Who Framed Roger Rabbit Review

Director: Robert Zemeckis: (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) and Richard Williams (animation)
Screenplay: Jeffery Price and Peter S. Seaman (Wild Wild West, Shrek the Third)
Producer: Steven Speilberg (A living legend) and Frank Marshall (Indiana Jones Film series, The Sixth Sense)
Starring: Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa, Hook), Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Taxi), and Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner)
Gross Revenue: $329,803,958
Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 98%
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Awards: Won Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, Best Editing, and a Special Achievement Award for Richard Williams
     It may be hard to believe for moviegoers of today, but during a time of the late 80's, animation was considered a "dead" or "dying" art form.  Disney, the company that practically invented the market for feature animation, had produced a string of mediocre films that had been outgrossed by rival animation studios.  Who Framed Roger Rabbit was seen by Disney as an attempt to revive animation and make it profitable again.  Massively over-budget and very close to being shut down, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a smashing success. By combining groundbreaking special effects with an entertaining original story, Who Framed Roger Rabbit enchanted critics and audiences alike, and is still held in high regard to this day.
     Who Framed Roger Rabbit takes place in an alternate 1947 Hollywood, where humans and "Toons" live side by side in the real world.  Toons act out in "cartoons" the same way that movie stars act in regular movies, and there are few Toons as successful as Roger Rabbit.  After the body of jokester and owner of Toontown Marvin Acme is discovered, Roger is framed for his murder.  Roger calls upon Valiant, a private investigator who specializes in helping Toons, to discover the true murderer.  Valiant, however, no longer helps Toons due to the death of his brother and partner at the hands of a Toon.  The two form an unlikely duo as they set out to discover the truth behind his murder, which they soon realize is at the center of an even bigger conspiracy.

    The film succeeds largely due to its amazing and impressive special effects.  The filmmakers came up with an ingenious way to combine traditionally animated cartoon characters with flesh and blood actors and real environments.  Their interaction is seamless, and the film is worth watching just to see these effects.  In a time before computers and digital animation, filmmakers had to rely on "practical effects" to tell their stories.  Though they are sometimes not as believable as their CGI counterparts, it works perfectly hear, and it is amazing how realistic the effects are.  Whether a cartoon is touching a living actor, a cartoon smashes through a wall, or even as subtle as a cartoon slapping the water to make a splash, no detail is too insignificant for these filmmakers.

     What makes these effects even more wondrous is their subtlety; they are never flashy or showy.  Many blockbuster films today are that are heralded by their special effects often make their effects the focal point of the movie.  Instead of placing their importance on characters and story, they place it on making their effects are realistic as possible.  That is never the case here, and the effects never take precedence over the characters and story.  The animation of all the cartoons is truly masterful, and is among the best Disney has ever produced.

     While the story is relatively simple and a tad dated, what truly sets the film apart is the characters.  All the cartoon characters are not treated as creations or drawings, but as living creatures with thoughts, feelings and desires, especially Roger.  Roger is the star of this film, and is one of the most fully realized animated characters of all time.  Everyone else in the film is just reacting to this energetic and overbearing but lovable rabbit, and his performance is the emotional centerpiece of the film.  One of the best parts about this movie is seeing all the "cameos" from various cartoon characters from different companies.  Donald Duck, Betty Boop, Yosimite Sam, even Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse appear in this film, which make it all the more amazing because they are all from different companies.  This is one of the only, if not the only, times in film history that such a variety of cartoon characters from a host of different parent companies appear together in the same film, making this film a treasure for the ages.

     The film is a bit cheesy now and the story is a tad dated and simple, but the film is still great fun.  It is one of the true family films that are equally enjoyable by children and adults.  It is hilarious, fun, and features such a host of endearing characters it is no wonder that the film has become a modern classic.  Since the filmmakers place precedence on the story and characters instead of the special effects, the film has stood the test of time and will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.  By combining groundbreaking special effects that serve an entertaining original story with a plethora of endearing characters, Who Framed Roger Rabbit will continue to be revered as a family classic and an example of masterful filmmaking.  4/5.
"Just like a Toon to drop a safe on a guy's head"