The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996
This story was an odd choice for Disney to turn into an animated feature. They were coming off of a great streak of movies and I think this got them kind of bogged down. This is a very serious movie, with only a little bit of comic relief coming from some gargoyle sidekicks and an occasional wisecrack or gag. The subject matter is pretty dark, with a genocidal villain having free reign for most of the movie. It does not seem like kids would enjoy it at all, but maybe they just won’t catch or won’t care about the heavier content. Made by the same team that made Beauty and the Beast, a lot of the magic is missing, literally: there are no magic spells or princesses. The songs are often hopeful, but kind of tragic. They are still good songs, but nothing fun or upbeat like “Under the Sea” or “Be Our Guest.” This is still a good movie and a bold choice, but it has been done before. With a mostly human cast, it is not clear why this needed to be animated. It is certainly a way of introducting a generation to some classic literature and there is definitely a battle between good and evil that gives an overall positive message (especially since the good guys all live, unlike in the source material). I don’t know that Disney has to make light hearted movies, but this was one was a little dark for my tastes, so I will give it a B.
Written: 22 Oct 2016
Owned on: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital