
Often decried for being unsuitable for children (presumably based on the ridiculous notion that animation is purely for children), this is a film that can be appreciated at the right age for not talking down to its audience and presenting some pretty weighty themes. Whilst many project their own adult sensibilities onto how children might react and deem the film inappropriate, for adults of a certain age, however, it is one of those memorable film experiences from childhood that did not leave you mentally scarred, much to the surprise of modern viewers. Rewatching the film as an adult, it is one of those rare occasions that those memories of seeing the film from childhood remain untainted. Rosen deserves a lot of credit for ensuring that both the cruelty and beauty of nature were given equal footing in the film when it would have been so easy to create an animated film about talking rabbits that pandered to the audience. He never shies away from depicting both the sudden, unexpected nature of the violence and the physical and mental consequences of it - it's a cruel world out there and nature is often unforgiving, his characters often bearing the wounds and scars to remind us. In doing so, he immediately endears us to the central characters, with Bigwig and Fiver, in particular standing out. Equally, whilst the violence is presented in a realistic way, Rosen doesn't dwell on it - life goes on and characters move on too. There are haunting images to be sure that the very young should probably avoid - an abstract sequence of rabbits being poisoned and a particularly memorable villain still disturb. But in context they lend the film an edge and a tension that is often missing from animated films. With a stellar voice cast, beautiful artwork and a memorable score (even without the famous "Bright Eyes" sequence), this is a film that reminds people that animation is medium that can work for everyone.