Who Framed Roger Rabbit [25th Anniversary Edition] [2 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD] [1988]

Pure nostalgia with this film undoubtedly a jewel, beautiful slipcover and already in the 4K collection

This is a classic. I just love it. I love thw blend of animation and real people.

It was entertaining. I kept laughing. I enjoy good a well done cartoon.

What can be said about Who Framed Roger Rabbit that hasn’t already been said? It is a modern classic and largely the film that should be credited with catalyzing interest in animation at Disney among its new executive team in the mid 1980s leading to favorite films like Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King and Aladdin. But that is the legacy of this film…and this review is of this film and - specifically the 4K. So, is this version worth it, especially since many probably already own it or have access to it on Disney +? The answer is an unequivocally yes! Forget the sheer quality, creativity and unique vision of the film. This new version features a brand new transfer that not only was used to produce the 4K disc (obviously an amazing experience if you have the hardware to play and display the movie in that manner) but ALSO the blu ray. THis is NOT the same blu- ray transfer as the BD/DVD combo from a few years ago (which I *ahem* have) and its certainly different from the 2 disc DVD collectors set from even more than a few years ago (which I *ahem* also own) and it’s a HUGE increase from the original VHS release of the film (which I *ahem* still own…love those foil hearts on the box). This is the best the film has ever looked (and that includes in theaters in 1988…yes, I saw it three times back then). So yea…classic film that holds up in its plot, its characters, its special effects and its humor over the nearly 35 years since it was created…check. Integrated animation (via CGI) is common place today, but it wasn’t back in 1988. Who Framed Roger Rabbit uses hand drawn animation in a way that had never been done. Sure, animation live action hybrids exist all the way back to the Alice comedies of a century ago and Disney’s Song of the South, Mary Poppins, and Pete’s Dragon utilized the integrated techniques well. But if you watch those films (at least two, since Song of the South isn’t available) you may notice that when the animated characters are on screen the camera doesn’t move in three dimensional space. It pans up or down and left or right. That’s because moving a hand drawn image in three dimensional space via traditional animation is technically difficult. Roger Rabbit was filmed as a regular movie with camera sweeps, pans and 3d movement. It’s animation moves as well and is truly astounding from a technical level. New Transfer showcasing the film like never before? Check. The film looks gorgeous and if it was just made. Extras plentiful and insightful…sorta check. They ARE but if you own this film on Blu Ray or that 2 disc DVD edition, you already have seen these extras. So final verdict? Highly recommended for the film itself and for the new technical aspects of the transfer. Roger Rabbit holds up as a true all ages classic that takes well defined and relatable characters and puts them in a noir style ish murder mystery plot that reinvents the golden age of animation in such a way that it seems like the WB and Disney and Fleischer characters always existed within this context. If you’ve seen Roger Rabbit, treat yourself to this version all over again. If you’ve never seen it…go see it. Right now. As Roger said, a laugh is a very powerful thing. Even if you’re not into animation or comedies, who couldn’t use a laugh as we close out 2021 and head into an uncertain 2022? Thanks for nearly 35 years of laughs Roger and I’m happy to have this new version to generate another 35 years of them…

The 25th anniversary edition of Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a two-disc blu-ray/dvd combo with different features on each. The blu-ray disc has a commentary that explains in detail the challenge in making this movie syncing animation and live action with a story line that was more than just a funny exercise. Steven Spielberg insisted that a strong plot with urgency had to drive the film, and the writers found a real incident that also meant life or death to the toons, as the cartoon characters in Roger Rabbit are called. The director, Robert Zemeckis, had two financial flops before he did RR, so this $70 million live-action cartoon might have sunk his Hollywood career for good, had it failed. Happily, it was a box-office smash and still holds up 25 years later. Roger Rabbit is the first cartoon noir film, combining a murder mystery that involves animated characters, human beings, and a well-blended mix of humor and pathos. The late, great Bob Hoskins really made this movie work, playing alcoholic detective Eddie Valiant, whose partnership with his brother ended tragically when a toon dropped a piano on his brother's head. Other cast members include Stubby Kaye, Joanna Moore, Christopher Lloyd, and the voices of Charlie Fleischer as Roger, Kathleen Turner as Jessica, and the iconic Mel Blanc doing some of his classic characters. Mae Questal does the voice of Betty Boop, which she made famous in the 1930s, and June Foray also adds another role to her literally hundreds of audio achievements. (She was most memorable as Rocky the Flying Squirrel.) After you see the movie, watch it again with the commentary. Numerous plot changes occurred during the production; you can watch a cut clip of Bob Hoskins with a cartoon pig head. Don't skip seeing the dvd, devoid of commentary but containing pop-ups on the side of the screen, acting as footnotes to elaborate on dialogue. For example, a producer asks Bob Hoskins what he knows about show business. Hoskins replies, "Only that it's like no business I know." The pop-up explains the reference to the hit show tune, "There's No Business Like Show Business." One more reason to grab up this special edition is the price. Best Buy has or had it for under $7. It originally listed for much more and will probably show up on eBay for a Benjamin once copies disappear. Kids loved this movie, but it's intelligent and entertaining for adults as well. Just as in the golden age of animated short cartoons, Roger Rabbit contains jokes that will go over the heads of the youngsters, while their folks will chuckle at the double-entendres. (The Disney Channel cut a few of the "risqué" remarks when the movie first aired on TV.)

Roger Rabbit is still a fun movie and holds up well after all these years. The 4K Blu-ray looks very good and is an upgrade from the HD blu-ray (although not a MASSIVE one). A large percentage of the movie involves optical effects to combine animated characters with live people and in the era in which the film was made, that meant losing at (the very least) one full additional generation from the negative. ILM did a great job reducing the loss in sharpness and increase in contrast to a minimum, but the loss is still there. Never the less, this movie by director Robert Zemikis (the director of Back to the Future and Forrest Gump) will never look like the absolute best 4K blurays in existance. I was very pleased with the quality, but it isn't mind blowing. Still, Who Framed Roger Rabbit will never look better and this disc comes highly recommended.

Been a fan favorite every since it came out in theaters. If you haven't already seen this, at the time it came out it was groundbreaking to see actual people & cartoon characters share the big big screen. All the cartoon characters that were out at the time was in the movie.

Haven't watched Roger Rabbit in several years, so it was great watching the mixture of cartoons and real actors through out the film