Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990) User Reviews (12)

Roger's OK but he's no Bugs Bunny...

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 23 January 2011]

Roger Rabbit loses Baby Herman at an amusement park when the little tike goes in search of his red balloon. All manner of craziness ensues.

I'm not the biggest fan of the Roger Rabbit shorts, finding Roger's voice a little on the irritating side and the relentlessly madcap nature and breakneck speed of the action, something akin to Tex Avery on speed, just a touch too excessive for my taste (I had the same problem with Spielberg's equally insane Animaniacs).

Even though Roller Coaster Rabbit doesn't rate as highly with me as it does with other reviewers here on IMDb, I still recommend it if only for the fact that pneumatic Jessica Rabbit fleetingly appears tied to a roller-coaster track (cue wolf-whistles, leg thumping on table, jaw hitting the floor, eyes popping out, and steam erupting from ears!).

(Please excuse the fact that all the reviews I have written for the Roger Rabbit shorts are almost identical—since all three cartoons follow exactly the same formula, I thought I would save myself some time!)

Providing All Available Accoutraments

[redryan64 · 8/10 · 16 April 2015]

THE PRODUCTION TEAM pulled out all stops in bringing this one to the screen. In addition to the old art of full animation, this cartoon has the benefit of modern special effects animation also. The sound work and Technicolour are also outstanding.

IN SHORT, THEY took a very thin, thread bare even, premise and did it up to a tee. They stick to the now formula of Baby Herman, Roger and the Lady (seen only at her lower leg level ala Hanna-Barberra's MGM TOM & JERRY Cartoons of the 1940's).

FROM THIS THEY move everything along at a typically manic pace, bringing it to a most enjoyable successful conclusion.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING, WE have really enjoyed this experimental foray into doing new theatrical cartoons by Amlin Enertainment and Disney. We sure wish that they'd do some more; perhaps on a greater volume.

Roger-dodger....

[Mister-6 · 29 September 1999]

Oh my gosh, my sides still ache from this one.

The first and last time I saw "Roller Coaster Rabbit" was when it was shown as a short subject before the midnight premiere of Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy". I haven't seen it sense and that makes my memories all the fonder.

This time, our hero Roger Rabbit has to babysit Baby Herman in an amusement park as the baby follows a mischievous balloon. In the process, Roger gets punctured with darts, attacked by a bull, riddled in a firing range and, of course, holds on for dear life on an out-of-control roller coaster.

Jessica Rabbit puts in an appearance, too. But the biggest laugh comes from who says "Curses, foiled again!"

If I could find this one on a tape all by itself, I'd buy it and watch it on a daily basis. I do that with cartoons anyway, but this one takes special precedence. Hey man, it's Roger!

Ten stars and a gold-plated carrot for "Roller Coaster Rabbit".

And Roger, make more movies, will ya?

Great one!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 21 July 2005]

I thought that the characters were really funny and all had great personalities. The animation in My opinion was crisp, clean, and really clear. Not to mention beautiful! Most of the characters in this show are hilarious Looney Tunes characters that we all love. in My opinion these characters are the funnies and talented ever seen. In fact, The things that goes on in this series' cartoons are in My opinion nuts which that is what makes them hilarious! There are so many to like and laugh at and the silly things they do! If you like the original Looney Tunes and animated films then I strongly recommend that you watch this movie today!

Violent and insane--EXACTLY what I love in a cartoon

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 29 October 2007]

After the wonderful film WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, Disney Pictures experimented by making several short cartoons starring Roger Rabbit and they were shown before feature films--much like the original purpose of classic Warner Brothers, MGM and Disney toons. Unfortunately, Disney also chose to pair these amazing shorts with some of the worst films of the era--virtually guaranteeing they would never see the light of day! Today, the only way you can see them is on an out of print videotape entitled "THE BEST OF ROGER RABBIT". It is NOT available on DVD nor does it appear it will be.

In this short, Roger is at an amusement park and as usual, he's watching the troublesome Baby Herman. Things really move into high gear when Roger wanders onto the roller-coaster to rescue the wayward youth (who is a lot like Sweet Pea from Popeye cartoons). You just have to see it to believe it.

Now as to the quality of this cartoon, it is amazingly violent and insane--even more so than the typical Tex Avery cartoon of the 1950s. Because the characters are so funny, the animation quality so superb and the action so intense, this is one of the greatest cartoon shorts you can find---period. Too bad the powers that be at Disney were idiots who didn't realize they had gold on their hands!

UPDATE 2/09--According to IMDb "This animated short can be found on the Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Vista Series DVD, released in 2003".

What a Ride!!!

[rizzostudios · 10/10 · 23 April 2006]

I'm 14 and I STILL love Looney Tunes, I have all of the collections and I watch them constantly. I'm also a BIG fan of Tex Avery, his mind was all over the place. Now when I got old enough to find out Roger Rabbit had his own cartoon shorts, I jumped for joy!!! Now, I had seen the "Tummy Trouble" cartoon when I was young since I liked "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" But it never occurred to me that it was a Roger Rabbit cartoon. I finally found out when I re-rented "Honey" and it said "Tummy Trouble" on the cover. After that, I went out of my way to find the others. It wasn't till just a few days ago that I finally saw all of them!!! I've watched them about a million time and "Rollercoaster Rabbit" is my absolute favorite one!!! Here are the reasons I love this cartoon, Spoiler Alert: 1: It's like Tex Avery to the extreme, especially when Roger is at the top of the roller-coaster and his eyes pop out of his sockets and wiggle around in the air.

2: The jokes are original, like when roger files smack dab into some barbed wire, he says, "That was bracing" and smiles to show us his barbed wire braces.

3: It's all over the place, with Roger getting shot at, getting stuck in the grinders, it's just plain hilarious!!! I loved it, it's probably my favorite cartoon now, I can't believe Disney and Steven had to finally pull the plug!!! That just chaps my hide (sorry, my Dad uses that phrase.) One of my favorite lines comes from Droopy, "Curses. Foiled again" HA, I laughed.

Well, I've taken up enough of your time now, just be sure to go out and watch this cartoon. Buy the new DVD which has just come out, even if it's only to see all 3 shorts!!! It'll be worth your money, I would do it, if my parents allowed me to buy "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Adios, Amigos

Thrillingly Funny!

[travisimo · 9/10 · 6 March 2004]

"Roller Coaster Rabbit" is my favorite of the three Roger Rabbit shorts. I thought that many of the gags throughout the cartoon were very clever and funny. Those that I found most memorable included the chase through the carnie games, Roger and Baby Herman riding off the film reel, and Jessica Rabbit making a cameo with Droopy on the railroad tracks with Jessica yelling a coarse "SAVE ME!!!" when Roger asked what she was saying. There's just something funny about Jessica having to switch from her sexy, sultry voice to one where she yells and criticizes Roger. It's just a striking difference!

There were also moments in the cartoon that kind of took me back, like when Roger falls into the bull's "droppings." Yeah, that was kinda gross! And I wasn't entirely sure what Baby Herman was reaching into when he tried to get his balloon. Despite these quasi-shocking moments, "Roller Coaster Rabbit" is quite inventive and has some good laughs from beginning to end. It's just a great cartoon short all around!

My IMDb Rating: 9/10

Wild? Yes. Fun? Not really.

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 4 December 2015]

"Roller Coaster Rabbit" is the second from three Roger Rabbot short films they made roughly 25 years ago. It runs for eight minutes and has Roger take care of Baby Herman again. And of course he needs to rescue Jessica. Sadly, without success, but luckily Droopy is around as well. This film, just like the first, relies on a mix of animation and live action again, but to me it feels like a copy of the first that I also did not enjoy that much. I see the lead actor's name is Fleischer, but I am not sure if he is related to Max or Dave. Anyway, he is far away from their best as Roger's voice in here is one of the main reasons why I did not like this film. And apart from that, they could not come up with a different story this time than saving Baby Herman again? Yes there is a raging bull in here and some trigger-happy amusement park visitors, but still.. It's all a bit repetitive and not really creative. Not recommended.

Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman go to an amusement park

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 2 March 2017]

Having recently got one of my all-time favourite films 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' on DVD, all three Roger Rabbit shorts were included as bonuses. And what great bonuses they were, thoroughly enjoyable in their own way, go perfectly with the film and almost as good.

Following on from the very good 'Tummy Trouble', the second cartoon 'Roller Coaster Rabbit' is even better. It is closer in spirit to the wild manic energy of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and has a more imaginative setting, this time set in an amusement park. The basic story is not that special, if you remember the hilarious made-up short that started 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' you have the basic story structure for all three Roger Rabbit cartoons except in different settings.

What stops things from being predictable, repetitive and tired is the increasingly intensely frenetic physical comedy/violence (Roger always getting the worst of it), the wonderfully relentlessly madcap pacing that reminds one of a slightly faster paced Tex Avery cartoon (while occasionally feeling a touch rushed) and writing that's never less than very amusing and at its best hysterical (the roller coaster scene in particular in phenomenal in its execution).

Anybody familiar with 'Animaniacs', 'Pinky and the Brain' and 'Tiny Toons', or who grew up with them, and only saw the Roger Rabbit cartoons recently like me, will love the vibrancy of the colours, the detail of the backgrounds and fluidity of the movements in 'Tummy Trouble'. The live-action sequence at the end like in tribute to 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' was an inspired touch. The music is rousing and energetically orchestrated, Roger and Baby Herman work wonders together and the voice acting is fine.

All in all, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

A dizzying sequence cannot save a generic short

[StevePulaski · 4/10 · 23 March 2016]

Rollercoasters are an ideal inclusion in animated films because they possess the ability to be devices for high-flying, gravity-defying, unapologetically ridiculous situations for the story's characters. Consider Bébé's Kids and its emphasis on misadventures at a local theme park involving a slew of toddlers. Roller Coaster Rabbit looks to have that same kind of emphasis, but its end result is a messy and fairly uninteresting blend of visual gags and routine silliness that shouldn't be so casually accepted by fans of the once-visceral and original Roger Rabbit character.

The film revolves around Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), Baby Herman, and Mrs. Herman (April Winchell), all of whom are spending their day at a fair. When Baby Herman winds up losing his red balloon, Roger goes to fetch him a new one, but not before Baby Herman attempts to get another one; here is what sets the film's plot into motion. Baby Herman escapes the company of his mother, which sends Roger into a panic and various desperate attempts to recover both Herman and the balloon. At one point, the two end up provoking a bull in a bull-riding arena, in addition to climbing aboard a roller coaster for a frightening ride, all while Roger tries to rescue Baby Herman and Baby Herman continues to escape danger just as easily as he found it, leaving Roger to bear all the battle wounds.

There is one truly great scene in Roller Coaster Rabbit and it comes when Roger leaps onto a roller coaster in order to fetch Baby Herman. During this time, for about five seconds, we see a point-of-view shot of the roller coaster's path, which sends us into a dizzying, almost hallucinatory, trance as it shows the cars of the roller coaster essentially eating up the track at the speed of light. It's a phenomenally executed scene in a short that unfortunately finds the need to settle for rather perfunctory sight gags that make this a monotonous and foreseeable Tom & Jerry skit done without any of the flair and less remarkable excitement.

Voiced by: Charles Fleischer and April Winchell. Directed by: Rob Minkoff and Frank Marshall.

The best of all the Roger Rabbit shorts

[mel-138 · 10 February 2003]

I saw this back in 1990 before "Dick Tracy" started. I must tell you, "Roller Coaster Rabbit" is the best of the shorts. If your lucky, you can find the video Disney released over five years ago on eBay containing all three shorts starring are famous hare and Baby Herman.

I like this one the most because of the risks Rob Minkoff and crew took with the sight gags and risque humor. I mean how can you not laugh at dear Roger when he makes an orthodontist joke. My only problem with this short is the rating. PG? C'mon MPAA, if you start censoring cartoons what's next - more mindless action films getting safe ratings when they deserve the R? Anyway, check it out. And Disney, if your reading this: greenlight more Roger Rabbit shorts, or better yet, a sequel to his film. The fans deserve it.