(c) Disney

Disc 1: ‘Family Friendly’:
Again, they must think that families don’t demand a whole lot these days, as this disc is sparse as far as extras go: follow Benny’s map to the Ink and Paint Club, for example, and all you’ll get is a scant two previews. Go to the Maroon Cartoon Studios, and be instructed to insert Disc 2 … sounds tempting at this point.

In addition to a ‘Full Screen’ (read: pan and scan) version of the film (Disc 2, with its widescreen print of the film, is sounding even better right about now … it would be a crime for this, of all films, to be viewed with the edges hacked off), the Acme Warehouse section (where you can click on various on-screen gags) provides access to the Disc 1 Bonus Features, including the only thing worth popping this disc in for, the three Roger Rabbit shorts, produced after the success of the film, which can be viewed individually or with the ‘play all’ function.

Although they haven’t held up as well as the film that spawned them, the three shorts, which starred Roger and Baby Herman (with cameos by Jessica and Droopy Dog), are still worth watching for some quick laughs as well as some animation history: Tummy Trouble (1989, released with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) was the first Disney short (as opposed to ‘featurette’) produced since Goofy’s Aquamania in 1961, and it was also the most expensive short ever made up until that time. Roller-Coaster Rabbit was shown, under the Touchstone banner, with 1990’s Dick Tracy, and Trail Mix-Up (seen in theaters with 1993’s A Far Off Place) was the first Disney short to use computer animation.

You’re best bet now would be to grab for Disc 2, unless you want to sit through the embarrassing Who Made Roger Rabbit. Hosted by Charles Fleischer, this new and thankfully brief feature is as simple as its title: no interviews, no depth, no thanks. (Why they didn’t just include the 1988 television special Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toontown is beyond me.) There are some quick peeks at some of the mechanical devices, rubber stand-ins and puppetry used to help create some of the animation effects in the film, as well as Fleischer in his infamous on-set bunny costume, but you’ll get a lot better look at these on Disc 2 …

But not yet … aside from the increasingly more pointless but prerequisite DVD game Trouble in Toontown, there is a hidden surprise on this disc: from the main menu, click on the round gauge on Benny’s dashboard to see the Original Theatrical Trailer for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Albeit a murky print, you do see a glimpse of the deleted pig-head scene, seen in full on Disc 2.