(Archive) Animated movie of the day: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Originally posted: January 10th, 2022
Few animators have contributed so much to the craft as Richard Williams. Writer of The Animator's Survival Kit(an absolute, utter MUST read for any aspiring animator), his dominance of perspective is the stuff of legends. Things you see nowadays animated through the assistance of 3D imagery such as camera shifts in moving environments he could animate by hand. And this exceptional capability was put to the test in one of the most complex animated features ever.
While technically a live action film, this movie has as much if not more animated footage given cartoons are integral to the very plot. Rather loosely based on the much darker "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?" novel, this movie is as much of a classic cartoons fan's biggest fantasy as it was a production nightmare, involving characters from classic Fleischer studios, Tex Avery(aka MGM), Warner Brothers and Disney. And it incorporates them in the real world interacting with humans. With a moving camera and scene appropriate lighting. Even with today's technology that is one daunting task, let alone with traditional compositing techniques(Jessica Rabbit's dress was one particular headache).
But of course, impeccable animation and fanservice to animation enthusiasts can only do so much for a film. Fortunately, this movie does have a backbone to it's zany antics. Playing half a buddy cop film, half a noir film, it presents a compelling enough crime mystery that also involves a surprisingly human protagonist in Eddie(and not just because he's an actual person). Bob Hoskins manages to thread the balance between the comedy and the genuinely tragic backstory of his character, making the seemingly absurd premise work. Same goes for Cristopher Lloyd. He's a lovable goofball as Emmet Brown, but here he's genuinely terrifying.
While a resounding success, given that stars had to align to even make this film possible at all, we'll never see something like it again.
