by David C. Terr

#43 <<    #44    >> #45

Title: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy

Release Date: June 21, 1988

Running Time: 103 min

Genres: Animation, Comedy, Crime, Family, Fantasy, Mystery

Commentary
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a hilarious partly-animated comedy. Bob Hoskins does a great job as Eddie Valiant, a private investigator. The animation is superb and also very amusing. Most of the animated characters are either Disney or Looney Toons characters. Disney characters shown in the movie include the following:

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Donald Duck
• Dumbo

Looney Toons characters in the film include

• Bugs Bunny
• Daffy Duck
• Porky Pig
• Tweety Bird

Jessica Rabbit, Roger's sexy human wife, is quite well animated.

Plot Summary
Who Framed Roger Rabbit takes place in Los Angeles in 1947. The world of the movie is cohabited with humans and "toons", cartoon characters with lives of their own, who come from Toontown.

R.K. Maroon, manager of Maroon Cartoons, hires Eddie Valiant to investigate Roger Rabbit's wife Jessica, who he suspects is being unfaithful. Marvin Acme, owner of the Acme Company, is later found dead in his warehouse, where a safe fell on him, and Roger is suspected of having killed him. Eddie ends up finding the real assassin, clearing Roger's name, and also saving Toontown (home of the Toons) in the process.

Cultural Significance
Who Framed Roger Rabbit spawned a revival of animated movies, which suffered a period of stagnation during the '70s and '80s. Many big animated movies followed, including the following Disney films:

• The Little Mermaid (1989)
• Beauty and the Beast (1991)
• Aladdin (1992)
• The Lion King (1994)

Movie Clips

Here's the trailer.

Here's a funny scene involving Daffy and Donald dueling on the piano.

Here's a very sexy scene involving Jessica Rabbit and Eddie Valiant.