Cinema: Bunny Business

WATERSHIP DOWN Directed and Written by Martin Rosen

Readers for whom Watership Down is a cult object will doubtless find the animated screen version of Richard Adams' tale lacking in those metaphorical, humanistic overtones and undertones that made this novel about a warren of freedom-loving bunny rabbits a bestseller. The film treats the story as a straightforward adventure, full of, shall we say, harebreadth escapes and ear-chomping fights. But given the care with which the animation has been accomplished, the good flashes of wit in the script and the brisk pace of the direction,...