classicsoncall One obviously has to overlook Disney's lack of conformity to the Victor Hugo novel in the retelling of this tale about the Hunchback of Notre Dame. But the basics are there, put in animated form to make it more appealing to a younger viewing audience. I guess I would question whether this would have been a suitable subject for a Disney project but it appears to work for the most part. The principal message of course is to not judge a person based on appearances but for their inherent humanity and principled character. Unlike a lot of viewers on this board, I didn't mind the introduction of the gargoyle characters as they added an element of humor and whimsy to the story. What would a Disney animated feature be without it? Of the theatrical versions of the Hunchback, I'd cite the 1939 film with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara as the best adaptation, although the 1923 silent film with Lon Chaney does have it's merits. In the animated version here, one doesn't experience the everyday squalor of Parisian city life that forms the backdrop of Quasimodo's quest for dignity, and how he found solace in the ringing of the church bells. But then again, younger viewers probably aren't ready for that kind of a message, and the one they get with this film might be considered a good stepping stone to experience the earlier dramatic versions.

ElMaruecan82 This is one of the best Disney animated movies for many reasons, one and not the least, is that it is a visually dazzling experience even by Disney standards. Victor Hugo's "Notre Dame de Paris" has been adapted several times and featured many iconic performances of the misshaped bell ringer Quasimodo: Lon Chaney, Charles Laughton and Anthony Quinn to name the most memorable, but there comes a point where animation reveals itself to be a more difficult challenge than live-action, just think of all the implication such a title as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" carries.You've got to recreate in the most convincing way the magnificent cathedral, which happens to be the most famous Parisian location perhaps after Eiffel Tower, and the Arc of Triumph. It is one thing to draw all the details, I'm a drawer and I know I can do it, but the animators work in three dimensions, it's not just the Cathedral from the ground, but from the top, from every single aisle, its majestic view on Paris and the Seine, the Gargoyles, the bells, like a virtual tour guide at the dawn of the Internet era. The Cathedral, as an emblematic representative of the Gothic period is known for the richness of its interiors, the magnificence of the stained glasses, and the vertiginous roofs and status, it isn't just any location, it is a character by itself that Quasimodo know by heart and the animators needed to render that impression, for some, it's a monument, for Quasi, it's home.They spent hours and hours of visits and notes and it started since 1993, and it sure paid off because you could tell they spent enough time so they could feel at home, too. So, we're never introduced to the Cathedral in a static way, whether it's a sword fight between Phoebus and Esmeralda, a vertiginous inspirational sliding over the roofs, or an acrobatic climax in a fire-stricken tower, the animators prove once again that there are infinitely more possibilities with animation, you can't have Quasimodo playing Tarzan with the ropes in a live-action film without a good deal of editing and preparation, in the film, it's all in lightness and fluidity. Disney has always been about imitating reality but to better transcend it. That's the trick! And the difficulty didn't only lie on the central elements but also the peripheral ones like the crowd. In a movie, you hire extras, in Disney, they used to set films in nature, or small villages, or places of a few characters or extremely different, but no overcrowded streets. In "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", when the action isn't set in the Cathedral, it's in the streets of Paris, which, as we can guess, were quite full in these medieval days. The animators had to draw many people, making them move, cheer, throw tomatoes, fight or laugh during crucial sequences, and they obtained the effect thanks to the CGI department, when CGI was a mean, not an end, and as it was used to recreate the thrilling stampede in "The Lion King", they recreated a wonderful and convincing Paris that had nothing to envy from her representation on movies.But I don't want to make it feel all tapestry and wizardry, the film doesn't just take a challenge on the field of visuals but on the messages delivered in the story, starting with acceptance, through the touching and haunting character of Quasimodo. While the animators eliminate a few other elements such as his deafness and one-eye, he's not a pretty sight, but there's something that oozes gentleness and naivety. Locked in the Cathedral by his "Protector" Judge Claude Frollo, he wishes to discover the real world out there. This might look as a set-up to a story that will teach him the value of self-esteem but the film is more ambitious and goes beyond that predictable premise. While Quasimodo is confronted to a hateful crowd, he also falls in love with the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda.And there's just something about Esmeralda, the tanned blue-eyed beauty that catches the men, Captain Phoebius instantly falls in love with her fieriness, and to make things even more complex, even the straight-laced and conservative Frollo gives her a kiss in her hair while holding her tight. Now that was a bold move in a Disney film. Indeed, villains, while not being one-dimensional, are generally defined through one particular trait: greed, power, jealousy. Frollo is an interesting antagonist in the sense that Esmeralda inspires him the very devilish thoughts he tries to fight; he's his worst enemy before being the enemy. In the extraordinary "Hellfire" sequence, he sings his incapability to repress his impulses, and the only way is to kill Esmeralda. This is Disney's best villain song, on a character so dark that I suspect adults will feel more responsive while children can learn the lesson about racism and intolerance, from his hatred toward gypsies.Yes, Esmeralda isn't just an object of desire, she embodies the pain of Quasimodo as a representative of people who are victims of racism and violence in ways seldom seen in Disney's universe, and in one of the film's most moving moments, she implores God for one thing: to save her people. Yes, God is present, as he was in "Fantasia", to those who believed that religion and sex couldn't share a sentence with Disney, here's a film that shows that in the midst of the great Renaissance period, there's nothing Disney couldn't achieve, it would have been rather bizarre not to have Jesus of the Virgin Mary in movie set primarily set in a Cathedral.I was in the right target during Disney Renaissance but I stopped watching the new Disney after "Pocahontas", I wish I could see this one at the time of its release, but I'm not sure I would have loved it more as a teen, than as an adult now.

Mark T. Outside of the of popular 90s Disney animated movies lies one of the most dark, human, and honest feature films created by this "squeaky clean" production company. The most adult themed content found in other rated G Disney pictures were subliminal and immature sexual allusions. In the Hunchback of Notre Dame, issues of superficial, racial, and religious prejudice are brought out to the forefront for the audience to contemplate.If it wasn't for the goofy gargoyle characters to lighten up the mood every so often, the world this picture inhabits is quite bleak. Frollo orders the genocide of gypsies because he cannot deal with his lust for Esmeralda. Frollo tries to drop baby Quasimodo down the well before he is caught by the priest. The locals of Paris are portrayed as a fickle mob: in one moment cheering on Quasimodo for who he is, then turning, laughing and ridiculing him moments later. Towards the back end of the movie the people of Paris are again swayed by one speech to revolt against their own officials. Must they always listen and believe whoever is on stage speaking?What ultimately sets this apart from other Disney films the most is that the main character doesn't get the love interest in the end. Was he only cared for by Esmeralda out of pity? Leave it to Disney to tell kids that saving the day doesn't get the girl. You have to look handsome too.

snperera This is such a classic Disney and one of my favorites and I hate that it is not talked about more! The music and the message of this story is so important and kids should see this film. Maybe 7 or 8 though. Younger than that and it might be a little too scary at times. Anyways, the songs and the characters are so sweet, kind, and charming and smart! Esmeralda is a force to be reckoned with and she is such a strong and powerful female character in an animated film. Omgg!! I wish more people watch this film and I hope Disney recognizes how much of a classic this film is. I love this movie and will always love this movie and I am glad that I watched this when I was younger. Loove it so much!!