The Hunchback of Notre Dame

[AdAstrα]

She is indeed I always wanted to be like her when I was a kid. In fact, I still do. I sure wish I had her confidence and courage. I could use a bit more of that these days..!

(on a side note: I just found out a few days ago that Esmeralda and Quasimodo will be featured in the new Kingdom Hearts game for Nintendo 3DS! Made me so happy to think that perhaps this movie hasn't been forgotten after all :3 All I need now is a Blu-ray release, then I'll be a happy camper for sure!)

[Lauren]

^ That's awesome!

Like I have said before, the movie teaches us what makes a man and what makes a monster. It's such a great moral to the story. We clearly see who is who in that case. I find Frollo so cruel to all, since he's the antagonist. A monster causes harm to others, and that's exactly what he did. For many years, he lied to Quasimodo about his past (his mother "abandoning" him, which is not true at all) and making him feel miserable about the life outside the bell tower. Hating the gypsies for who they are, killing Quasimodo's mom, almost killing Esmeralda because of being a gypsy, and especially almost stabbing Quasimodo. He deserved his death for everything he has done for so long. A man stands up to their enemies and struggles, which is what Quasimodo did. He faced of Frollo at the end for what he has done to him all his life and the gypsies. Quasimodo was always told that he looked like a "monster" because of his appearance, but he was kind and caring. A real monster is cruel on the inside, which is Frollo.

[Wrightfan]

Good film but nowhere as good as say Aladdin, Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast or TLK.

[AdAstrα]

I completely agree with you, Lauren. I find Frollo a fascinating villain, because of how incredibly complex he is. He's completely messed up in many ways, but there's still something human about him too, since he was capable of loving (for want of a better word, I wouldn't exactly call it love but yeah) Esmeralda. This caused such inner turmoil in him (as seen in "Hellfire") because he was basically torn between his belief and his feelings for a gypsy. That in my opinion makes him the best Disney villain ever, because while he's incredibly cruel and vile, he is also relatable to some extent.

I personally think HoND is way better than Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast (although I LOVE those two as well, especially the latter) but hey, each to their own What I really like about this movie is the mixture between humour and drama, which is something it's been criticised for I believe, but I think it really works.

I just wish more people would give this movie a real chance. Just because it's not the best movie for very young children doesn't mean you shouldn't let your kids watch it ever =/ It really does teach many valuable lessons. It's stunning to look at and has beautiful music. What's not to love? =/

[BlazePrower9205]

I love this movie to the extreme. Such a darn shame that it's criminally underrated. It's got beautiful animation (up there with the Lion King), great characters, and a wonderful soundtrack. But with all of the content it's got, not alot of people talk about it anymore.

And my favorite character is Esmeralda.

[AdAstrα]

It's still a relatively well-known and popular film though, it's just not as popular as TLK, Aladdin etc. Which is a shame indeed. I reckon it should be. It's a masterpiece <3

I read a while ago that they're working on a Broadway adaption as well, both Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (who wrote the soundtrack together) have confirmed in interviews that it's happening, but I haven't been able to find any recent updates on the progress. I really really hope they haven't cancelled it or something, I always thought this would look amazing on stage. When (or if...hopefully when) it does hit Broadway, I'll get the earliest available flight to NY to go and see it. I don't care if I have to use all of my savings to pay for the tickets etc., I can't not see it!

[Panda-chan]

This has to be one of my favorite Disney movies ever <3 It's dark but powerful, and definitely underrated. I only rewatched a couple years ago and a lot of the more adult themes that flew over my head as a child made so much more sense. It's true that when I was younger, some of the scarier scenes like Quasimodo's mother's death did disturb me, but overall I remember loving the movie and learning to not hate people based on their appearance.
I don't have a particularly favorite scene, but the ending really kept me on the edge of my seat and my eyes glued to the screen. xD Also loved Frollo's "Hellfire" song, even though it was a little bit too adult in my opinion

[AdAstrα]

Yeah, Hellfire is a very adult song xD But it never bothered me as a kid because 90% of its content went right over my head lol. I didn't understand half the lyrics (even in the Swedish version, which is much less obscure and complex) so it didn't disturb me at all. I don't mind it now either, in fact it's one of my fave scenes as it is so powerful. I often find myself just staring at the screen with my mouth wide open when this scene comes on. It's dark, but it's amazingly well done.

[Maleficent]

I can't believe I didn't see this thread yet, where have I been? lol

This is one of my all time favorite Disney movies! I have to admit that it's better than TLK plot-wise imo. :3 I like all the characters, especially Esmeralda. It's nice that she's a Disney female who can actually defend herself and doesn't just sit around waiting for Prince Charming to save her. lol My favorite part is definitely Hellfire even though I don't like Frollo. The ending was really dramatic too. I thought it was really good, especially where Esmeralda was saved.

So yes, definitely one of my favorite, must-see movies! :3

[BlazePrower9205]

[quote="AdAstra"]It's still a relatively well-known and popular film though, it's just not as popular as TLK, Aladdin etc. Which is a shame indeed. I reckon it should be. It's a masterpiece <3

I read a while ago that they're working on a Broadway adaption as well, both Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (who wrote the soundtrack together) have confirmed in interviews that it's happening, but I haven't been able to find any recent updates on the progress. I really really hope they haven't cancelled it or something, I always thought this would look amazing on stage. When (or if...hopefully when) it does hit Broadway, I'll get the earliest available flight to NY to go and see it. I don't care if I have to use all of my savings to pay for the tickets etc., I can't not see it![/quote]

Agreed. Tbh, I was hoping it'll be just as successful as the Lion King when it came out. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

They are? Well, I hope they don't cancel the Broadway adaptation then. If it was made, then I'm asking my mom and see if we can go to New York for vacation just so I can see it. Along with the Lion King on Broadway. XD