Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Poster credit filmsite.com
Who Framed Roger Rabbit doesn't have a question mark at the end, because it's supossed to be bad luck. And that's what you'll have if you don't see this film.

Private dick Eddie Valient (Bob Hoskins) works in a Hollywood-esqe place, nex to "Toon Town", where cartoons live. His brother was killed by a toon, and Eddie never found out who did it. So he hasn't gone near Toon Town since. But when he takes pictures for R.K. Maroon (Alan Tilvern), owner of Maroon Cartoons, where Roger Rabbit works, of Roger's wife Jessica (an uncredited Kathleen Turner) playing patty-cake with rival cartoon maker Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). Soon Acme is dead, and everyone thinks Roger did it. But only Eddie knows the truth.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a landmark film, put simply. The combination of live-action and animation is perfect; sometimes you don't even know that the toons aren't real! When sparks fly, you see the punches hit the animated guys; it's a perfect set. Most of the time, animated films don't get nominated for any Oscars. Who Framed Roge Rabbit got three and an honorary one.

But be warned, this is not really a kid's film. Sure, it's got Roger Rabbit, Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse, and everyone else from the WB and Disney shows, but its plot is so intricate, the kiddos will just be waiting for the next character. Keep in mind, a lot of the time there is a cartoon character in screen, and there is a visit to Toon Town, but they won't be able to follow the plot (I'm still not sure if I get it!).

The characters are well-developed, even if they are intoduced only for this movie and are "unknowns". Hoskins is very good as drunk Valient, his ability to interact with "other actors" is pretty good (or scary, take your pick). Christopher Lloyd, one of my favorite actors, is great as Judge Doom. Try comparing him to himself in 1985 in Back to the Future. See a giant difference? I do, at least.

To sum it all up, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a marvelous achievement of animation blended with reality with terrific performances with lots of humor spreaded into it to make a fine, healthy picture that gets better every time you see it.

Rated PG for some language, cartoon violence, and hard-to-follow plot

Review Date: October 13, 2002