Fantasy is in style right now. "Narnia" fans are jonesing for the sequel next May (did you see that trailer?). "Harry Potter" can't be stopped. The "Lord of the Rings" franchise earned and deserved all its awards, and "The Hobbit" is a fierce issue on every film forum on the Web. All are popular by economic demand, but often passable and forgettable by design.

The problem with fantasy is that it's difficult to film. Who doesn't think 1988's "Willow" is a little hilarious? For the level-headed filmgoer, magic is kids' stuff without the right execution. It takes great deal to buy into witches, wizards and faraway places outside the norm. Sure, teen magic and epic journeys are familiar and affecting as an extension of the usual tropes. But anthropomorphized, battling polar bears? That's just crazy.

So how has the classic "Watership Down" lasted so long? An animated film starring talking rabbits making a journey to greener pastures and battling adversity along the way doesn't suffer from trendiness. "Watership" is fantasy to its core. But its longevity is what makes it so great, one of the finest works of fantasy ever committed to film. Surprisingly dark and frank, it's a simple story about survival and working through a predicament looked down upon by the entire world.

The best part is that it isn't really for kids.

Rabbits are irritable and overpopulated, often despised and considered over-eaters, and almost all wild animals prey on them. This is the motivation of Fiver, Hazel and Bigwig. The English countryside is a dangerous place. Brutal hawks, cats and dogs rule. Food is scarce. The rabbits have an urgent need to leave.

What would seem like a Homeric parable becomes unique for its earnestness in content. Animation is usually considered a child's medium. Rabbits are a nuisance, and that's hard to get over. But they become so humanized in "Watership" that we feel the struggle. This is great, simple drama, punctuated by the blunt themes of life and death.

If you're worried about candy-ass critters singing about the sun coming out, fear not. These rabbits bleed. And they fight - a lot. If ever there was a film that could scare little children once blindly assuming Disney merriment, this film did it. Unique for its harsh content, "Watership Down" has become notorious for its violence married to themes of religion, politics and military struggle. Astute and more intelligent than most animated films, you forget you're watching sweet little rabbits.

The very humanization of these animals is unique. Dense in understanding of the real world but wholly human in their desire and survival, these transcend typical fare to become a powerful reminder of what we must do to survive. Watch when Bigwig fights with the evil generals and savage rabbits. We feel for his struggle since he's clearly working to save his own life. Fighting tooth and nail, the scratches inflict a great deal of damage.

You'll never see that in a mainstream animation flick. Haggard and tired, the brutality of "Watership" is stunning. If you're not convinced, just YouTube a couple clips and you'll immediately wonder how the film can be. You want to think happy thoughts, but they fade as you realize the true nature of wild animals.