Artistic Dream Film - Disney's Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an artist’s dream movie. At least an artist like me. It blends digital and classical arts and does it on a Disney budget so, very well. I watched this movie as a child close to the time it came out in 1988. Recently, I watched it again for the second time certainly but maybe third or fourth. My attention wandered throughout this 1 hour and 44-minute film/animation hybrid adventure because I was thinking about blogging and creatively my mind was overwhelmed. Idea after idea came to mind for mixed media projects inspired by Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Anyone interested in writing could probably go on for days about this movie, but I don’t have time for that. Certainly, there are some things to touch on though. Toon Town or real life, both, whatever – let’s steamroll into Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Many Adult Themes in Disney Movie?
It seems like I originally viewed this flick close to when it came out. I don’t think I’ve watched it since, although I’m a fan of it. Who Framed Roger Rabbit was originally released by Walt Disney in 1988 so, I would have been 6 years old at the time. I doubt that I watched it at 6 but I remember being young when I did originally see it. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a crazy explicit movie for a 6-year-old child in my opinion. It’s full of alcohol, tobacco, and is super sexual.
Watching it again as an adult, I picked up on so many things that were certainly adult humor. For instance, the main character makes “booby trap” jokes and even stands up to hit his head on Jessica Rabbit’s chest. There is also the alleged cut scene of Jessica falling out of the car and an upskirt shot. You’ll have to find this on Google or an original release because Disney has cut it out now. Of course, Disney pushing agendas on younger generations is nothing new and a topic you hear often. Let’s face it, Jessica Rabbit is the biggest cartoon sex symbol of all time. Daisy Mae Yokum, Betty Boop, and others are popular too, but Rabbit is a big name.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Very Distracting for a Creative Person
To a creative, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is very inspirational. As I mentioned in the intro, watching this movie is hard for me to do because creatively I get very distracted as my mind floods with ideas. I have already painted Jessica Rabbit once and sold it to a lady in Las Vegas, I think. Certainly, though, she is on the repaint list. When I’m freed up on a little time, I intend to do some Who Framed Roger Rabbit digital art projects pairing photography and the cartoon art behind it. I want to focus heavily on one thing I noticed in the early sequences that really stuck with me. If you notice, the floor is hyper polished. Roger Rabbit’s reflection on it intensifies the polish effect. Get out the candles because me and Photoshop have a date on this one.
I love how Who Framed Roger Rabbit meshed art and reality together. Perhaps this was its claim to fame at the time but, regardless it was done very well. I’m writing this blog weeks after I watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit so, my memory fails me but in the closing scenes, we see this creative crossover work well. When Judge Doom gets run over by the steamroller and you see him start to reanimate, you know something is unique about him. Shortly after, we learn that he is a carton himself masquerading as a human being. Countless scenes have the real detective in a very animated cartoon town. Also, as a counter to this, Jessica Rabbit and Roger Rabbit featured in a 1930-1940 reality.
Looney Tunes and Disney? How Did That Happen in Same Film?
So, I was curious about one thing for sure. There were so many obscure cartoon characters in this movie. I even think that Looney Tunes characters are present, and Disney doesn’t own them…yet. I noticed the weasel characters, penguins, and even a dancing hippo in a tutu in the background at one point. In the end, I think Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny are arguing with the main character as he’s falling in a typical Looney Tune fashion. I read an article that explained that there was a contractual agreement for equal screen time, etc. You can read this article yourself here. It includes many other interesting facts about this movie.
History In Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Not only was Who Framed Roger Rabbit creative and fun but, it did include some cool articles from the past as well. There are countless old cars in this movie because the reality portion takes place in what looks like the 30s or 40s to me. Disney, who does period well, made sure it looked like the 30s and 40s to include all the cars. There is an inclusive list of vehicles seen in Who Framed Roger Rabbit that you can look at here. Who Framed Roger Rabbit also had an old Lucky Strike Cigarette ad in it. As mentioned in the intro, this movie didn’t lack in sex, cigarettes, and liquor. This was characteristic of the 1930s and 40s as well.
Layers of Creativity in Disney's Who Framed Roger Rabbit
All creatives and people who just like oddball stuff should put Who Framed Roger Rabbit on their watch list. You really can’t go wrong watching this movie. It’s loads of fun and a huge dose of creativity. While it is irritating at times (I think on purpose), Who Framed Roger Rabbit includes many comical elements in it. For instance, I think it’s Roger who is flipping through some notecards and as he does it creates animation. I found this to be a noticeable and creative play by Disney. I will certainly watch this one again and recommend it to anyone. There are many projects coming from Invisible Katana Artwork inspired by this movie so, be on the lookout.
Glad You Got Your Girl Roger - Closing Out
In closing, I must admit, that the main character mentions that he’s irritated by the toons. I must agree. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is very irritating to me. The cartoon characters and the annoying mannerisms they have are what I mean. For instance, you can never be serious with them in a conversation, or they must be doing something goofy all the time. I get that it’s a cartoon but, I did get irritated. Ultimately though, the main character pointing this out was funny to me because I felt the same way. Maybe that was done on purpose too. Who knows with Disney? Regardless of the garbage, they are very creative and intentional. What are your thoughts on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
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