Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A Must-Have Disc For Collectors And Fans
like the film itself, the vista series of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is designed for the enjoyment of both children and adults alike. i was 11 years old when this movie was first released, and i remember being completely blown away by it. this movie only could have come from the 1980s! the special effects would not have been possible previously, and there's no way disney would allow all the cursing and violence if it were being made today. when i watched this dvd, i had not seen ROGER RABBIT since i was a kid. as an adult and avid movie fan, i was still completely blown away! this movie is not only a technical achievement (no computers were used, all animation was hand drawn) but it succeeds on levels of creativity and entertainment as well. it really is a great flick.disc 1 is for the kiddies, it contains the full-frame version of the movie and a couple extras that briefly go over how the movie was made and so forth. disc 2 is for longtime fans and film buffs (the people dvds were made for in the first place). it contains the widescreen version of the film, plus tons and tons of supplemental material on the making of the movie. through interviews, rough cuts, on-set footage and more, you get to see every stage of production and all the info you could ever want on what went into making such a visionary film. this disc is loaded and will not disappoint. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is a classic because they just don't make movies like this anymore. this isn't a children's movie, it's a movie period. it doesn't insult the intelligence of its viewers and wasn't made to cash in. it has withstood the test of time, because i loved it as a kid and now with this special edition, i can enjoy it on a whole new level as an adult. my kids can watch the first disc and be completely entertained as i was, then as they get older they can dip into disc 2 and who knows? maybe they'll be inspired to get out there and bring their imagination to life the way these filmmakers did.
Rating: - VISTA SERIES DVD well worth the wait!! Fabulous fun!
"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: - The Rabbit Gets Some Justice
Filmmakers have been combining animation and live action since the days of silent film--but 1988's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT not only bested everything done previously, it set a standard that is unlikely to be surpassed. Although it has been available on VHS and in a mediocre DVD release for quite a few years, the film finally gets the star treatment in this "Vista Series" double DVD release, which includes the film in both pan-and-scan and letterbox formats and an assortment of extras, many of which are quite interesting.The concept and story are well known: cartoon characters are not drawings, but are living entities who work in the film industry, and when Maroon Cartoon star Roger Rabbit is accused of murdering Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye), he turns to private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) for help. Trouble is, Eddie hates "Toons." After all, one of them offed his brother, and Eddie hasn't been sober since. The concept is a clever one, and the story could have gone in any number of directions--but ROGER RABBIT hops down a completely unexpected trail. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the film uses classic "noir" elements (and references everything from THE MALTESE FALCON to CHINATOWN); it also makes considerable sly social commentary on racism, with the "Toons" performing in a Cotton Club-like nightclub, literally working for peanuts at the studios, and more or less confined to living in "Toontown," which might easily be read as social ghettoization. And all of these sidelights are interesting and entertaining. But the most attractive thing about ROGER RABBIT is that it is just plain fun to watch. Part of that fun comes from the marvelous performances of Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd (as the evil Judge Doom), and Joanna Cassidy (Valiant's sidekick Delores), who lead the live action cast. Another chunk of the fun is the way in which the film cameos a host of famous cartoon characters, ranging from Betty Boop to Bugs Bunny and the Warner Bro.s gang to Dumbo--and animation buffs will love the fact that Betty Boop and Bugs Bunny, to name but two, are voiced by the artists (Mae Questel and Mel Blanc) who created the character voices in the first place. But the big deal here is the extremely believable way in which the "Toons" fit into the real world. They rendered with astonishing detail and remarkable three dimensionality. It's just an amazing thing to watch. The overall DVD package is a bit odd, for it offers less in the way of bonuses than one might expect. The first disk includes a pan-and-scan version of the film, three Roger Rabbit/Baby Herman shorts, a kid-friendly documentary, and a CD-ROM game; the second disk offers the letterbox film with extras that will appeal to more mature viewers, most particularly on-set shots and a nifty documentary called "Behind the Ears." The upshot is really a one-disk release that has been expanded to two by the trick of cramming both pan-and-scan and letterbox versions into a single package. That's annoying--but even so, this is easily the best release of this film to date. It at gives the rabbit some justice at last, and I give it five stars on that basis.
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