Watership Down Miniseries

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I saw that this was out on Netflix, any other Watership Down fans? It's about 3 and a half hours long total, four episodes.
I'm not a hardcore fan, so I can say I really enjoyed this series. I found it was easy to follow (something that I had problems with in the movie for some reason?) and I think the changes serve the story well. The animation is a bit odd, and looks off until you adjust to it. It looks like an early '00s video game, I think because of the fur rendering? I also didn't like how the dog looked at all.
Did anyone else watch it? Any thoughts?

[Gator]

I'm afraid to watch.  The animation I saw in a preview looked bad, a step in the wrong direction from the old movie.  I love the book and its sequel. 

[Taffeta]

It aired on TV here in two main parts on the 22nd and 23rd of December. I haven't watched the full thing yet, it's waiting on my TV box. I watched up to the end of the first part, just about to where Kehaar appears...

Spoiler

So they said it wasn't as dark as the original. I don't think the original is particularly dark, and I think from what I've seen so far this one is more psychologically dark in places. It's what the implications are rather than the actual visual violence.

I don't really like the animation style either but I'll live with it depending how they deal with the rest of the plot.

Big issues with the gender change on Strawberry. I get they want a strong female character or some such (according to the article in Radio Times here) but that ruins the whole reason to risk their lives to go to the farm...so yeah. I'm really not with that, and especially not with the unecessary extra scene with whoever spreading rumours about whoever else in competition for her attention. Not needed, not in the book, not appropriate. Really don't see the point in changing the gender just to insert a bit of patriarchal fighting over the girl dialogue? (Yeah, really not with that).

For me if they don't kill Blackaver that will be progress on the original.

I read the book years ago and  nothing will ever beat the book for me, but I'm not totally hostile to how this has been done from what I've seen so far. Gonna watch the rest before I make a judgement.

Slightly confused about how Kehaar ended up Scottish though. For all Peter Capaldi is a good actor, I am pretty sure he wasn't scottish in the book. And I'm not sure if I like the approach compared with the book in terms of his character...yet. We'll see...

[Mewtwofan1]

     I recently watched the original animated film, and am quite honestly impressed. Sure, it’s a bit more dark than most cartoons for children, but it is an interesting bit of material.
     I haven’t watched the new one yet (I wasn’t even aware there was a remake), but I will give it a shot. I’m not that pleased with the still images of the rabbits I’ve seen so far, but they might look better when animated. I’ll watch sometime, and get back to you on this.

[BlackCurtains]

I don't know much about Watership Down. It just wasn't a part of my childhood but I blame my school I mean, we certainly weren't kept from dark stuff; we read and watched the original Animal Farm in like, second grade (and it's still a favorite).

All the talk is making me interested though, and especially after watching the preview on Netflix. Looks like my kinda thing. So I want to work by order of appearance. Book, original, remake.

I'll chime in later.

(I've hesitated watching it in the past because a lot of animated movies that people on the internet scream "ahh it's the greatest ever!!!" tend to... not be. I remember watching Grave of the Fireflies and not feeling much of anything [aside from anger at the aunt/neighbor/whoever she was] and that probably makes me sound like a horrible person But then, I've always been more emotional when non-human animals are involved.)

[Noasar]

WD superfan here!!

I think the animation was meant to be purposefully naive, but they didn’t quite get it basic enough. I wish they had done it Isle of Dogs style or something.

I was impressed with how much of the book they included and how accurately they stuck to the story. That said it didn’t come close to capturing the subtleties and individual personalities of the rabbits and how they are portrayed in the book, but that’s the benefit of the written word; 600 pages to elaborate and give some of the actions and words more context. I liked the use of so much Lapine language and the brave inclusion of the character name Thethuthinnang. If you’re not familiar with the book some details like that may have been lost on you. 

There were some parts missing and some changes that I didn’t welcome but all in all I think it was a pretty good effort. I liked the voice acting and I got used to the animation. The biggest flaw for me was that some of the rabbits looked more like hares and they have the rabbits pink paw pads like cats! I would have thought the lead animator would have done a bit more research into rabbit anatomy to get basic things like that right.

[Gator]

Taffeta, I agree with you about Blackavar. 

[Leave a Whisper]

Eh. I'm not interested, or insulted. I think the Strawberry thing is dumb too. Though I recall the original movie having a few female rabbits that weren't there as well.

[Beldarna]

Wasn't impressed by the trailer, the animation looks so off.  I'm a huge WD fan, both the book and the movie so I am a bit apprehensive, but it's on my watchlist for New Years Eve.

[SpaceButtPonies]

I just finished the new series, I've sadly never read the book but the movie I watched a lot as a kid.

From the start the animation looks off but like some said you get used to it and it isn't so bad. It's definitely easier to follow than the movie, it kept me entertained from start to finish (then again I'm easily entertained haha). The series is dark like the movie but not as gory. Blood is shown, just subtle.
I'm happy I got to see more of the characters, especially General Woundwort. As a child I never understood his character lol.
Overall I'm happy how it all turned out, I would watch it again

(also there was a TV series???)

[SnorkMaiden]

I recorded it when it was on TV, but I haven't watched it yet. I'd like to think I'm going in with a pretty open mind, as I don't remember the original and never read the book. We shall see whether I enjoy it.

[Noasar]

(also there was a TV series???)

Yes, it’s amazing! Although it doesn’t really stick to the plot of the book. I was obsessed with the tv series as a child!

[Taffeta]

(also there was a TV series???)

Yes, it’s amazing! Although it doesn’t really stick to the plot of the book. I was obsessed with the tv series as a child!

If I remember right, didn't they gender-switch a bunch of rabbits in that as well? I never really saw it when it aired but my sister did watch it a bit I think. I seem to remember Blackberry being a girl for some reason or other? That was enough to put me off pursuing it...unless I'm thinking of a different series or something else.

I was more for Farthing Wood in the TV series line. I've watched a little more of this new one now, still not decided on what I think about it overall yet. Still annoyed about Strawberry though.

Farthing Wood's animated adaptations changed the genders of several key characters (Owl, Kestrel, Adder to name but three) and that never really bothered me, but I think what bothers me about Strawberry is that it's been done without any thought to the wider plot. In FW it doesn't really matter if Owl, Kestrel or Adder are female except that Kestrel's colouring then becomes impossible...but in WD the lack of does is critical to the plot...

[bright rabbit 1]

(also there was a TV series???)

Yes, it’s amazing! Although it doesn’t really stick to the plot of the book. I was obsessed with the tv series as a child!

If I remember right, didn't they gender-switch a bunch of rabbits in that as well? I never really saw it when it aired but my sister did watch it a bit I think. I seem to remember Blackberry being a girl for some reason or other? That was enough to put me off pursuing it...unless I'm thinking of a different series or something else.

I was more for Farthing Wood in the TV series line. I've watched a little more of this new one now, still not decided on what I think about it overall yet. Still annoyed about Strawberry though.

Farthing Wood's animated adaptations changed the genders of several key characters (Owl, Kestrel, Adder to name but three) and that never really bothered me, but I think what bothers me about Strawberry is that it's been done without any thought to the wider plot. In FW it doesn't really matter if Owl, Kestrel or Adder are female except that Kestrel's colouring then becomes impossible...but in WD the lack of does is critical to the plot...

Yes Blackberry was a girl in the tv series the only down point of the tv series is that season three he animation changed and it became darker than the original movie (season three of the tv series traumatised me).

How they marked the rabbits in the mini series was freaky, plus the rabbit who did it reminds me of a rabbit in the tv series. (I hope I can find pictures of the two to show how they look eerily similar.

As for the dog it was changed in the tv series, the original dog is my favourite one.

I couldn’t understand Keehar one bit in the miniseries (I’m not good with strong Scottish accents take Brave for example), original and tv series Keehar I can understand perfectly.

[Einhornbaby]

Hm...
Im a fan of the book and the animated film from back then, thats for sure. I saw the trailer and top be honest, I didnt really like the animation. I did not watch the series yet but I will do later this weekend