User reviews

Granted, Disney's animated, musical rendering of Victor Hugo's classic story "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" isn't a kid-pleaser like "Beauty and the Beast", and yet it is just about in that class. This lovely film doesn't have "Beauty"'s humor or a centerpiece ballad, but I actually found "Hunchback" preferable. Tale of Quasimodo, disfigured outcast in medieval Paris who becomes a hero, lends itself surprisingly well to the animated format, with flashy, active drawings and a handsome production. The direction from Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise is tight, though their pacing is just a bit frantic, not helped by the choppy editing (were they afraid a slower pace would turn children off?). Although the songs aren't hummable, the Oscar-nominated score from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz is hardly a washout, compensating for the overall lack of jokes (the gargoyle sidekicks not withstanding). The celebrity voices (de rigeur these days) are expressive, and the movie tells a captivating, timeless story that should thrill smart-thinking younger audiences. *** from ****

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has me really conflicted in how I feel about it. It's a dark and mature movie with a compelling story and a number of themes effortlessly interwoven, while also being remarkably progressive for its time. It tackles ideas on sex, racism, and religion like no Disney movie before or since. The animation is gorgeous with sweeping cityscapes and defined colouring creating uncountable amounts of frame-worthy shots. It has flourishes of a truly great stage musical, but I'm not a fan of that stage musical style so many of the musical numbers fell completely flat for me, even though the classical/choral instrumentation really appeals to me. And as progressive and mature as its story and themes may be, there's the problematic ending that undermines much of it. Not to mention the jarring tonal shifts between the dark and serious melodrama and the kid-friendly slapstick and witty one-liners, and the rushed pacing/editing that prevents the movie from transitioning properly and breathing between each scene. It's an underrated classic and a messy misstep all at once; a flawed masterpiece. I give The Hunchback of Notre Dame a hugely conflicted 7/10.

For sure one of Disney's darker efforts (the hero's mother is murdered on screen in its opening moments), 'The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)' tells the tale of a deformed man forced to live among the bells of Notre Dame by a devout yet merciless judge who manipulates him into believing he is a monster who must remain locked away for his own good. Of course, our hero has a heart of gold and soon finds himself acquainted with a persecuted Roma woman who gives him his first taste of real kindness. The movie deals with difficult themes of disability, discrimination, persecution, racism and genocide. The film's baddie is a real dastardly piece of work; he's legitimately threatening and his actions are some of the most despicable of all of Disney's villains. His aim is to wipe out the entire Roma population of Paris, a desire which is deepened when he finds himself smitten by a dancer (the same woman I referred to earlier) and decides he must either 'have' her or burn her at the stake. The flick is generally more serious and somber than the stuff its studio is typically associated with. That isn't a bad thing, though. The movie is engaging, affecting and sometimes surprising. It's also entertaining right the way through. It isn't consistently downbeat, either. Though its songs aren't all that memorable, they work well enough in the moment and help maintain the narrative's dark atmosphere. It's worth mentioning that the picture does repeatedly - exclusively, even - refer to its Roma characters with a pejorative that I won't repeat here (it's, sadly, still in common use to this day). However, it doesn't feel malicious and the use of this slur is probably period accurate. I can still understand how someone would have an issue with it, though; racial slurs shouldn't be appearing in anything, let alone a Disney movie. Despite this issue, the affair is ultimately a compelling and well-achieved adaptation of its source novel. It's enjoyable and has real stakes to it. It also has a strong underlying message. 7/10

In 15th century Paris, Quasimodo the hunchback of Notre Dame falls for gypsy girl Esmeralda who was the only one to show him kindness. Claude Frollo the Minister of Justice has kept Quasimodo hidden in the belltower. The cruel Frollo set his soldiers to destroy the world of the gypsy and it's up to Quasimodo and the handsome Phoebus to come to the rescue.

This Disney animation looks great. The story is a beautiful poignant story of sacrifice and love. The only thing missing is a really good iconic song. That would have added at least a point. The characters are really compelling.

I have not read the book by Victor Hugo, but I do understand that, as the other adaptations of theirs, this has been "Disney-fied", gotten something of a heavy dose of sugar injected, to direct its aim toward children. In spite of this, it's actually quite watchable for those of us who aren't, anymore. The tone has a lot of maturity, and the themes are universal. The plot is very good, well-written and it develops nicely throughout the entire feature. Colors are used effectively. At the same time, the visuals are rather naturalistic and realistic, all the way. The dialog is well-done. The comedy works, and a lot of it is enjoyable to the older audiences, as well. The DVD holds a cute special feature or two, and none of them are bad. The game isn't the best of these Disney DVD games. Casting surprised me, Kline and Moore both suit their parts and as with Gibson in Pocahontas, and much more so, Williams in Aladdin, first-mentioned actor gets some of his recognizable traits transferred to his animated alter ego. Alexander is a lot more tolerable than he was in The Return of Jafar, in fact, he's downright funny, herein. The music isn't bad at all. This has moments of creativity and energy like that of Aladdin, which is still my favorite Disney animated musical. The dramatic portions are effective, and the 3D elements are masterfully done. I recommend this to any fan of Disney's feature-length musical cartoons, young and old alike. 7/10

The 34th animated Disney "classic" is a little better that the earlier "Pocahontas", but still far from being one of the great Disney classics.

Although this movie has some great designs and sceneries, in many ways most of the designs haven't got the same creativity or brilliance from the older classics. However, the era when Disney started to go downhill was just beginning, because this was followed by much worst Disney movies. But that's another story...

The gargoyles are exaggerated characters. The idea of talking gargoyles is a little too much for me, just like Grandmother Willow (the talking tree from "Pocahontas"). But this isn't the only negative thing about this movie. I dislike some of the humor used on it. Not that there's something wrong with its humor, it's just not very convincing, that's all.

I also think that this movie is too dark. This isn't the darkest Disney movie ever, but it is very close to that. Nevertheless, this movie is quite creepy in some parts.

The good side of this movie is, for example, the majestic Cathedral of Notre Dame, which is extremely well drawn, causing the same impact as seeing it in reality. The sound of the bells singing is formidable. Some of the songs from this movie are catchy (others not so). Some characters are great, such as Clopin (the puppeteer), Quasimodo, Phoebus (a funny and brave character) and the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda.

Also, the moments with Quasimodo and Esmeralda are usually good. The various sceneries and angles of view of both Paris and the Cathedral of Notre Dame are amazing and stunning (including some views of the cathedral from the clouds), which makes them one of the best things about this movie.

The evil Minister Claude Frollo is, of course, cruel and hateable, very hateable in fact, but a good villain. Tony Jay makes an even better voice job with Frollo than with Monsieur D'Arque.

I just saw this movie despite all these years it is a great movie I loved it The story is definitely amazing also the end is so touching it's worth watching

While I admit that I enjoyed the movie, particularly Alan Menken's score and the opening song, I encourage all fans of this movie and of this story to read the book. I undertook the novel in 1996 because I knew it was too massive to be contained by any one movie and I wanted to know what the real story was. It may be a chore getting through some of the long descriptive passages, but it is worth it. Disney's version is entertaining, but there is very little of Victor Hugo in this retelling. Please don't fool yourself into thinking you know this story simply because you saw the cartoon.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame," directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, is a 1996 Disney animated film that diverges from the studio's typical lighthearted fare. Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, the movie offers a more mature and darker narrative while maintaining the charm and musicality expected from Disney.

The story revolves around Quasimodo, the gentle and kind-hearted bell ringer of Notre Dame, who is kept isolated in the cathedral by the sinister Judge Frollo. Quasimodo's life changes when he befriends the spirited gypsy Esmeralda and Captain Phoebus, setting off a chain of events that challenge the oppressive regime of Frollo.

The film's animation is stunning, capturing the grandeur and gothic beauty of Notre Dame and Paris. The characters are richly developed, with Quasimodo's innocence and longing for acceptance standing in stark contrast to Frollo's cruelty and hypocrisy. The voice cast, including Tom Hulce as Quasimodo and Tony Jay as Frollo, delivers powerful performances.

The musical score by Alan Menken, featuring songs like "Out There" and "Hellfire," adds emotional depth and complexity to the narrative.

While the darker themes may not appeal to all younger viewers, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a beautifully crafted film that combines profound storytelling with impressive animation and memorable music, making it a standout in Disney's catalog.

I recently watched Disney's adaptation of the novel, and it was a great movie. The animation was stunning, and the attention to detail was impressive. The songs were excellent, especially "Hellfire." The movie had a profound and exciting storyline with themes of acceptance and prejudice. The characters' struggles were inspiring, and the movie's message was clear.

However, some parts of the movie were slow-paced, and some characters needed more development. The movie could have been better if some moments were not dragging on, and it better explained some characters' motivations.

It's worth watching, especially if you're a fan of Disney movies. Even though it's not perfect, it's a great example of the kind of stories that Disney can tell with much heart.

This was actually a really good Disney film I missed growing up. As a kid we never owned thus VHS but I saw the commercial for it all the time and always wanted to check it out. Thanks to me and my fiance doing a rewatch of all this Disney films lately I was able to rectify this. And boy am I glad I did! This film was gorgeously animated and the song are so so underrated! Like I'm amazed that no one talks about these songs. The humor still holds up, the character are actually well written and don't just feel like pland knight character number 6. Overall very enjoyable and already kind of want to rewatch it.

A diamond in the rough of the Disney Renaissance, Menken's songs are criminally underrated. Watch this!

Screenplay...................................... 8 / 10 Acting............................................... 7 Animation....................................... 8 Sound................................................... 8 Editing................................................ 7 Score....................................................... 8 Timeless Utility................................. 5 Total.................................................... 51 / 70 ~= 7.3 (which I rounded to 7) Verdict................................................. Recommended

Quasimodo,Esmeralda,Phoebus and Frolo in a free adaptation by Disney team,with music by academy award Alan Menken promise you an hour and a half pastime good.

After many years of not having seen this movie since I was a kid, I decided to watch this again.

Now I have been called a purist, and to certain extent I guess I am. When I was first saw the movie, I had never read the book, had seen only one other filmed interpretation of the novel (that being an episode of Wishbone), and only had a vague idea of who Victor Hugo was. At the time, I really enjoyed the movie (I remember distinctly my dad, who's more of a purist than me and who absolutely love Victor Hugo's works, getting really mad at it). Several years have passed since then, in which I have read the book, a comic book version, and seen several other movies which it is based upon. So what my opinion now? Well, actually, I still like this version. Granted, this is not my favorite film version, of the book. However, this one still has its effects on me.

First off, I have to say that the visuals to this film are stunning. The animation, colors, character designs, and, especially, the sets are beautifully done. It's probably one of the best things about the film. The songs are good but, for me, a bit of a mixed bag. Some are much more memorable than others. Personally, I think the best were "The Bells of Notredame". "God Help the Outcasts", and "Hellfire." Many of the other were a little on the less memorable side.

Now for the story. Because Disney, of course, supplies family entertainment, and tries to make pretty much everything as family friendly as possible, the story and characters were changed a lot from the novel. Many of the ideas Hugo was trying to demonstrate in his novel are gone in this version. Though I think this is a shame, because a lot of the original novel's feel and deeper meaning is lost. However, this does not completely destroy the movie. Since this is more of a kid's movie (or tries to be), many of the themes would be lost on a younger audience. But, the good thing about the film is that it displays it's own messages; discrimination towards specific groups of people and justice. There is also underlying bits about lust, that if you're old enough to understand, you will catch onto, but, once again, for a younger audience, it will mostly go over a kid's head (I know it did for me). The tone over all is much lighter as well. Personally I prefer the dark feel of the novel, but for it's purposes, I see why it was changed. The nice thing though, is that the movie is not so light that it is sweet and sugary. In fact, this is probably Disney's darkest movie.

I want to also touch quickly upon the characters. They were, of course, all changed in some way or other from their original incarnations. These changes weren't too bad. Though I think Frollo in the book was much more complex and interesting, he is definitely good here. In fact, I think he's one of the better Disney villain, and probably the best villain of the newer movies. One thing that did bug me, was the addition of the gargoyle characters. They were pretty much there for some sorta of humorous entertainment for kids. But for me, an older person watching this, they came off as annoying.

Overall, even with the major changes, I'd have to say this, for what it is, is a fairly good adaptation of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and worth checking out. But, if you're looking for the really close adaptation of the book, it's not a close interpretation of the novel. I'd suggest this for a little bit older kids, since it's a little darker and younger children might not understand any of the themes presented here.

This is a really good movie! Calling it a master piece? I think that's a stretch and honestly hearing that so much probably made me hold my expectations too high which probably made me fell more lack luster about it in the end but what are you gonna do? Its still a really good movie with great characters. The songs are really solid and while not my style i still enjoyed them. Obviously the animation is really nice. And i enjoy the darker undertones of the film but honestly i think this being a kids film is holding it back and normally i never think that normally i think a movie for kids can be just as good as an adult movie when done right. But idk something feels held back due to its G rating maybe even if it was just PG-13 it'd get there but idk i really wish i could see the plot of this but maybe bring the undertones to the for front. Doesn't make what's then not good though i still really enjoyed this film despite some nitpicks.