Who Framed Roger Rabbit

A 1988 release by The Walt Disney Company


“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is a classic in every since of the word; truly a landmark film and a technological masterpiece.  Based on the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit (in which Roger Rabbit dies at the end) published in 1981, this movie is extraordinary just by the fact that Disney was able to collaborate with Warner Brothers and Hanna Barbera.  Although the film is about cartoons (“toons”) and humans interacting in their different worlds, this is an adult film (definitely not for small children due to language, and the themes of sex, violence and death).  It helps if you are in a childlike mood to really appreciate this zany, fast-paced entertaining film.

Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) is an original creation, like Bugs Bunny and Brer Rabbit.  He is the leading cartoon star for Maroon Cartoons.  In the opening of the movie a cartoon episode is being “filmed” which shows off Roger Rabbits hyper kinetic acting ability - it is hilarious.  From there the storyline begins to unfold and takes on the flavor of a 1940’s detective movie.  In fact, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is set in Los Angeles in 1947 with the atmosphere similar to that found in the movie “Chinatown”.

Roger Rabbit’s red-headed wife, Jessica Rabbit, is the sexiest cartoon character to ever hit the big screen (and her voice, done by Kathleen Turner, matches her physical looks in sexiness), much more than Betty Boop (who also has a short scene in theWho Framed Roger Rabbit movie).  Every man and male toon fantasizes about having Jessica, but she has married Roger Rabbit because he genuinely loves her for herself.  As Jessica says, “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way”.

Roger Rabbit keeps messing up his lines because he is so in love with his wife.  So the head of Maroon Cartoons, R.K. Maroon (Alan Tilvern) hires detective Eddie Valiant (brilliantly portrayed by Bob Hoskins) who hates toons because one of them killed his brother and partner, Theodore, by dropping a piano on his head and leaving Eddie for dead.  But Valiant, who has become an alcoholic, needs the money so agrees to the job.  Valiant takes pictures of Jessica Rabbit and Marvin Acme secretly playing a game of patty cake.  Marvin Acme is the owner of Acme Gag Factory (where Wiley C. Coyote buys all his stuff to try and stop the Roadrunner) and the head of Toontown.  Maroon hopes the pictures will cause Roger Rabbit to stop messing up his lines.  When Roger sees the pictures he flies into a jealous tizzy.  

The next day Acme is killed, and Roger Rabbit is the prime suspect.  The power-hungry judge of Toontown, Judge Doom (played masterly by Christopher Lloyd), wants to destroy Roger with his new invention “dip” (turpentine, acetone, and benzene) which is part of his plan to destroy all of Toontown to make way for a freeway.  Detective Valiant smells a rat, so when Roger comes to him for help and a place to hide, he agrees.  Valiant’s gal pal, Dolores (Joanna Cassidy) helps out.

Detective Valiant inevitably has to go into Toontown which culminates in the evil Judge Doom being killed by his own invention, and Toontown and our heroes being saWho Framed Roger Rabbitved.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was directed by Robert Zemeckis, who also directed “Back To The Future” and “Forrest Gump” among others.  It won four Academy Awards  for Editing, Sound Effects, Visual Effects, and Special Achievement (this is before the

 

advent of such technologies as CGI).  The way the toons interact with humans and with the props in the movie is amazing.  In one scene Valiant is hiding Roger Rabbit in the sink water as he is washing the dishes and Roger has to keep coming up for air.  In another Jessica Rabbit pinches Detective Valiant’s cheek.

Another great aspect of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is all the cameos by our favorite cartoon characters.  In one scene Donald Duck and Daffy Duck are dueling it out on pianos.  You get to see Dumbo, Yosemite Sam, Droopy, Woody Woodpecker, Mighty Mouse, Jose of “The Three Cabelleros”, and the hippo from “Fantasia”.  Mel Blanc, the famous voice behind Looney Tunes characters, does some of his last performances in this film.  All these favorites put in an appearance at the grand finale.

If you have never seen “Who Framed Roger Rabbit“, be sure to get the DVD copy.  It is a two disc set full of bonus features, plus the picture and sound quality has been remastered.  And if you did see this film back in the 1980’s, it’s probably time to have a few more good laughs by seeing it again.  Too bad there was never a sequel.