Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Who Framed Roger Rabbit follows hard-boiled ’40s private eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he reluctantly agrees to investigate a murder charge against a beloved cartoon named Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer). It’s an audacious premise that’s employed to seamless and often enthralling effect by Zemeckis, as the filmmaker, armed with Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman’s screenplay, delivers a first-class endeavor that grabs the viewer’s interest and attention right from the get-go – with the movie’s opening stretch, detailing the behind-the-scenes happenings on a Roger Rabbit shoot, effectively establishing the picture’s off-kilter human/toon atmosphere. From there, Who Framed Roger Rabbit segues into a compelling midsection that benefits from its raft of first-class performances and memorable sequences – with the inventive visuals and irresistible chemistry between Eddie and Roger merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the picture’s many pleasures. (Christopher Lloyd’s standout turn as the film’s terrifying villain remains a highlight, to be sure, as does the recurring presence of such iconic animated figures as Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, and Bugs Bunny.) And while the movie admittedly does feel slightly overlong, particularly within the too-much-of-a-good-thing third act, Who Framed Roger Rabbit does, for the most part, come off as a thrillingly singular endeavor that’s lost none of its punch in the years since its 1988 release.

***1/2 out of ****