Combining whodunnit, film noir, and slapstick humor, Who Framed Roger Rabbit seamlessly blends animated and live-action characters and settings to create a hybrid masterpiece. It follows washed-up, toon-hating private detective Eddie Valiant as he is roped into investigating cartoon character Roger Rabbit, who is wanted for murder in 1940s Los Angeles. As he delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of corruption and deception that he must unravel to clear Roger's name.
Like with The Maltese Falcon, I've seen this movie a dozen times, but I'm always surprised by the ending. The performances by Christopher Lloyd and (especially) Bob Hoskins are spot on throughout, providing grounding to balance out the giddiness and always-on quality of the toon characters. That being said, it's amazing how authentic and real every character, ink or flesh, feels.
This would have been a very easy movie to get wrong, to be either over- or under-invested in, to be overly lazy or overly detailed with, but the creators got this one just right. No notes.
What makes Who Framed Roger Rabbit significant?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is groundbreaking in its animation techniques. While techniques like CGI were extant at the time of the film's post-production, the technology was simply too underdeveloped then to handle Roger Rabbit. The filmmakers instead used traditional cels and optical compositing (which allows filmmakers to re-shoot new imagery over already-recorded filmstrips). Not only was this process laborious (especially by today's standards), but it was extremely expensive.
The proof, however, is on the screen. The toon characters in the live-action world, the live-action characters in the toon world, all the characters interacting with one another: there's only one word for it, and the word is seamless.
It's kind of incredible that the modern film industry, with all its advanced technology, so often fails at the fundamental task of making it look like live-action characters are actually looking into the eyes of their animated co-stars (*cough* Alvin and the Chipmunks *cough cough*). We had this right in 1988 with comparatively limited technology; how did it go so wrong?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit won four Oscars for its accomplishments: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, and a Special Achievement award for the animation. Not only that, but it helped lay the foundation for the Disney renaissance, which is often credited as beginning with The Little Mermaid. But Ariel owes a debt of gratitude to Roger, as does every Disney animated film since this one.
My favorite moments in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
- Jessica Rabbit singing at the Ink and Paint Club. Jessica's physical closeness to many of the human characters, including Eddie, really shows off the depth of the animation. The filmmakers used a variety of methods to hold the space of the animated characters that would be composited later, including mimes, puppets, and even robotic arms. Intense in time, labor, and cost? Absolutely. Worth it? Absolutely.
- Eddie's climactic battle with Judge Doom. The effects and animation in this scene are off the charts (I see you, portable hole), and Christopher Lloyd and Bob Hoskins are both at the top of their game. I think Bob Hoskins did his own stunts for this movie, and he pulls off some spectacular moves.
In conclusion
This has been a favorite of mine since I was in middle school. I insisted on reading the book it was based on (Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf) first, and I think that was a mistake. The film is so different as to almost be a different entity, so my expectations going in were skewed. Fortunately, Who Framed Roger Rabbit acquitted itself with flying colors. As of this writing, it's available to stream on Disney+ or to rent on YouTube, and I strongly recommend that you check it out, especially if you're an animation lover like me.
Post a Comment