Las Vegas 1945: returning war hero Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) crashes his motorcycle and enters the Cool World – a nightmarish animated hell populated by cartoon characters or “doodles” like blonde seductress Holli Would (voiced by Kim Basinger).
It’s a world where sex between doodles and “noids” (humans) is banned, as cartoonist and ex-convict Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) is about to find out.
Deebs is the creator of the comic “Cool World”, who discovers that his fictional creation actually exists.
Femme fatale Holli sets out to seduce him so she can become, er, Kim Basinger, and all that stands in her way is Frank Harris – the human detective of the cartoon world.
Director Ralph Bakshi looked set to produce an adult version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) with this mix of animation and live-action, but somewhere down the line, it ran out of steam.
Although Bakshi came up with some stunning animated characters, they are not always seamlessly integrated with their live-action counterparts, and the cast hardly looks comfortable with the confusing, unfunny script (studio interference muddied the plot beyond repair and left Bakshi permanently disillusioned with filmmaking).
For all its adult situations, this isn’t a patch on the knowing humour of Roger Rabbit. It recouped just half its budget at the box office.
Holli Would
Kim Basinger Jack Deebs
Gabriel Byrne Detective Frank Harris Brad Pitt Jennifer Malley Michele Abrams Craps Bunny
Jenine Jennings Bash
Gregory Snegoff Bob/Lonette
Candi Milo Vegas Vinnie/Doc Whiskers/Mash
Maurice LaMarche Sparks
Michael David Lally Nails
Charlie Adler Isabelle Malley Deirdre O’Connell
Director
Ralph Bakshi
Video
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Deebs is the creator of the comic “Cool World”, who discovers that his fictional creation actually exists.
Holli Would
Vegas Vinnie/Doc Whiskers/Mash
