Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a fast-paced, genre-mixing adventure that pairs hard-boiled 1940s film noir with outrageous cartoon slapstick. You follow down-on-his-luck private eye Eddie Valiant, a toon-hating gumshoe nursing a painful past, who reluctantly becomes the only person who can clear the lovable but frantic Roger Rabbit when the cartoon is accused of murdering Marvin Acme. As Eddie digs deeper he’s pulled into a world where humans and animated characters coexist — from glitzy studio backlots to the wild, lawless streets of Toontown — and discovers a far darker conspiracy led by the ruthless Judge Doom. Watching the movie is a vivid sensory ride: boundary-pushing visual effects that seamlessly blend live-action and hand-drawn animation, non-stop physical comedy, and clever references to classic cartoons. You get noir atmosphere and suspense, slapstick gags and surreal set pieces, plus a touch of sultry old-Hollywood glamour in Jessica Rabbit’s unforgettable presence. The stakes grow real and emotional as Eddie confronts his prejudice, uncovers corruption, and races to stop a villain whose plan could destroy all toons. The film delivers laughs, thrills, nostalgia, and a surprising amount of heart — entertaining both kids with its cartoon chaos and adults with its black-comic tone and witty in-jokes about animation history. Overall, it’s a landmark, genre-bending mystery that feels equal parts detective thriller and carnival cartoon spectacular.

Actors: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Runtime: 104 min

Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy

6.6 /10 83 /100 7.7 /10 7.5 /10