Learning that Who Framed Roger Rabbit is still fairly popular after this long is kind of amusing since it means that pop culture might move pretty fast, but it also means that the memories of the fans are longer than many would think possible. The Unsolved Mysteries treatment is funny since it puts a very serious spin on the hybrid toon/live-action movie that makes a lot of sense but still has all the comedy that people can remember. When the movie first came out it was something of a confusing bit to some folks since they didn’t know what to think, but as time went on it became an even bigger hit and as it continued to age it managed to get better and better as nostalgia took hold and people continued to remember their favorite parts. Everyone has something they remember fondly from the movie and while that might be Jessica Rabbit for a lot of adolescent males that were growing up when this movie came out, there are a few characters that are hard to let go of, particularly Bob Hoskins, who was a great actor in his time and helped make the movie into what it was. What’s really funny is that Hoskins could be as vile a character as anyone had ever seen, as watching the movie Unleashed would prove, but he could play someone that you couldn’t help but feel for and actually enjoy since Eddie Valiant was kind of a heel, but at the same time, he was a good guy down deep where it counted.
As far as being a detective he was motivated more by money than anything, but when it came to saving Toon Town he ended up being a pretty decent guy that was still the gruff, no-nonsense individual that people couldn’t stand to be around. The story that his brother was killed by a toon was the perfect inspiration to add to his character since it made him hate all toons, no matter who or what they were. The funny thing was that a lot of toons still liked and respected him, meaning it irritated him even further and continued to push the gruff exterior as he made it clear that he didn’t work for toons. Even thinking about taking on Roger’s case was anathema to him at first since he didn’t want anything to do with toons. The more he tried to stay away from the toons though, the further he was drawn into their world again until finally, he didn’t have much of a choice but to head back to Toon Town in an attempt to find out who was framing Roger and why. When it turned out to be the Judge a lot of people were still surprised, but at that point, it was a little bit obvious since he had just as much disdain for the toons as Eddie did, if not more. Christopher Lloyd definitely tried to steal the show as the Judge, but Hoskins hung right in there with him and the two of them made a movie that people still fully enjoy since it’s a perfect blend of animation and live-action, even if the process wasn’t quite what it is today. It was revolutionary all the same since it was something that people enjoyed and it was an obvious step forward when it came to cinema.
As far as the Unsolved Mysteries portion of the movie the whole detective angle was kind of animated as well, from a certain point of view. Eddie wasn’t much of a private eye to be fairly honest, but he was what would pass as the Hollywood version since he played up the role in a way that fit the overall feel of the movie in a big way. He was kind of a sleaze but not really, he was definitely a drunk but he eventually gave it up, and he was a louse but he had a good heart beneath it all. That’s the kind of guy that a lot of people can relate to, and as such Eddie was the type of character that people love pulling for since they know there’s a good person buried deep within the cynicism, and at some point, they’ll get to meet that individual. Even better though is the fact that Eddie didn’t really flip the script and become a likable guy right away, since by the end he was still pretty gruff and gave off the impression that he was still a bit rough around the edges. That’s another point in his favor since the gruff hero suddenly becoming the goody-two-shoes isn’t all that believable. The movie was just the right balance between bright and colorful and dark and grimy and managed to entertain people while giving them a reason for a bit of cringe. In other words, it was a classic the moment it was released.
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