The Hunchback of Notre Dame is quite possibly one of if not the darkest movie Disney has ever made. That's saying a lot considering the dark things Disney has done both in the past and in the present. The movie is based on the french novel of the same name. I’ve never read the book but from what I can gather, the subject material is very adult and mature with many morals about corruption and power. You’d think that Disney would never attempt to adapt this kind of story into a family film however, to my surprise, a lot of it worked and some of it didn’t, the things that do work though are downright impressive for this film's standards.
In the Mid 1400’s a group of romani were caught by Judge Claude Frollo. One of the romani women tries to escape but is cornered and axed off. Frollo also tries to kill her deformed baby but finds out he can’t because he is accused by the church's archdeacon and sinned for his crimes. This forces him to care for the child. Frollo raises the baby in a belltower and names him Quasimodo. Twenty years later Quasimodo grows up to be a gentle young man and yearns for the day when he can leave the bell tower and be accepted by the people. When he manages to sneak out of the bell tower, Quasimodo comes across a gypsy named Esmeralda. Soon Frollo figures out about Qussimodo’s gypsy friend and Qussimodo does everything he can to keep her safe from Frollo’s hands.
It is quite daring for a Disney film to try something completely out of their comfort zone especially since the tone of the story for the most part is very serious and adult. I’ll be honest and admit that the serious tone and adult themes are actually quite welcomed and they don't in any way back out of the darkness levels this story tends to head in. there's also a lot of complexity to the characters than most other Disney characters you would usually see in any of their films. The relationships between the main characters are well done and there not made too serious to the point of being forgettable or bland. It’s just the right balance.
However, it is still Disney. Of course there still needs to be a story and characters that the audience needs to relate to and they do just that with giving Qussimodo a simple ugly duckling like story which is very effective. Sadly, the movie isn't fully committed to its being all dark attitude as they needed some sidekicks to ease up the tension, which I don't mind at all but man do these characters overstay their welcome. I’m of course talking about the Gargoyles, the fast talking overused and rather weak part of the movie that is not necessary seeing that they don’t fit with the movie’s more dramatic tone. I get that Disney’s trying to recapture what made the genie a hit in Aladdin but it really doesn't work in context to the rest of the film. Granted though, they are not the worst side characters in Disney history despite their unnecessary establishment in the story.
The Animation can be great when it's being dark and atmospheric but not so great when it tries to be funny in an over the top cartoonish way (More specifically with the Gargoyles) it just somehow doesn't fit with the movie’s dark and serious tone for some reason. The great stuff though is too great to be ignored. I especially like how the look of Paris in the 1400’s looks both gothic and beautiful. The character designs still have that Disney escq look to them with a little bit of scary realism thrown in. The music is done by common Disney collaborator, Alan Menken. For the most part, the score consists of heavy choir singing with some songs added to the mix. Now the songs(with the exception of Hell Fire) are not quite on par with the instantly memorable songs from other movies that came before it, but with that said, they are still done remarkably well.
Even though the film has a lot of faults that keep it from being a masterpiece, The Hunchback of Noter Dame is still a stunning piece of work filled with rich gothic atmosphere, memorable characters and a story that while flawed in areas still comes across as effective. It could have been one of Disney’s best if it fully committed to its serious tone but for what we got it still delivers on some really dark themes and messages that you would never expect a family entertainment giant like Disney would ever come out with. It’s still pretty darn good and definitely deserves its place among the disney catalog.
(Final Grade: B+)