The decently drawn cartoon version of Richard Adams's best-seller recalls Walt Disney's early features in its meticulous mimicking of real-life animal models. It always stays stricter to naturalism than Disney ever did, but if it doesn't venture far beyond naked-eye observation into mind's-eye imagination, it also doesn't descend very deep into cute caricature. Like Disney, too, it has a sense of hot-blooded melodrama, although the timing of its hare's-breadth escapes and rescues is occasionally too hurried, due to some labor-saving and penny-saving shortcuts in the arduous animation process. This superior kiddie movie is probably the most metaphysically sophisticated animal story yet to reach the screen, but none among its quick and cunning animated rabbits is fit to challenge Bugs as the screen's premier bunny. Written, produced, and directed by Martin Rosen. (1978) — Duncan Shepherd
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