Mobotnik Studios

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is an absolute blast from start to finish. Adapted (VERY loosely) from Gary K. Wolf’s 1981 novel “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?”, the film centres around private detective Eddie Valiant (portrayed by the late, great Bob Hoskins), an alcoholic who holds a grudge against “Toons” after one killed his brother (though he is able to get along well with Betty Boop, as it is implied his brother was a fan of her cartoons). In this universe, Toons are like human actors, though they are known for being quite a bit zanier. Our deuteragonist, Roger Rabbit (played by Charles Fleischer), is an original character created for this film, but he doesn’t feel out of place with the likes of the Looney Tunes and the Disney characters. His wife, exaggerated femme fatale Jessica Rabbit (played by an uncredited Kathleen Turner), is rumoured to be having an affair (and playing Patty-Cake) with gag factory king and owner of Toontown, Marvin Acme (Played by the late Stubby Kaye, and a clever nod to the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner gag), and as such, Roger cannot keep focus and continually blows his lines. When Acme is found dead, all fingers are pointed at Roger, who seeks the help of Valiant to clear his name, and escape the sinister Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) and his weasel henchmen, who are eager to use Doom’s Toon-killing “Dip” to erase Roger Rabbit permanently. What follows next is a crazy spin through Hollywood in 1947, as Roger and Eddie attempt to outrun Doom before it’s too late. You’ll have to watch the rest of the film to find out how it ends! The film is a technical marvel, utilising hand-drawn cel animation and live-action in a first of its kind combination which still looks beautiful to this day. Hoskins’ acting is impeccable, and he communicates the character of Valiant in a very subtle yet extremely powerful manner. The live-action segments feel like a loving tribute to 40’s noir dramas, which is why the juxtaposition of the human world with the 40’s cartoon aesthetic, Tex Avery-styled Toontown works so well even to this day. Roger feels like a mix of Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy (though his wife describes him as better than Goofy), with a hint of Wile E Coyote/Tom & Jerry thrown into the opening short, and Fleischer does a great job giving Roger a memorable voice (“P-P-P-Please!”). Lloyd’s performance as Doom is nothing short of terrifying, as it should be. The entire film feels like a love letter to Looney Tunes, with some great cartoon cameos (Daffy Duck and Donald Duck having a piano fight, and Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse skydiving together both come to mind) really selling the audience on the Toontown concept. To this day, a sequel has never been made, much to the disappointment of some, but I personally feel this is for the best, as this film feels like a one-and-done concept, which could even encourage younger audiences to go back and watch some classic cartoons starring the Toons who cameo in the film, but for those craving more content from Roger and friends, there are some great animated “Maroon Cartoon” shorts that came off the heels of this film’s success(“Tummy Trouble”, “Roller Coaster Rabbit”, and “Trail Mix-Up”), all 3 of which can be streamed on Disney+ alongside this film, as well as an off-the-walls dark ride at Disneyland California and Tokyo Disneyland called “Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin” which takes guests through the streets of Toontown, dodging the Weasels and spinning through Dip. Besides that, this film serves it’s purpose as a one-and-done. Overall, a truly fantastic film which I cannot recommend enough!

Perfect acting, best film in the raimiverse. I mean, Spider-Man 2, Joker and Pulp Fiction were alright, but they can’t top this masterpiece. The car goes very fast, meaning Lightning McQueen ripped off this film, and that absolutely disgusts me. Pixar took and Indie film and turned it into a cheap commercial for plastic toys! Those corporate Knick-knacks. The movie itself is great. Augustine and Latisha are played very well. The car very scary aaaaaaAAAAHHH It contains one of the greatest car chase scenes of all time, ending in a gory mutilation; it’s horrific, but furthers the story. Still an overall great film. The second one sucks beans. The ending always makes me cry. 10/10

Okay, I’ll be honest; this is far from the best Sonic game. Heck, I’d even say it’s far from a GOOD game in general. But that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. The story is weak, rushed, characters feel far from developed. Why is Knuckles leading the resistance and acting so smart all of a sudden? Why is Silver back from the future? It was explained in a tie-in comic, but not in game? Players shouldn’t have to go out of the way to track down such important story details. Overall, a weak story with the least developed Sonic villain ever. Though his story ends on a cliffhanger. Perhaps SEGA isn’t done with Infinite’s story just yet. The gameplay is... odd. Modern Sonic’s Boost gameplay is hollow and unenjoyable. There is too much 2D in his gameplay, and the 3D sections were vast, empty, and only required you to hold down the run button. The avatar’s gameplay is boring. The Wispon System really doesn’t affect the gameplay. The only good thing is the customisation options. They are very fun! I especially love the SOAP Shoes, great reference! I actually found myself enjoying Classic Sonic’s gameplay the most. The Drop Dash was fun to use. The soundtrack is odd. Modern Sonic’s tracks are catchy. However, there is too much synthesiser in them. The Avatar’s tracks are strange. They are electro pop, but aren’t for me. Classic Sonic is without a doubt the worst in terms of tracks. The ear grating 16 bit-esque music is terrible. There are fan remixes that are better! The best tracks in the game are the orchestral tracks. They are genuinely catchy. Overall, while I don’t think this game isn’t so bad, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone anytime soon.

If you are a critic, or a general audience-goer, then this movie may come across as just another fun kids’ film. It is mostly aimed at that audience. But if you are, like me, a Sonic The Hedgehog fan, then what Jeff Fowler and his team have done here will leave you stunned and pleased. The references to the games and the callbacks to this character’s almost 30 year gaming history will undoubtably make any fan beam with pride. Even as a movie,from a non-Sonic perspective, it’s quite the enjoyable flick. Carrey taps into his manic 90’s energy which made films like “The Mask” so enjoyable, specifically when we see him tap into the goofy nature of Robotnik’s character. Schwartz delivers what may be the best portrayal of the character to date, and he delivers some lines during the emotional scenes which will kick you right in the feels. The rest of the supporting cast is great with some stand-outs being Lee Majdoub’s Character, Agent Stone, Robotnik’s lackey who is also a complete suck-up with some great latte-making skills, and Natasha Rothwell’s character, Rachel, the sister of Tika Sumpter’s character Maddie, who isn’t very approving of Maddie’s marriage to Tom “Donut Lord” Wachowski (Played by James Marsden). Alongside the great cast, the soundtrack is beautiful, long time Sonic fans may recognise the orchestrated version of the SEGA chant during the opening credits. The cinematography is good, and after his makeover (which of course delayed the film), Sonic is very cute and incredibly expressive, and despite being on a lesser budget, the titular character’s CGI still looks quite realistic. Overall, a great film that anyone can enjoy, but gamers and fans will get the most enjoyment out of. 5/5.