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Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Year: 1988 Classification: Fantasy Country: USA Directed: - Robert Zemeckis Actors/Actresses: - Joanna Cassidy - Bob Hoskins - Amy Irving - Christopher Lloyd - Richard Ridings - Frank Sinatra - Kathleen Turner - Stubby Kaye - Alan Tilvern - Joel Silver - Steven Spielberg Roger's Lucky Rabbit's Foot (an advance copy review) Director Robert Zemeckis and Roger Rabbit made quite a team back in 1988. Who Framed Roger Rabbit seamlessly combines state of the art animation effects and live action. The end result is a movie that is as much for adults as it is for kids, in fact, I would say that the film is more adult oriented than even I remembered it was. Recently, I sat down to watch the film again, along with its extras, as part of a new 2 disc Vista series DVD set. It was time well spent. 1947 Hollywood, a time and a place where humans and cartoon characters interact together, in the place where dreams are made. Rag tag private eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins is hired to prove that toon star Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner) is having a fling with Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). Acme is the owner of Toontown, where the toons live, located just on the outskirts of Hollywood. When Acme is found murdered, all fingers point to Jessica's husband Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), as the prime suspect. Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) is sure the top cartoon star is guilty and sets out to prove it. It's up to Eddie and Roger to find the real killer...before it's too late The film is very clever and still quite an achievement, even now, some fifteen years after its initial release. The movie is a cartoon character lovers dream Cartoon icons Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Porky Pig and scores of others have cameos in the film as well The extras in the set are a testament to all of the cast and crew's hard work on the film. Here's how the set breaks down: Disc One has the full frame presentation of the film. The extras include 3 cartoon shorts with Roger Rabbit, "Tummy Trouble", "Rollercoaster Rabbit", and "Trail Mix-Up" Each short originally ran in front of some Disney flicks, released after the film, all 3 toons are pretty funny and I'm glad they were included here. There's also a mini-documentary, hosted by Charles Fleischer, and a DVD interactive game. Disc Two has the widescreen presentation of the film. The audio commentary with Zemeckis and other key crew members is quite good and not as dry as I thought it might be. As equally entertaining is the text trivia/factoid track. Next up is the deleted, "Pig Head Sequence", complete with commentary. Other stuff includes a split screen comparison, both before and after the animation was added, a very well produced retrospective documentary about the film, rehearsal footage, a Benny The Cab scene breakdown, and a few image galleries from the film. The set also includes Extra Extras: A companion booklet and 2 collectable glossy photos. Some of the making of information is repeated, from time to time, but not often enough to be any real problem for me. The Roger Rabbit DVD set is packed with lots of cool stuff to enjoy. The newest reissue is highly recommended to be part of anyone's disc collection VISTA SERIES DVD well worth the wait!! Fabulous fun! "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was a huge hit when it was released in 1988 and made Bob Hoskins a star. It successfully combined live action with animation and featured a strong and funny cast of characters and an entertaining storyline. To best describe this film to the uninitiated would probably require a comparison with "L.A. Confidential" (with PG-friendly/cartoon violence) and a Looney Tunes movie. It is fun, boisterous and entertaining with memorable performances by Bob Hoskins (as Eddie Valiant), Christopher Lloyd (as Judge Doom), Roger Rabbit (as himself) and that sultry scene-stealer Jessica Rabbit (as herself and voiced by Kathleen Turner). A veritable who's who in animation, this film features cameos by Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck, Goofy and Betty Boop, to name a few. The VISTA SERIES is especially impressive given the many, many special features that are included. The packaging alone - with a case that looks like a detective's portfolio/folder - is a treat. Add to that the following: 1) Audio commentary by the filmmakers led by director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump)<BR>2) Facts and trivia<BR>3) "The Pig Head Sequence" deleted scene<BR>4) "Before and After" split-screen comparisons<BR>5) 2 behind-the-scenes documentaries, including an new, exclusive in-depth featurette<BR>6) A DVD game<BR>7) 3 animated shorts<BR>and more!! The film itself is well worth the price of the DVD. Add to that the wealth of special features and this promises to be one of the best DVDs of the year. Animation, action/adventure and comedy fans will find this a special treat and I highly recommend this family-friendly (PG) film to everyone! Tonsa 'toon fun! I was 10 when "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" came out and it is just as much fun to watch now, maybe funnier because I missed some of the humor back then. Roger's a riot and his wife, Jessica Rabbit ("I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way"), is truly a toon vixen. Bob Hoskin's Eddie Valiant is sent to find out the truth when the owner of Toon Town is murdered after playing patty-cake (literally) with Jessica. Everyone assumes a jealous Roger did it and that washed-up detective Eddie can't hack it anymore. There is lots of subtle humor, like when Eddie asks for a scotch on the rocks in a 'toon bar and instead of ice he gets actual rocks. Eddie seriously hates Toon Town because his brother had a piano dropped on his head, but he eventually becomes pals with Roger, overcomes his hatred of Toon Town and clears Roger's name. Christopher Lloyd's Judge Doom is perfectly creepy and his squad of weasels are funny as they try to stop Eddie and Roger from discovering the truth.<BR> The interaction between the live actors and the toons is seamless, probably why the movie won four Oscars. The behind the scenes features and commentaries are great, the entire 2-disc set is incredibly well-thought out and packaged, making it a must-have for the fan. Tonsa 'toon fun! I was 10 when "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" came out and it is just as much fun to watch now, maybe funnier because I missed some of the humor back then. Roger's a riot and his wife, Jessica Rabbit ("I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way"), is truly a toon vixen. Bob Hoskin's Eddie Valiant is sent to find out the truth when the owner of Toon Town is murdered after playing patty-cake (literally) with Jessica. Everyone assumes a jealous Roger did it and that washed-up detective Eddie can't hack it anymore. There is lots of subtle humor, like when Eddie asks for a scotch on the rocks in a 'toon bar and instead of ice he gets actual rocks. Eddie seriously hates Toon Town because his brother had a piano dropped on his head, but he eventually becomes pals with Roger, overcomes his hatred of Toon Town and clears Roger's name. Christopher Lloyd's Judge Doom is perfectly creepy and his squad of weasels are funny as they try to stop Eddie and Roger from discovering the truth. The interaction between the live actors and the toons is seamless, probably why the movie won four Oscars. The behind the scenes features and commentaries are great, the entire 2-disc set is incredibly well-thought out and packaged, making it a must-have for the fan. 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