Who Framed Roger Rabbit-Film Noir and Cartoon Characters

When Robert Zemeckis is at his best, he can be one of the most sincere filmmakers working with ridiculous concepts. Who Framed Roger Rabbit features literal cartoon characters, and while there are plenty of cartoonish antics throughout, the film plays the story entirely sincerely. The film plays its pastiche of the film noir genre completely straight. While it does this for parody purposes, contrasting the serious noir narrative with the goofy cartoon characters, it also gives the story genuine stakes and a sense of intrigue that makes the story so compelling. Much of those narrative elements come from the script by Jeffry Price and Peter S Seaman, which also crafts a narrative with a well-constructed crime mystery, satisfying setups and payoffs, and a main character arc in Eddie Vallient filled with a ton of heart.

But, it's Robert Zemeckis's direction that ties the genre pastiche together. Zemeckis makes the film a genuine noir, never going for an over-the-top style because there are cartoon characters throughout. With the help of DP Dean Kundy, Zemeckis frames each scene with the hazy or shadowy look of your standard film noir. That look would be difficult for a film that wants its cartoon characters to feel like they're genuinely there, with the animation having to match the harsh lighting of each scene, but the technical wizardry on display throughout accomplishes this task flawlessly.

On both a storytelling and filmmaking level, what makes Who Framed Roger Rabbit so good is that everyone involved made it as a film noir first and a film with cartoon characters second. It's an entertaining film noir with an intricate mystery filled with twists and turns that happens to star a supporting cast of cartoon characters. It makes for a film driven by a compelling mystery that's cartoonish hijinks also make it incredibly hilarious and entertaining.

Currently Streaming on Disney+ in the U.S