The looniest Toon of the 80s

Rating: 10/10 (18 April 2006)

I'll never forget the first time I saw Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I was 6 years old. And so excited when I put the tape in the video-recorder. I knew about the way cartoons and flesh and blood people interacted with each other in this film, but I was completely unprepared for the experience I was to have.
In one of the most ingenious openings for a film, it begins with a cartoon starring Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman. I actually believed it was a genuine cartoon. I had no idea the film had already begun. This cartoon in of itself is a treat. A classic scenario with Baby Herman trying to get to a jar of cookies, throughout the obstacle course of an ordinary kitchen. Roger meanwhile has to save him from the various kitchen knives, rolling pins and live electrical sockets. It's almost vintage Chuck Jones.
But the cartoon comes to a halt when Roger has a fridge dropped on his head. And is seeing birds. Then a director yells CUT. A flesh and blood director. He barges onto the set and criticises Roger for blowing his lines again. He should be seeing stars. Not birds. Baby Herman drops his cute, innocent child routine and talks like a grizzled, veteran actor demanding to know what the hell was wrong with that take.
I'd never seen anything like it. I felt like I'd been transported into a parallel world. And that's exactly what the filmmakers have tried to create. WFRR was directed by Robert Zemeckis. He already had two hits under his belt, Romancing the Stone and Back to the Future. And it was with BTTF he established his trademark as a director who could work in cutting edge special effects while at the same time telling a good story.
With WFRR, Zemeckis accomplished the seemingly impossible task (at the time) of merging the cartoon logic of the animated world with the rules and conventions of the human world. Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins doing a credible American accent), a down on his luck private eye has been hired by Roger's boss, R. K. Maroon to spy on Roger's Toon wife, Jessica (voiced perfectly by an unbilled Kathleen Turner). Rumours are flying around she's fooling about with Marvin Acme, the man who provides the gadgets and gimmicks for the studios cartoons. This is what's causing Roger to slip up in his routine.
Valiant has had it in for Toons ever since his brother was killed by one in Toon Town, a sort of minority suburb for all the Toons. He has no wish to get involved, but for the right price he does. He trails Jessica to the Ink & Paint club where she is a singer. Valiant gets some pictures of her with Acme, and Roger goes berserk. The next day, Acme is found murdered, Roger is the prime suspect, and Judge Doom (a seriously creepy Christopher Lloyd) plans to execute him with the Dip, a substance that can actually kill Toons. With Roger running to Valiant for help, the two team up to find out who framed Roger Rabbit, and why.
That description sounds like a typical film-noir plot, filled with deceit, corruption and femme fatales. But Who Framed Roger Rabbit is much more than that. This is an inspired masterpiece, filled with visual lunacy, smart in-jokes, a tightly plotted story and a lot of laughs. Bob Hoskins is perfect as the seedy gumshoe with a drink problem. He has the unenviable task of sharing most of the screen time with thin air, but he is not put off. In fact Hoskins was a real trooper with some of the things he was asked to do. His interactions with Roger are perfectly integrated, and there is even an odd sort of chemistry between the two.
The film is not always about the next sight gag (even though they're always clever and welcome). There are subtle moments too, such as the scene when Valiant is telling Roger about his brother's death, or Roger trying to get Valiant to lighten up. The characterisation exists for both human and Toon.
There are numerous references to every type of Warner Bros and Disney cartoon imaginable. That must have been quite a deal they struck, with characters like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse sharing screen time, or Donald Duck and Daffy Duck sharing a marvellous piano duet that turns into a duel. Some of the references are quite subtle too, such as the penguin waiters from Mary Poppins and the crows from Dumbo appearing in the foreground. One of the joys of Roger Rabbit is just looking out for the next Toon, such as a black and white Betty Boop struggling to find work now that cartoons have gone to colour. That's the first time I've ever felt true poignancy for a cartoon character. Which extends to Roger's plight as well.
But the film never loses sight of it's plot. I won't reveal it for those who still haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this truly remarkable film. Another joy is watching the tortuous plot gradually unfold, such as the scene where Valiant visits Toon Town, a neat reversal on the rest of the film. It all ends brilliantly in a gripping climax at the Acme Factory, that combines action, suspense and a lot of slapstick.
This is one of the great comedies of our time. A true classic that will be remembered for years to come. And absolutely perfect for those who have never experienced the delirious joys of cars driving cars, or swords who sing like Sinatra.
That's all folks!