Perfect Execution of Live Action and Animation!!!

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2012)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 film released by Disney affiliate Touchstone Pictures combining the use of animation and live-action. The film stars Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd ("Back to the Future Trilogy"), and Joanna Cassidy as the human actors and the films cartoon characters are Saturday morning favorites that are some of the most popular cartoon characters of all-time like Looney Toons favorites Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Yosemite Sam; Disney favorites Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pinocchio, and Dumbo; Tex Avery classics like Augie Doggie and Woody Woodpecker; and the black-and-white favorite Betty Boop. The plot is very well executed as it is set in 1947 Hollywood during the time that is regarded as the "Golden Age of Animation." When Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), the main character of the story, is shown pictures of his wife Jessica Rabbit playing "patty-cake" with Marvin Acme, owner of Acme cartoons, Acme is murdered and Roger becomes the prime suspect, thus bringing in reluctant private-eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) to investigate the mysterious murder. While investigating the murder, he runs into the evil Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) and his wisecracking laughing weasel henchman, who are most likely to be the culprits behind the murder. Then, Valiant soon interrogates R.K. Maroon, owner of rival company Maroon Cartoons and he confesses that he blackmailed Jessica into doing what she did with Acme because Maroon wanted to sell his studio to Cloverleaf but then soon after telling the truth, he is mysteriously murdered as well, leading Valiant into Toontown, where he comes under the impression that Jessica is the suspect when he thinks she is trying to shoot him, but she was trying to shoot Judge Doom instead, who is the real mastermind behind the mysterious murders of Acme and Maroon because he wants to take over Toontown. This movie, at the time of its release, was regarded as a film that regained interest in the art of animation and sparked the beginning of the Disney Renaissance. While Disney oversaw much of the film, this film was released under the Touchstone banner mainly because of the numerous innuendos in the film and the amount of language there is in here thus giving it a PG rating (although nowadays there's things in this movie that were considered PG then in 1988 that are considered PG-13 in 2012). All that aside, I grew up enjoying this movie and it is the definition of a classic in every way: amazing plot, great characters, and a great music score by Alan Silvestri that fits the film perfectly. If you have not seen this classic piece of American film yet; what are you waiting for? Watch it when it comes on TV again (it usually airs on Cartoon Network) or rent the movie! It's coming out on DVD/Blu-Ray to honor the 25th Anniversary of the movie next year so if you like it enough, buy it!!! Be sure to watch with your kids though as this is not your normal "family movie" like "The Lion King" or "Aladdin." Jessica Rabbit is quite the revealing cartoon character in dress style and Baby Herman looks like a two-year old, but acts like a fifty-year old and has the mouth and characteristics of one as he smoke cigarettes and swears. Still one of the more enjoyable films to watch with the family compared to some films being released today. Rating: 10/10!!!