No CGI except for Charming, Groundbreaking and Imaginative ...

Rating: 10/10 (3 October 2011)

Robert Zemeckis' "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is an enchanting masterpiece celebrating the triumph of film-making, with a level of quality in the same vein of groundbreaking cinematic treasures such as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" or "Toy Story", combining animation and live action with a perfect and delightful realism.
I can't decently talk about the film without paying tribute to the men and women who accomplished this. Consider that each frame implies the use of 24 images per second, and multiply this by the film's length, then think about all the parameters, like the perspectives that influence the size of the animated characters, the light and shadows for the choice of colors, the way the actors must pretend to physically interact with non-existent characters, grabbing them, shaking their heads or having their cheeks pinched by them  and all that stuff without the providential assistance of CGI, totally hand drawn from A to Z, in a total respect toward the same kind of dedication that conducted the hands of the ancient cartoon film-makers, the result is the ultimate proof that perfectionism always pays. There are "Mary Poppins" and "Space Jam", but "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is a class on its own and 'special' is too weak a word to define the effects, they are simply magical.
I'm so glad I was a kid when I discovered it, I still remember how mesmerized I was by the introducing cartoon, something that resurrected the spirit of the Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Walt Disney or Tex Avery's cartoons, this universe that vibrates a sensitive chord in everyone's hearts. If you're a kid you love it, if you're an adult, it awakens the inner kid who saw these cartoons on TV, and if you're even older, it will get you back to the good old days when you saw them on the movie theater. Roger Rabbit, even as an original goofy, bubbling, creation, is the living allegory of this Golden Age combining many characteristics from Bugs Bunny, Screwy Squirrel, Tom the car with a certain Disney-like innocence, and after having been burnt, electrocuted, blown, and hit by a fridge, the film introduces, through an unforgettable plot twist, the co-existence between toons and humans in the real world. And the transition to this universe seems so natural that the surprise ceases immediately when we start following the hero of the film, Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant.
And the choice of Bob Hoskins to play the sourpuss, no-nonsense, private eye, is a stroke of genius, as he perfectly conveys the everyday feel of the noir genre hero with a hard-to-conceal wound in his heart. In that zany and crazy world when you can encounter a clumsy mail-pelican riding a bike, a baby with a 50-year old man lust, giggling weasels or a crazy octopus serving drinks in a bar, Eddie evolves with an unshakable seriousness, highlighting its ordinary aspect, which is a great gag by itself. We would all love to go to Toontown but Eddie doesn't and this reluctance leads to a rewarding sequence when he finally gets into the town for an extraordinary moment, where a serious man suddenly lives under the cartoon's Law of Physicals. If Bob Hoskins played his part in a cartoonish way, this part wouldn't have been as exhilarating. Eddie Valiant is the perfect straight man of the comedic duo formed with Roger Rabbit, two opposite characters who'd go as far as getting handcuffed together.
The handcuff even contributes to the most hilarious moment, when Roger easily gets his hand off after the danger is over and justifies that he couldn't have done it earlier unless it was funny. And the timing he chose was perfect! Roger Rabbit's philosophy of life, defines the whole purpose of cartoons, it's all about laughing and smiling. No wonder that the Cartoons' Golden Age coincided with the Great Depression era and World War II, when people needed to laugh, and when laughs were the perfect weapon to handle the harshness of life. And if Roger Rabbit could get a wife like Jessica because he made her laugh, well, it says everything about humor's value. And Jessica Rabbit as the sensual and voluptuous creature, proves that there are no limits for seduction, and I wonder how many men would rather have a creature 'drawn that way' than a real woman in flesh and blood. And if not the best character, she certainly makes the most spectacular entrance when she emerges from that curtain.
And the beauty of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is that the special effects always serve the purpose of the story. The film didn't forget to have a plot with its share of thrills, laughs, and even some dramatic moments you wouldn't expect. Honourable mention to Christopher Lloyd who proves again his unique talent to portray bizarre characters with an extreme convincingness, his portrayal of the sinister Judge Doom, makes him the perfect villain for such a creative film, hell, can you make a crueler villain than one who found a way to kill toons? and one of the most sadistic acts ever that would make my heart squeak of sadness.
And the soul of the story is Eddie Valiant's reconquest of his lost sense of humor, a quest incarnated by one of the most immortal shots of the film, the last kiss between Eddie and Roger. And if I had to find an extra meaning to this kiss, it would be the expression of this profound love we have for these cartoons that enriched our childhood, and stood the test time, never losing their unique charm and universal appeal. And if only for having featured the two icons, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same frame, and the two greatest ducks in an unforgettable piano duet, the movie deserves the title of Best Picture of 1988.
That's all, Folks!