Rating: 
Summary: VISTA SERIES DVD well worth the wait!! Fabulous fun!
Review: "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was a huge hit when it was released in 1988 and made Bob Hoskins a star. It successfully combined live action with animation and featured a strong and funny cast of characters and an entertaining storyline.To best describe this film to the uninitiated would probably require a comparison with "L.A. Confidential" (with PG-friendly/cartoon violence) and a Looney Tunes movie. It is fun, boisterous and entertaining with memorable performances by Bob Hoskins (as Eddie Valiant), Christopher Lloyd (as Judge Doom), Roger Rabbit (as himself) and that sultry scene-stealer Jessica Rabbit (as herself and voiced by Kathleen Turner). A veritable who's who in animation, this film features cameos by Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck, Goofy and Betty Boop, to name a few. The VISTA SERIES is especially impressive given the many, many special features that are included. The packaging alone - with a case that looks like a detective's portfolio/folder - is a treat. Add to that the following: 1) Audio commentary by the filmmakers led by director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump)
2) Facts and trivia
3) "The Pig Head Sequence" deleted scene
4) "Before and After" split-screen comparisons
5) 2 behind-the-scenes documentaries, including an new, exclusive in-depth featurette
6) A DVD game
7) 3 animated shorts
and more!! The film itself is well worth the price of the DVD. Add to that the wealth of special features and this promises to be one of the best DVDs of the year. Animation, action/adventure and comedy fans will find this a special treat and I highly recommend this family-friendly (PG) film to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Roger's Lucky Rabbit's Foot (an advance copy review)
Review: Director Robert Zemeckis and Roger Rabbit made quite a team back in 1988. Who Framed Roger Rabbit seamlessly combines state of the art animation effects and live action. The end result is a movie that is as much for adults as it is for kids, in fact, I would say that the film is more adult oriented than even I remembered it was. Recently, I sat down to watch the film again, along with its extras, as part of a new 2 disc Vista series DVD set. It was time well spent. 1947 Hollywood, a time and a place where humans and cartoon characters interact together, in the place where dreams are made. Rag tag private eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins is hired to prove that toon star Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner) is having a fling with Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). Acme is the owner of Toontown, where the toons live, located just on the outskirts of Hollywood. When Acme is found murdered, all fingers point to Jessica's husband Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), as the prime suspect. Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) is sure the top cartoon star is guilty and sets out to prove it. It's up to Eddie and Roger to find the real killer...before it's too late The film is very clever and still quite an achievement, even now, some fifteen years after its initial release. The movie is a cartoon character lovers dream Cartoon icons Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Porky Pig and scores of others have cameos in the film as well The extras in the set are a testament to all of the cast and crew's hard work on the film. Here's how the set breaks down: Disc One has the full frame presentation of the film. The extras include 3 cartoon shorts with Roger Rabbit, "Tummy Trouble", "Rollercoaster Rabbit", and "Trail Mix-Up" Each short originally ran in front of some Disney flicks, released after the film, all 3 toons are pretty funny and I'm glad they were included here. There's also a mini-documentary, hosted by Charles Fleischer, and a DVD interactive game. Disc Two has the widescreen presentation of the film. The audio commentary with Zemeckis and other key crew members is quite good and not as dry as I thought it might be. As equally entertaining is the text trivia/factoid track. Next up is the deleted, "Pig Head Sequence", complete with commentary. Other stuff includes a split screen comparison, both before and after the animation was added, a very well produced retrospective documentary about the film, rehearsal footage, a Benny The Cab scene breakdown, and a few image galleries from the film. The set also includes Extra Extras: A companion booklet and 2 collectable glossy photos. Some of the making of information is repeated, from time to time, but not often enough to be any real problem for me. The Roger Rabbit DVD set is packed with lots of cool stuff to enjoy. The newest reissue is highly recommended to be part of anyone's disc collection
Rating:
Summary: A five star 2 DVD set and a five star movie!!!
Review: This 2 DVD set is awesome!!! You get both full frame and widescreen versions of the movie!!! And this baby is loaded with extras!!! The ultimate version of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+
Rating:
Summary: Revenge of the morally outraged - censorship in Toontown
Review: Remember the buzz a few years back when the CAV laserdisc version of this movie came out and it was possible to closely examine Jessica Rabbit's unexpected exit from Benny the Cab when he crashed into the lamppost. Some claimed she wasn't wearing anything underneath that skirt (makes you wonder about some folks since we're talking about a cartoon character here). Anyway, the initial DVD release of this movie showed the same scene just as the CAV laserdisc did. However, the Vista Series DVD alters the scene slightly so that Jessica's hand runs interference - no naughty bits to guess at here, just good, clean family entertainment. Makes you wonder about a whole different set of folks - just where were they at when Janet Jackson needed 'em. Nevertheless, both DVD movie versions are great fun and the film itself was a wonderful salute to the greatest animation comedy shorts (i.e. cartoons) to have ever been conceived - and I'm talking about those from various studios of the late 40s and the 1950s.
Rating:
Summary: "Thanks! I needed that!"
Review: This DVD set is sure to please anyone who enjoyed the ambitious, innovative and hilarious movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In 1988, Roger Rabbit earned several Oscars, combined animation with live action, made British actor Bob Hoskins a star and featured cameos from dozens of Disney, Warner Bros, MGM and Universal cartoon stars. Director Robert Zemeckis would also direct the Back to the Future series. The story takes place in 1947 and it all begins with the lovable goofball Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) co-starring with the cute but not-so-innocent Baby Herman (offstage, Herman is a whiney, scowling cigar smoking midget) in What's Cookin'. It's not long before Roger is under investigation by hapless no-nonsense detective Eddie Valiant (Hoskins). Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye), owner of Toontown, has been murdered. Judge Doom (Back to the Future and Taxi's Christopher Lloyd) and his pack of scheming weasels suspect Roger is the culprit, particularly after Acme plays a game of patty-cake with Roger's sultry wife, Jessica (Kathleen Turner). Jessica's defense: "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way!" Roger, Jessica and Valiant do their best to prove Roger's innocence and save the fate of Toontown. Benny the wisecrackin' Cab is there to help Valiant get to the bottom of it all. Cameos include Daffy and Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny (voiced by the late Mel Blanc), Yosemite Sam, Mickey Mouse, Tweety, Droopy Dog, Betty Boop (with the original voice of Mae Questel) and many others. The musical score is composed by Alan Silvestri (Forrest Gump, Lilo and Stitch). Now for the extras. There is a spoken commentary as well as a "pop-up video" style commentary on the picture, outtakes including the "pig head" sequence, information on before/after animation, a DVD game Trouble in Toontown, options of widescreen and fullscreen, and (if you're bi-lingual) dubbed in versions in French and Spanish. Finally, it includes 3 Roger Rabbit short films, including Tummy Trouble (where Baby Herman swallows everything), Rollercoaster Rabbit (where Roger babysits Herman in an amusement park; my favourite of the 3) and Trail Mix-Up (where Roger takes Herman camping around Yellowstone Park; watch for Jessica's cameos in all of these!). Give yourself a week or 2 to enjoy the movie and all the extras! Enjoy the ride and leave the driving to Benny, your faithful tourgide!
Rating:
Summary: The Story of a Man, a Woman, and a Rabbit
Review: More than 15 years after its initial theatrical release, in this era when computer-generated animation and CG special FX are the mandatory norm, 1988's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT still stands firm as a groundbreaking, awe-inspiring, and wonderfully entertaining cinematic tour de force. In technical terms, it is the first film to convincingly combine living actors and animated cartoon characters in the same frame and make it look convincing. Thematically, it is a spoof of the noir films of the 1940s and 1950s, a slapstick comedy, and a satire of pre-civil-rights racial relations all rolled into one, sometimes referred to as the first genuine "cartoon noir." Based on the novel WHO CENSORED ROGER RABBIT? by Gary K. Wolf, the script by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman appropriately replaces Wolf's comic-book and newspaper-strip cartoons with more cinematic animated cartoon characters, but it retains the novel's satiric sociological subtext. The film is set in an alternate-universe Hollywood of the 1940s where cartoon characters (colloquially referred to as "toons") live and breathe and interact with flesh-and-blood humans. The toons are the social minority, and as with the minorities of the real-world U.S.A. during the early 20th century, they are given employment only as menial service workers or as entertainers, and for housing they are relegated to a Harlem-like ghetto (known in the film as Toontown). The story itself follows hard-boiled gumshoe Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he tries to uncover evidence that will exonerate zany toon Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) of a murder rap. Roger became the #1 suspect in the recent murder of Marvin Acme after it was discovered that the famous and wealthy gag-prop mogul had been rendezvousing secretly with Roger's sexy wife, Jessica Rabbit (voiced by an uncredited Kathleen Turner), and playing patty-cake with her. Though Valiant once vowed never to work for a toon again after one murdered his brother, the cynical ol' sleuth turns out to be a bit sentimental and, feeling sorry for the funny bunny, takes Roger's case anyway. But as the gushy gumshoe snoops for clues, he learns that there is more to Acme's murder than just a ploy to frame Roger; he uncovers a conspiracy that could lead to the demise of Toontown and its inhabitants! Alternately hilarious and suspenseful, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is replete with the kinds of throwaway gags, inside jokes, and one-liners that audiences would expect to see in an old-time cartoon short, while at the same time it unfolds into an intelligent who-done-it mystery worthy of Bogart's Sam Spade. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT represents the apex of 20th century filmmaking, but it is also wholesome family entertainment that offers something for kiddos and adults alike. This one will still be enjoyed by audiences of all ages long after it becomes an icon in the history books. As mentioned before, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT offers the most convincing mix of live-action performers and hand-drawn animation ever put to celluloid. While this is certainly due in part to the awesome skill and artistry with which the animators have inserted the cartoon characters, excellent performances from the "live" cast members--particularly Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd--also help to sell the illusion of realism. Instead of cartoonishly overacting, overREacting, or pushing their performances too far over the top, the actors adopt a natural, matter-of-fact posture towards the cartoons, and this makes the audience believe that the human characters interact with animated critters on a daily basis. The two-disc "Vista Series" DVD set from Disney Home Video is the definitive home-theater edition of the wonderful film. Not only does it offer a pristine restored & remastered anamorphic widescreen transfer of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (by the way, there's also a pan-and-scan version), there are tons of interesting and fun bonus features. These include a really entertaining feature commentary with director Zemeckis, the screenwriters, and other crew members; a making-of featurette; three Roger Rabbit cartoon shorts that played in theaters before OTHER films (just like in the old days, folks); a deleted scene; and lots more! The DVD collection of any serious film enthusiast will certainly contain a copy of this "cartoon noir" fantasy. This is a must-own DVD of a must-own film!
Rating:
Summary: An all-inclusive look at the animated classic
Review: 1987's "marriage" of animation and live action still holds up quite well due to the performances of Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd and the vocal skills of Charles Fleischer and Kathleen Turner. The DVD offers the fan everything that he/she wants to know about the making of the movie. The only complaint that I could register would be in the first disc's compilation of the three theatrical Roger Rabbit "shorts". Viewing them back to back reveals their shortcomings. While it is obvious that Zemeckis and company were paying homage to the great Tex Avery 'toons of the thirties, forties, and fifties, these newer films lacked Avery's brilliant over-the-top "bite." Avery had a lunacy unlike any other director of animated films and he couldn't be imitated. I know Avery and Zemeckis is no Avery.
Rating:
Summary: A five star 2 DVD set and a five star movie!!!
Review: This 2 DVD set is awesome!!! You get both full frame and widescreen versions of the movie!!! And this baby is loaded with extras!!! The ultimate version of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+
Rating:
Summary: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Vista Series)
Review: It's good to see how well this "antiquated" movie translated to dvd! Compared to the newer high tech movies Roger Rabbit still stands up and entertains with beautiful picture and sound. There are numerous extras that make you feel like you've entered the action including:
Who Made Roger Rabbit - a mini- documentary hosted by by Charles Fleisher the voice of Roger
The "Trouble in Toontown" Game
Audio Commentary with the filmakers
"Toontown Confidential" an intriquing & hilarious facts and trivia viewing option
And so many more options!
The movie is rated PG for some "Human" cussing. If you're disappointed about the toon Jessica Rabbit's bare breast scene being edited out, you should get a life and protest more important things going on in the world.
The Vista Series Edition of Roger Rabbit was a delight and I'm happy with this purchase. My five year old realizes that the few swear words are inappropriate and the "fantasy violence" to be politically correct isn't real and isn't the correct way to act.. Overall I think RR was a top notch movie and was meant for DVD.
JOHN ROW
Rating: 
Summary: Region 1 Good - Region 2 Bad
Review: If you, as I, live in the DVD region 1, don't bother with the one disc version available to us. Instead invest in this belter of a twin disc set that is all knobs and whistles. Best bits are the shorts (particularly 'Rollercoaster Rabbit'), Toon Town Confidential and Benny the Cab guiding you through the menus. Saying all this, the film is starting to show it's age a bit now with some dodgy composite shots that are magnified with sparkling DVD quality but I still prefer this to CGI!
| 
