Jason

VIP

5

Theme- 8/10
Rewatchibility- 7.5/10
Acting- 8.5/10
Kinematography- 5/10
Time- 6/10
Total - 35/5 = 7

Dunham's first special hits us with a ventriloquist comedy act that hadn't been used in stand-up successfully in a very long time. Along with Terry Fator shortly later on Season 2 of AGT, Dunham brought back a gimmick that for better or worse, has stuck around with no real end in sight. A quick analysis:
*His solo stand-up - Forgettable. I'm sitting here trying to even remember a single line and nothing comes to mind.
*Walter - The opening puppet and coming strong out of the gate with, IMO, the best of the group.
*Bubba J - I know and live around a lot of people whom are the catalyst for the creation of Bubba J. This bit was funny once but is not repeatable in terms of laughing at the same joke.
*Sweet Daddy D - Oh... let me lay this out; a white ventriloquist... with a black puppet... who's a pimp. I'm not gonna elaborate on the bit other than to say, NO just NO.
*Peanut - Presented as the star puppet, merchandise sales clearly back that up. Peanut is hit or miss with me. A coked-up Sesame Street reject seems like an accurate description.
*José Jalapeño on a Stick - Another racially insensitive, stereotype-filled character. José is at the very least mildly entertaining compared to Sweet Daddy, and I do mean the very least.

I do feel like if I watched this again the rating would go down. For now I'll keep it as is, as I do recall liking the special overall. Maybe it's because I enjoy the art of ventriloquism and this was the first I had seen in a mainstream format.

Theme- 7/10
Rewatchibility- 7/10
Acting- 8/10
Kinematography 5/10
Time- 6/10
Total - 33/5 = 6.6

Striking while the iron's the hottest is the first thing to come to mind with Dunham's second special. This special made Jeff white-hot in stand-up comedy because at the time ventriloquism wasn't common and had yet to overstay it's welcome. A quick analysis:
*His solo stand-up - Average it did provide fuel for some of the puppets acts and it's short because nobody came to see him without the puppets.
*Walter - One of his star puppets and arguably his best. Grumpy old man that's easily the most digestible bit in the special.
*Achmed, the Dead Terrorist - I'll start off by saying I hate this character. Cultural stereotypes are abundant as you would imagine and political correctness & right/wrong arguments aside, it's just not funny to me.
*Melvin, the Superhero Guy - This is his one and only special which is a shame. I did find him amusing but I imagine he clashed with the Achmed and José fans to atempt to do anymore material with him especially since to superhero genre of film was getting ready to boom at that time.
*Peanut - Along with Walter, one of the mainstay puppets. Peanut is hit or miss with me. A coked-up Sesame Street reject seems like an accurate description.
*José Jalapeño on a Stick - So now we move away from cultural stereotypes to racial ones. Admittedly, I do find José more entertaining than Achmed but that might be due to be being partnered with peanut the entire time.

Despite my objections towards a few characters I did enjoy this special. Still though at this point with the collective puppets, Melvin excluded, you can see who the target audience is becoming or has already become and Jeff knows that and I do believe this is the tipping point before it is truly leaned into in future specials. And it is that lean I believe that will likely push me away completely.

Theme- 10/10
Rewatchibility- 10/10
Acting- 10/10
Kinematography 10/10
Time- 10/10
Total - 50/5 = 10

This movie is such a rare case for me, as it unequivocally checks all the boxes in an outstanding fashion. It blends drawn animation and live-action perfectly while telling a 1940's film noir story, which are hard to screw up in my opinion. The film ages remarkably well, partly due to it being a faux period piece in the first place and also the balanced use of timeless characters that don't overstay their welcome. Visually I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. Voice acting aside, the real actors on screen, especially Hoskins, make you believe the animated characters are really there and that's a true testament to great acting. Most importantly I feel, the film leaves you wanting more and you really can't find this magic truly anywhere else, that void can only be filled with replays of Roger Rabbit.

I always believe a 10 rating should be reserved for movies that you find so great, that if you happen across it playing at any juncture of the film you will stop, watch, & enjoy. Who Framed Roger Rabbit fits that mold like a toon-sized hole in the wall.