I will always be grateful for the year 1988 for giving me some of my favorite childhood movies that shaped who I am today. The Land Before Time broke and subsequently mended my heart, Big made me appreciate my youth while I still had it, and Beetlejuice gave me a taste of darkness that seemed almost dangerous at the time. I continue to love all of these films, but the one that has always stuck with me as one of my all-time favorites is the Robert Zemeckis classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? It was not just another cartoon meant to placate me with silly antics. The presence of film noir elements gave it a mysterious quality that expanded what I knew films could accomplish. The blending of live-action and animated elements was groundbreaking, but it was the mixture of genres that sparked a lifelong love of cinema new and old. Loosely based on Gary K. Wolf’s 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the feature proved to be an immense critical and financial worldwide success. I knew none of that, though; I just knew this film exploded my mind and I have never been the same.
The film opens up with a pitch-perfect recreation of some of the cartoonishly violent antics that Tex Avery was churning out back in the day. This is how we get to know Roger Rabbit (voiced to perfection by Charles Fleischer), one of the “toon” stars of Maroon Cartoon Studios. Roger is off his game due to rumors that his wife Jessica (voiced by Kathleen Turner) is involved with Marvin Acme, owner of both Acme Corporation and Toontown. The head of the studio, R.K. Maroon (Alan Tilvern), hires private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins, The Long Good Friday, Sweet Liberty) to see if he can get to the truth of the matter. Eddie is not the obvious choice to work the investigation; Eddie despises toons ever since one of them murdered his brother, Teddy, and he descended into alcoholism. It is only due to being near total financial collapse that he agrees to investigate, but he is not quite prepared for the rough-and-tumble, seedy side of the cartoon world that does not make it to the pictures. Blackmail, murder, patty-cake – it’s all on the table in Toon Town.
What makes this movie work so well is how it plays it straight as a film noir despite the addition of cartoons to the reality. Hoskins is one of the top guys who would come to mind for a hardened detective that swills whiskey and chews on gravel. When he gets too close to the truth, he gets worked over by the bad guys like any other gum shoe, only this time they are animated weasels. The actual twists and turns of the case are as thought out and engaging as some of the best film noirs, not relying on the cartoon gimmick to carry the load. Christopher Lloyd (Back To The Future) strikes the right balance of creepiness as Judge Doom, the superior court judge of Toontown who may have a skeleton or two in his own closet. There are moments involving this maniacal character that still haunts my dreams even after all of these years.
The film also works as a tale of redemption; Eddie is a man circling the drain by all accounts, and it is only through his reluctant ties to Roger that he begins to tap into who he used to be. Roger is a toon, and he can be dialed up to eleven most of the time, but his dynamic with Eddie is heartwarming like the best buddy team-up films. Through this unrestrained rabbit, we get to explore the ins and outs of this world unlike any others. What Zemeckis and Spielberg created with this picture is unbelievable in a number of ways. On a technical level, the sheer undertaking and visual artistry that had to be applied to blend the animated and live action worlds so seamlessly is breathtaking. This film is over thirty years old, but it remains one of the most effective implementations of the process to this day.
In a more conceptual sense, this movie should not exist. This feature was produced in a singular moment where Steven Spielberg had the clout to convince Warner Bros. and Disney to allow their classic animated characters on screen with one another. The thrill of seeing Daffy Duck and Donald Duck playing dueling pianos with one another is greater than most things you will ever see on screen for the sheer fact that these worlds were never meant to be blended. On the most basic level, you can find joy in spotting familiar characters in the background of scenes, but the movie aims to do more than this with the time it has. Take for example when we happen upon a black-and-white Betty Boop at the nightclub as a cocktail hostess; the classic dream girl has a throwaway line about becoming obsolete once they shifted to color which serves as a smart bit of commentary on how Hollywood treated silent film stars during the transition to talkies. The film is riddled with allusions to Hollywood history that film and animation buffs will eat up.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is a hilarious and clever love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood that sneaks in insightful commentary in the guise of zany jokes. Utterly engaging in both a technical and emotionally resonant way, the narrative is one that has aged remarkably well and is ready-made to welcome each new generation to a wondrous world of film and animation. This is the type of cinematic magic Hollywood can only hope to capture on its best day.
Video Quality
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray in a 2160p presentation in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that looks mighty pleasing to these eyes and serves as a solid upgrade for fans. The most noticeable aspect of this presentation is the impeccable HDR10 color enhancement that seems like it was tailor made for this film. The movie is filled with bright colors within both the hand drawn animation and the daytime live action elements that pop off the screen. It should come as no surprise that the characters are given much more depth of color within the animation, but even the production design and clothing in the live action elements are represented impeccably. Skin tones look pleasing and natural with strong detail in both close-ups and medium shots. The range of color alone makes this one a nice disc to show off the format.
The blending of the live action and animated elements hold up well under the scrutiny of 4K with the optical effects not standing out as unnatural. When it comes to most of the live action elements and close-up shots, the lovely retention of the natural film grain that should be present on a release such as this is apparent. Grain is less abundant in the animated portions, but this has seemingly been a product of the way the film was created and not a problem of DNR. Detail and clarity are also amazingly strong with subtle details easily discernible in the background set design. There is no visible blooming with the white levels, and black levels are dark and showcase an immense amount of depth suitable for a film noir. The difference is not exactly night and day, but fans of the film will appreciate how this new presentation enhances the moody atmosphere of the story. This disc is overall a substantial upgrade from the old Blu-Ray disc.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with an active Dolby Atmos soundtrack that gives an impressive amount of life to the world. The movie is very dialogue heavy, even during chaotic cartoon antics, and clarity is never an issue. The track makes good use of all of the surround speakers, with fast and furious flourishes and varied locations adding a lot of subtle activity. When you are in the final journey into Toon Town, the array of cartoonish sound effects come fast and furious. The height channels are used to subtly expand and complement the sonic palette rather than carry the main load. The positioning of the sounds is never an issue, and the track delivers capably on the low end of the spectrum. The channels all maintain a distinct fidelity and separation so that everything is even more precise. The movie has a tremendous score from Alan Silvestri that really fills the room throughout the movie. This is an excellent sounding experience from start to finish.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Robert Zemeckis, producer Frank Marshall, associate producer Steve Starkey, visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston and co-writers Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman deliver a wonderfully informative and entertaining commentary track in which they dig into nearly every aspect of the film including the uncertainty over the design of Roger, the casting of Bob Hoskins, the elements that had to be re-animated, what it took to combine cartoon characters from rival studios, blending the live action and animated bit, the violence in the film, trying to capture the Tex Avery style of animation, not testing the VistaVision cameras before filming, the film’s reception and much more. This is the most invaluable piece on the disc.
- The Roger Rabbit Shorts: Three hilarious shorts are presented here in beautiful high definition. This is a nice touch to make Roger feel more like an established character as he is presented in the film.
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- Tummy Trouble (8:09)
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- Roller Coaster Rabbit (8:12)
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- Trail Mix-Up (9:10)
- Deleted Scenes – The Pig Head Sequence: A five-and-a-half minute look at an abandoned sequence in which Eddie gets thrown out of Toon Town with an animated pig’s head forced upon him. This is presented with an opening explanation from the filmmakers as to why this was not included in the film.
- Who Made Roger Rabbit: An 11-minute featurette in which Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit, guides you through specific aspects of the production of the film including the development of the project by Spielberg and Zemeckis, the creation of the animated world and character designs, the behind-the-scenes effects that helped with live-action interactions, the sound effects and more that is very enlightening.
- Before And After: A three-minute comparison look at how the film appeared in its rough animated, pre-visual effects form and what we got in the final product.
- Toon Stand-Ins: A three-minute look at some of the scenes from the film with the rubber sculptures that were used on set during filming.
- Behind The Ears – The True Story Of Roger Rabbit: A 37-minute documentary that offers an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the production of the film with all manner of interviews with the cast and creative team. This is far more than a fluff piece as it really offers some candid moments that fans will love.
- On Set! Benny The Cab: A five-minute piece which shows the creative team setting up the “Benny The Cab” scene and breaking down how Bob Hoskins needs to interact with all of the elements believably.
Final Thoughts
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is one of the most inventive films to come out of the 1980s. The mixture of classic animation with gritty film noir provides an engaging narrative that makes you howl with laughter and grip your seat in equal measure. The decision to put Bob Hoskins in this role was inspired, and he plays off the vocal performance from Charles Fleischer in an expert manner. There is so much about this film that should have been impossible, and the fact that it exists is truly a miracle for its legion of fans around the world. Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a host of legacy special features. If you are as big of a fan of the film as I am, you are going to need to own this on the best format available and this disc will not disappoint. Essential
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital on December 7, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
