Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

I feel like this movie doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (no question mark because question marks are bad luck in the film industry...for serious) marks one of the earliest and best attempts to combine animation and live action actors in a big-budget film. And you know what? It works. It's fairly flawless. If you think about what these actors did, saying their lines to tennis balls with faces painted on them, THIS MOVIE pretty much is a predecessor for every big-budget movie made today. There is no Avatar without Eddie Valiant and Roger Rabbit. So show some respect, sucka!

I still don't know who this movie was made for. Kids? Adults? It has cartoons so...kids? But it centers on a murder so...adults? There's plenty of slap-stick comedy so...kids? But the dialogue contains plenty of sexual innuendo so...adults? I honestly think anyone can enjoy this movie, and that's what the 80s was all about...that and coke...just mountains of coke.

After the initial novelty of seeing real actors interacting with cartoon characters wears off, what you're treated to is one of the best noir mystery period pieces ever filmed. Bob Hoskins plays Eddie Valiant, a drunk private eye who once worked the mean streets of Toon Town (the segregated neighborhood for the cartoon characters) with his brother until a toon dropped a safe on his bro's head. He's vowed never to work another toon case when he's caught up in the middle of a murder mystery where someone has framed toon star, Roger Rabbit, for the murder of Marvin Acme.

Was it his wife (who's been playing paddy-cake behind his back)? Or his baby co-star? Or the demented judge of Toon Town, Judge Doom? No, that's too obvious...oh wait...it is him? Well that makes sense. Judge Doom, who legitimately creeped me out as a kid, is played to perfection by Christopher Lloyd, who is as close to a cartoon character in real life as one can get. I love the fact that Judge Doom's "evil plan" to buy and shut down LA's trolley cars to force people to ride his new "freeway" is based on what actually happened in history. Genius...

So did anyone else pick up on the fact that the toons are supposed to be black people? Well, they definitely are. They're forced to live in their own section of town and dance like trained monkeys for the white man's entertainment. There's even a club where toons are banned unless they're servers or entertainers. They even have their own drinking fountains...I assume. RACISTS!

And finally, one can't discuss Who Framed Roger Rabbit without discussing the single most boner-inducing animated character (outside of Japanese anime) ever drawn: Jessica Rabbit. I was six when I first saw this movie. Back then I was too young to understand the effect this large-breasted redhead had on me, but all I knew was that she made me feel funny...in my pants. And she still does.

Why It's Awesome:

Think about how amazing this is: Disney characters and Warner Bros. characters IN THE SAME MOVIE! IN THE SAME FRAME! That would NEVER happen today. Two rival companies finding common ground for the good of an artistic project. Forget it. The 80s were a magical time.

Best Quote:

Jessica Rabbit: I'm not bad; I'm just drawn that way.