The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The original film The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of the saddest and most dramatic films ever. Now, Victor Hugo's original vision is put with color from disney, and it is still dramatic and sad, but it amazingly works into the Dinsey family fold, even if it is erotic, killing and weird. Great fun in voices from Thomas Hulce, Demi Moore, kevin Kline, Tonyt Jay and Jason Alexander as a gargoyle. One of the better animated films to come around in the 90's. A+

Fmovies: I saw "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in the cinema when it first came out and I was about 5 or six years of age. I didn't think much of it, but having revisited it after all these years, I am convinced that this is Walt Disney Studios' most amazing effort yet. Despite the fact that it ignores much of its somber source material (understandibly), it is an incredible film on any level and certainly not one to be missed.

In case you're unfamiliar with the story, the film centers around the, well, Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasimodo. Kept high up in the bell tower of the cathedral because of his hideous appearance by his cruel master Judge Claude Frollo (one of Disney's best villains), Quasi longs to be outside in the real world. After being convinced by his gargoyle friends to venture out into the world on the Festival of Fools, Quasi is beaten and humiliated because of his appearance, but is saved by the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda. Frollo wishes to rid the city of the "gypsy scum" and Esmeralda is forced to take sanctuary inside the cathedral, where she befriends Quasi. To complicate matters, Captain of the Guard Phoebus has fallen in love with Esmeralda and so has Frollo. Phoebus defies Frollo's wishes to kill innocent gypsies and becomes, like Esmeralda, a fugitive, who is forced to hide in the cathedral as well under the protection of Quasimodo. However, once Frollo finds out the Quasi has been helping those who Frollo hates, it leads to an all out battle on the steps of Notre Dame, with a heart-pounding climax and bittersweet resolution.

This is by far Disney's best film, with beautiful animation, amazing voice talents, and a wonderful (if not completely faithful) story. Highly Recommended!

WARNING: Some material in this film may be too intense for young children; there is talk of hell, damnation, a woman being trampled to death on the steps of the cathedral, a man being publicly humiliated, whipping, and suggestive material. Parent be cautioned.

Rating-****

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a surprise of a pleasant Disney film, in my opinion this is the last real great (hand drawn)animated Disney movie. I was eleven when this film was release and I saw it in the theater, I was just absolutely in love with this film. Still to this day I like watching it. It has such a beautiful story, a bit different from the original Hunchback of Notre Dame book, but they had to make it family friendly. Not to mention that the soundtrack to The Hunchback of Notre Dame is just so beautiful and awesome, the best since The Lion King. This is just such a charming and magical film, I can't see someone not falling in love with it.

Quasimodo is a disfigured man who was raised by the evil and cruel Frodo who only keeps him to save himself from eternal damnation. One day Quasimodo goes down to the big fair and bumps into a beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda, who doesn't judge him by his looks but by his charming and kind personality. But when she saves him from the crowd's cruelty, she is a fugitive on the run now, but Quasimodo helps her and falls in love with her. But a new soldier, Phoebus, has also fallen for her and she has for him too, but they all must stick together in order to survive the cruel flames of Notre Dame.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is just such a great film to watch, it's a great family movie for the afternoon. It's such a touching story, it could even bring a few tears to your eyes, and some fun comedy to uplif the story. I loved the old man who is constantly in a trap of some sort and his line every time he gets free "I'm free! I'm free!", then he gets back in the same situation "Dangit!", that was funny. The cast was perfect and seemed to have a lot of fun with their characters. I highly recommend this film, it's a great Disney treasure.

9/10

The Hunchback of Notre Dame fmovies. I've just read a comment that this movie has a lot of bad songs. I absolutely disagree - there may be some weak parts of script or so, but music is indeed very, very good. Alan Menken made a masterpiece, as usual! The orchestration, score, everything, not to mention good voices of characters. But it is true that maybe this story isn't exactly meant for children, although Disney tried to make it closer to a child's ear and eye. I also think that the animation was really good - much more expressive than some of newer Disney's movies that were made almost entirely by computers. It's a pity that Hunchback wasn't more successful - it certainly deserved it.

Disney adapts the famous novel by Victor Hugo into their 34th animated feature, telling the story of the lonely, deformed Quasimodo, the secluded bellringer of Notre Dame, who lives by himself in Notre Dame's church towers, with only three stone gargoyles named Victor, Hugo (get it?), and Laverne for company. At the gargoyles' playful urging, Quasi sneaks away from the church one day to attend the Festival Of Fools, and makes his first real human friend in the beautiful gypsy girl, Esmeralda. But soon, after Quasimodo is ridiculed by the crowd for his appearance, he and Esmeralda find themselves in trouble with Quasimodo's wicked stepfather, Frollo, the ruler of Notre Dame. With help from his three gargoyle friends, as well as the kind soldier Captain Phoebus (who has fallen in love with Esmeralda), it's up to Quasimodo to save Esmeralda and the town of Notre Dame itself from Frollo's evil control....

If you've been reading some of my other reviews, then you know by now that I'm a big fan of Disney animated features: "Snow White," "Fantasia," "Tarzan," and "Atlantis," to name but a few (and I do plan on reviewing more Disney films in the future). But now that I've just gotten reacquainted with Disney's 1996 film, "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame," finally released on DVD, I know now beyond the shadow of a doubt that this beautiful animated film is indeed my favorite Disney feature of them all (okay, so "Fantasia" arguably remains the best *animated* of the lot, but it certainly didn't have an actual plot). I don't think I've ever cried so much during a Disney movie. "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" is, quite simply, a glorious triumph for Walt Disney Productions.

Granted, the Disney team have "Disney-ized" Hugo's original novel, such as turning it into a musical, including sidekick stone gargoyles that come to life, as well as the obligatory happy ending, but no matter. This is a truly wonderful animated film through and through that will touch you right down to your very soul. It's very well-written, surprisingly dark at times, gorgeously animated, very funny AND very dramatic at turns, with a first-rate voice cast including Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Tony Jay & Jason Alexander, and beautiful, memorable songs by Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz. And I promise you, there won't be a dry eye in the house at the film's end, mark my words.

HOW, in Heaven's name, did the Academy overlook "Hunchback Of Notre Dame" altogether in 1997? Not even any nominations for the music! Absolutely outrageous. Perhaps with the five previous Disney films in a row being honored by the Academy, from "The Little Mermaid" through "Pocahontas," the Academy simply wanted to take a break from nominating Disney films, not realizing how truly brilliant "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" was. How very unfortunate that "Hunchback" had to fall victim to the Academy's ignorance that year.

Still, it takes nothing away from the remarkable achievement that this Disney film is. Against all the odds, the Disney team transformed Victor Hugo's novel into a truly lovely tale for all ages to enjoy. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll enjoy the music, you'll be moved. Step aside, "Beauty And The Beast"---"The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" is the REAL Disney masterpiece from the last few years.

I was so impressed by this movie. The animation is gorgeous and a lot of the subject matter profound. Many critics have complained about the talking gargoyles messing up the movie and taking it further away from Hugo's original novel, but the only problem I have with them is their song (A Guy Like You), which attempts "Be Our Guest" and "Under the Sea" status, but really does lack the melody. Other than that, they fit right in with Hugo, who told in his novel that Quasimodo would sit for hours holding solitary converse with the statues. Of course, this was all in his mind, but hello, so are the gargoyles in the movie. No one else ever sees them talking or moving (with the exception of Djali), and they are animated to give Quasimodo some friends, just as he did on his own in the book. Of course, there are many other parts of the movie that are WAY different from the book, but not as many people complain about them, so I won't mention them. The main reason I love this movie is the villain, Frollo, played to perfection by Tony Jay. His sinister atmosphere and lust for Esmerelda are elements of the like we have never seen in any other Disney movie, prior to or after Hunchback. The song "Hellfire" is the crown jewel of the movie, and makes the entire thing worth watching. I was so surprised by the graphic lyrics and animation of this scene, and could do nothing but yell "THIS IS Disney!!!!!!!!!!" But it was a good surprise, not a bad one. Frollo is decidedly the deepest, and most evil of all Disney villains, and is definitely my favorite.

The music in this movie is also the best that Disney has ever produced. Though the songs are not as catchy as those found in other memorable Disney movies, they are nonetheless the most powerful. In this movie, we find large-scale choral music in Latin, huge orchestral works, religious themes, and Broadway/Classical style arrangements that put most of the other Disney movies to shame. It truly is magnificent.

I definitely recommend this movie to all audiences, and I give it a 10/10. This is the Disney movie that deserved an Oscar nomination more than any other, and it is a shame that it has been so underplayed and all but disowned by Disney since its release. SEE THIS MOVIE.