nothing special for me

Rating: 5/10 (19 November 2007)

I never liked the movie when it came out, so please don't be surprised or disappointed if I don't have a lot to say about it this time around either. I watched it again even though I have a longstanding dislike of Robert Zemeckis' movies just because I enjoy Bob Hoskins and I like the idea behind the movie of mixing animation and live action in a period story. I thought maybe it would have aged well and that I might enjoy it more this time. So anyway rather than belabor the point let me just list a few of the things I liked and disliked and leave it at that. Start with the bad news, eh? I disliked Christopher Lloyd as the villain in fact I always dislike Lloyd when he plays a villain. Who keeps casting him this way? He's not scary and it robs him of the chance to be funny. Probably Zemeckis just wanted him in the movie because he was so popular in "Back 2 the Future." Sorry to Charles Fleischer because I've heard he's a great guy, but I have never cared for his voice work as Roger in this movie and basically the animation doesn't blow me away either. I never understood why they had a rabbit in this movie instead of making up a more original animation because it always felt like a retread of Bugs Bunny to me.
There's not much of a plot or a mystery here either, considering how much screen time was devoted to it.
OK, I do like some of the cameos by classic animated stars from "Bugs" to Betty Boop. I liked when Hoskins first rode into Toontown, or maybe it was the second time, and was greeted by all the smiling animals and the smiling sun. Very strange. Bob Hoskins was fine in the role. Joanna Cassidy is a favorite of mine, with some of the most gorgeous shoulders ever seen on the silver screen and a great personality to match. Sad to report though in this film she doesn't really get to do anything memorable.
It's probably more to fun to watch for people who are more into classic animation than I am. Basically I've just always felt that it's a gimmicky film and that it really doesn't have much heart and soul.