Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Starring Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, Charles Fleischer

Directed by Robert Zemeckis 

The Story:
In 1947 Los Angeles, humans and cartoons live side-by-side, and the biggest star in the toon world is Roger Rabbit, a lovable if not slightly dumb rabbit who somehow married the beautiful and sensual Jessica Rabbit.  Lately, Roger hasn't been performing to his capability, so private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is hired to investigate Roger's wife and find proof that she was cheating on him, despite Eddie's misgivings in helping toons after his brother was killed by a toon.

Eddie finds evidence that Jessica is in fact cheating, which sends Roger over the edge, and the next morning the man Eddie found Jessica with is found murdered, with Roger the prime suspect.  Roger claims his innocence to Eddie, and he agrees to help Roger find the real culprit, which leads both of them into a dangerous web of deceit, murder, and violence.

The Synopsis:
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is a rare film: it's one that will never be duplicated, never be replicated, and no other film will ever reach the greatness it did.  This is due to the fact that the film was ahead of its time, a visual marvel that seamlessly blended live action and animation in a way that was never done before, and has never been achieved since (at least in its length and dutiful diligence on behalf of the behind-the-scenes artists).  It's a film that is mysterious in its target audience - is it for kids, adults, or both?  While the film has some very adult themes (such as murder, and the sexual appearance of Jessica Rabbit), there's aspects of the film that appeal to children, especially the famous toons that make cameos (like Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Donald Duck).  While adults will get a different message out of it, kids will be awed seeing real life humans interacting with cartoon characters like it's no big deal.

Robert Zemeckis directs a film that is a blast from the past, a film-noir, a gritty crime drama, and somehow blankets all that in its ability to blend the real world and animated world together.  The film garnered praise from critics during the time, and even earned a Special Achievement Award at the Academy Awards.  On screen, we witness a thrilling crime caper where nothing is as it seems, but it's what happened behind the scenes that make the film a one-of-its-kind spectacle, especially considering the usage of computer animation nowadays.

Careful, painstaking precision was needed to make the cartoons look as real as possible, and to that end they didn't shy away from doing the most complicated things.  Instead of a static camera, they would film the live action actors acting against nothing, then go back and hand-draw the animations frame-by-frame, giving them a three-dimensional life that could've looked two-dimensional if not done right.  The result is seeing the cartoons acting alongside the live action stars in seamless fashion, as they cast their own shadows, grab the live action stars, and interact with the real-life props as any other actor would.  Visually, it's marvelous, and shows the true love for the craft.

Bob Hoskins had the most difficult job in acting next to an imaginary entity, while also portraying a performance that didn't come off cartoony (despite the cartoonish nature of the film) but instead deeply flawed and emotional.  He doesn't want to help the toons because one killed his brother, and he's resorted to alcohol to take the pain away.  Yet he's a man of his job, and assists Roger in proving his innocence even at the cost of his own life.  He is able to piece the puzzle together and deduce the real culprit, all the while learning to forgive the toons and also himself.

Along with Hoskins, the toons themselves are more than just one dimension.  Roger is goofy and foolhardy, but also sweet and generous, especially toward his wife.  Jessica Rabbit seems like just a pin-up girl, but she's also headstrong and intelligent.  Then there's the supporting toons, many of whom are well-known.  "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is the only time two dueling companies allowed their beloved characters in the same film, but both demanded equal screen time.  So when you see Mickey Mouse, you also see Bugs Bunny; when you see Donald Duck, you also see Daffy Duck (especially in a hilarious piano duel the two go through).  It's amazing to see these two beloved childhood titans together on the same screen at the same time, and only adds to the magic the film delivers.

The Summary:
Far ahead of its time, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is a film that will never again be duplicated, due to the painstaking work behind the scenes that blended the animation with live action in a way that's seamless and natural, delivering a film that's unique, unparalleled, and unequaled.

The Score: A+