When it comes to animated Disney films, you don’t get much
darker than the Hunchback – and its more dramatic tone is accompanied by some
of the most spectacular music and animation that Disney has ever produced, as
well as one of their most complex villains. In many ways, this is one of Disney’s
most underrated films. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stray too far away from their
usual formula this point, as it also tries very hard to be a fun, happy, silly Disney
film at the same time (yes, I am talking about the Gargoyles). As a result, the
whole tone just ends up feeling confused, stopping it from becoming the classic
it should have become overall.
As I said, for the most part the music and animation of Hunchback
are spectacular. The choral nature of the soundtrack combined with the often
stunning views of Notre Dame and the surrounding area make the film worth
watching on it’s own. When it comes to the characters, Quasimodo and Phoebus
are likable enough – but by far the best good guy of the film is Esmerelda, who
is refreshingly strong and fierce for a Disney heroine. The development of
Esmerelda and Quasimodo’s relationship is also very refreshing and they have a
very sweet friendship which adds some light to what is overall a very dark
story.
That’s not even mentioning the villain – Frollo is one of
the most complex villains Disney has ever attempted. His inner turmoil and the
way in which he tries to justify his actions, but the fact that he is still pure
evil at the same time, makes him one of the best bad guys in the canon. At
times, it’s hard to believe that Disney would put a storyline this adult on screen,
but they do a remarkable job of it.
Something they do a less remarkable job on is the comic
relief. I’m just going to be frank here- the Gargoyles who Quasimodo regularly
speaks to should not be in this film. They’re not funny for the most part and
they just make the whole tone seem childish in a way that doesn’t suit the storyline.
And there are more than a few moments where the film goes too silly for it’s
own good. It feels like they wanted to tell a dramatic story, but were bound by
Disney convention at the same time, resulting in a confused tone overall. In
the Lion King for example, they were able to balance out the comic relief with
the more dramatic main plot, but the main difference is that Timon and Pumbaa (and
the other more light-hearted scenes) had a purpose in the storyline. The
Gargoyles are just shoved in because it’s Disney and they needed to keep the
kids happy, but their lack of purpose (and funny humour) just make them feel
like a disruption overall.
Overall, the Hunchback of Notre Dame is a spectacular, if
flawed and tonally confused film, which is definitely worth watching if you’ve
never seen it before.
Ratings
Good guys: Whilst
most of the main characters of this film are great, the comic relief is some of
the worst Disney has ever produced, so the good guys get 6/10
Bad guys: One of
Disney’s most underrated villains gets 10/10
Animation: Some
spectacular shots make this film worthy of
10/10 in animation
Music: With the
exception of ‘A Guy Like You’, the music in this film is wonderful, so it gets 9/10
Plot: A bold
adaptation which works for the most part, the plot gets 7/10
Overall rating: 42/50
Next review: Hercules
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