Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Touchstone Pictures
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd, Kathleen Turner

Who would have ever thought that Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse would ever have appeared together on screen? Or for that matter, how about Goofy, Woody Woodpecker, and Betty Boop all together for the first and only time? Who Framed Roger Rabbit uses a mixture of live action and classic animation to bring this highly amusing and original tale to life, using cartoon characters from various studios.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is set in a world where “toons” are real and live in “Toon Town.” They can interact with humans, and go into the real world. Detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is hired to take a case involving prankster Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) who is believed to have killed the owner of Toon Town, Marvin Acme, after he was found to be playing patty-cake with Roger’s beautiful wife, Jessica Rabbit (voice of Kathleen Turner). Roger has been set up, and it’s up to Valiant to save him from Judge Doom, who wants to kill all the toons. After Acme’s death, Roger and Jessica try to find his will and save Toon Town from being “erased” by Doom.

Though it’s not unique to blend live-action and animation together, Roger Rabbit is unique because of how much it is used. There has never been a film that uses this much mixture, or this much interaction between humans and cartoon characters. It is also pays homage to the film noir movement, with its hard-nosed detective, femme fatale, and corrupted system. Roger Rabbit is a good example of this traditional movement with references to Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon. The story keeps you guessing as to who is the true villain that set up Roger Rabbit with several plot twists, that make this a true film noir.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a fun popcorn flick that will keep children and adults entertained. The film does feature several adult references and sexual innuendos, all set in a children’s world, making this film not for young children because of the dark tone and themes. The animation is beautiful and the characters interact wonderfully with the actors. Roger Rabbit is plain fun, with a message of hold onto your imagination, because once it’s gone, you cannot get it back. The film reminds adults of a time when they had an imagination filled with these childhood characters. It’s fitting that the story is set in the 1940s in classic Hollywood when producers and screenwriters had a larger imagination and did not just rehash the same material. Who Framed Roger Rabbit helps us relive our childhoods with an adult twist. As the audience members grows older and move into the real world, it’s nice to see the characters grow with us, becoming more mature as we have now become. It’s nice to grow up, but it is magical to look back on our childhood and see what excited us, and what characters we admired.

Rating: A-


February 28, 2010