Watership Down (1978, dir. Martin Rosen)

Animated films have become so visually-dazzling in recent years, one like "Watership Down" may not seem as spectacular.  Based on a novel, the film depicts the plight of a group of rabbits who are forced to leave their endangered field in search of a newer, better home.

Although it is animated, it is not designated strictly for children.  In fact, some of the violence in it may be disturbing to some youngsters.  Adults will enjoy this film just as much as children.  The drawings, in comparison to recent films from Pixar, for example, may seem subpar.  But, when you grow accustomed to the simple drawings and animation, you will be drawn in and won-over by the film's beauty.

There is a microcosm and commentary on society beneath the film's exterior.  It is perhaps, in depicting rabbits and other animals a way of showing the need for co-operation, resilience and the transience of life.

"Watership Down" may be lost and overlooked in the onslaught of higher-concept, CGI-infused animation that have come forward since its release in 1978, but it should not be forgotten.  It is a melancholy film but it overcomes its sadness with bursts of compassion and insight into nature.