Who Framed Roger
Rabbit is a wonderful fantasy comedy directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Studios and
Disney’s Touchstone Pictures.
It combines live
action and animation in a blend that matches the brilliance of Disney’s Mary
Poppins, which, to date, is Disney’s most Oscar-nominated film, winning five
awards. Like Mary Poppins, the live-action and animation combination
in Who Framed Roger Rabbit is executed grandly. However, unlike Mary
Poppins, where the animation and characters hardly interact, in this movie,
they are constantly around each other.
This interaction
is so well done that you have to give kudos to the animators and animation
directors.
The movie’s plot revolves around cartoon star Roger Rabbit, whose wife is caught on camera by private investigator Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) playing pattycake with another man. That man soon ends up dead, and Roger is accused of the murder. With no hope left, Roger turns to the toon-hating P.I. Eddie, who took the incriminating photos in the first place. Now, the two are stuck together as they try to figure out why someone is trying to frame Roger Rabbit.
The screenplay
is written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (who also collaborated on the
Dr. Seuss screenplay adaptation of How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000))
and is based on Gary K. Wolf's 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? Both
the book and the movie depict a world where cartoon characters interact
directly with human beings.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit won four Oscars and was a critical success. Many enjoyed the humor and fun story the movie carries. At the time of its production, it was one of the most expensive animations ever made, with a production cost of $70 million. It was also a box office hit, earning over $320 million during its release. The movie has its drawbacks, like pacing feeling off at times, particularly in the slower investigative scenes that bog down the more energetic moments before it. And the plot also relies on some overly convenient twists that can strain believability. Which is hard to say, talking about believability in a movie about animations and humans roaming about.
In
conclusion, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a classic animation from the
80s that everyone should get the chance to see, even if it’s just once. There
are talks that Disney is in discussions with Amblin (Steven Spielberg) and
director Robert Zemeckis to make a sequel to this fine film. Although Bob
Hoskins has retired from acting, I feel the writers can still come up with
something we’d all love to see. The film’s unique blend of humor, mystery, and
groundbreaking animation makes it a timeless gem worth revisiting.
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