Who Framed Roger Rabbit

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I was 10 when "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" came out and it is just as much fun to watch now, maybe funnier because I missed some of the humor back then. Roger's a riot and his wife, Jessica Rabbit ("I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way"), is truly a toon vixen. Bob Hoskin's Eddie Valiant is sent to find out the truth when the owner of Toon Town is murdered after playing patty-cake (literally) with Jessica. Everyone assumes a jealous Roger did it and that washed-up detective Eddie can't hack it anymore. There is lots of subtle humor, like when Eddie asks for a scotch on the rocks in a 'toon bar and instead of ice he gets actual rocks. Eddie seriously hates Toon Town because his brother had a piano dropped on his head, but he eventually becomes pals with Roger, overcomes his hatred of Toon Town and clears Roger's name. Christopher Lloyd's Judge Doom is perfectly creepy and his squad of weasels are funny as they try to stop Eddie and Roger from discovering the truth.

The interaction between the live actors and the toons is seamless, probably why the movie won four Oscars. The behind the scenes features and commentaries are great, the entire 2-disc set is incredibly well-thought out and packaged, making it a must-have for the fan.

Here is the story. Someone has killed Marvin Acme, owner of ToonTown and Roger takes the heat for it. Of course he was framed but by who and why? Roger seeks the help of Eddie Valiant, a once prominant detective that fell into hard times after his brother was killed by a toon. Thus was his reluctance to help Roger since he was a toon. But he does help Roger, and he must get to the bottom of the mystery before Judge Doom finds and kills Roger by "dipping him". Eddie feels sorry for the rabbit so he investigates before it is too late, and along the way he discovers more and more about why Acme was killed and that ToonTown itself is in danger. Oh yeah, and Roger was the perfect one to frame because his wife Jessica Rabbit had been seen meeting with Acme before he died. So most people probably know the plot already, but if not it is highly original and entertaining.

This masterpiece couldn't get any better treatment than this, a fully loaded 2 disc set sporting both a family-friendly version on disc 1 and enthusiast version on disc 2. There are so many extras that it will take you a long time to see everything. I admittedly have just begun to see the treasures contained within. But it is obvious that the utmost care was taken to give this the fair dvd treatment it deserved--mission accomplished. This is probably my third favorite movie of all-time, and is without a doubt the best mix of live action and animation. So many great characters appear in this movie such as Bugs and Daffy in the scene where Eddie is falling and they hand him an anvil instead of a 'chute. It is sheer movie magic, and something I could watch all the time and never get tired of seeing it. Director Zimeckis has done a remarkable job with this film, and we also great great performances from Bob Hoskins (Eddie Valiant), Christopher Lloyd (Judge doom) and pretty much everyone else appearing in the film with the addition of the voices of Roger and Jessica who were terrific. To me this is a perfect movie so if you havent seen it before rent it, and if you like it then buy it. If you are a fan then you must own this dvd. It is truly a great thing and this dvd set presents it in all of its glory, the way it should be done.

Based on the novel WHO CENSORED ROGER RABBIT? by Gary K. Wolf, the script by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman appropriately replaces Wolf's comic-book and newspaper-strip cartoons with more cinematic animated cartoon characters, but it retains the novel's satiric sociological subtext. The film is set in an alternate-universe Hollywood of the 1940s where cartoon characters (colloquially referred to as "toons") live and breathe and interact with flesh-and-blood humans. The toons are the social minority, and as with the minorities of the real-world U.S.A. during the early 20th century, they are given employment only as menial service workers or as entertainers, and for housing they are relegated to a Harlem-like ghetto (known in the film as Toontown).

The story itself follows hard-boiled gumshoe Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he tries to uncover evidence that will exonerate zany toon Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) of a murder rap. Roger became the #1 suspect in the recent murder of Marvin Acme after it was discovered that the famous and wealthy gag-prop mogul had been rendezvousing secretly with Roger's sexy wife, Jessica Rabbit (voiced by an uncredited Kathleen Turner), and playing patty-cake with her. Though Valiant once vowed never to work for a toon again after one murdered his brother, the cynical ol' sleuth turns out to be a bit sentimental and, feeling sorry for the funny bunny, takes Roger's case anyway. But as the gushy gumshoe snoops for clues, he learns that there is more to Acme's murder than just a ploy to frame Roger; he uncovers a conspiracy that could lead to the demise of Toontown and its inhabitants!

Alternately hilarious and suspenseful, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is replete with the kinds of throwaway gags, inside jokes, and one-liners that audiences would expect to see in an old-time cartoon short, while at the same time it unfolds into an intelligent who-done-it mystery worthy of Bogart's Sam Spade. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT represents the apex of 20th century filmmaking, but it is also wholesome family entertainment that offers something for kiddos and adults alike. This one will still be enjoyed by audiences of all ages long after it becomes an icon in the history books.

As mentioned before, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT offers the most convincing mix of live-action performers and hand-drawn animation ever put to celluloid. While this is certainly due in part to the awesome skill and artistry with which the animators have inserted the cartoon characters, excellent performances from the "live" cast members--particularly Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd--also help to sell the illusion of realism. Instead of cartoonishly overacting, overREacting, or pushing their performances too far over the top, the actors adopt a natural, matter-of-fact posture towards the cartoons, and this makes the audience believe that the human characters interact with animated critters on a daily basis.

The two-disc "Vista Series" DVD set from Disney Home Video is the definitive home-theater edition of the wonderful film. Not only does it offer a pristine restored & remastered anamorphic widescreen transfer of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (by the way, there's also a pan-and-scan version), there are tons of interesting and fun bonus features. These include a really entertaining feature commentary with director Zemeckis, the screenwriters, and other crew members; a making-of featurette; three Roger Rabbit cartoon shorts that played in theaters before OTHER films (just like in the old days, folks); a deleted scene; and lots more!

The DVD collection of any serious film enthusiast will certainly contain a copy of this "cartoon noir" fantasy. This is a must-own DVD of a must-own film!

The only complaint that I could register would be in the first disc's compilation of the three theatrical Roger Rabbit "shorts". Viewing them back to back reveals their shortcomings. While it is obvious that Zemeckis and company were paying homage to the great Tex Avery 'toons of the thirties, forties, and fifties, these newer films lacked Avery's brilliant over-the-top "bite." Avery had a lunacy unlike any other director of animated films and he couldn't be imitated.

I know Avery and Zemeckis is no Avery.

• Genres > Comedy
• Genres > Kids & Family > Adapted from Books
• Genres > Kids & Family
• Genres > Animation

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