"Hunchback" showcases classic animation
DVD Review
John Gregg
Issue date: 5/31/09 Section: Entertainment
Disney's surprisingly gothic adaptation of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" tells an epic story of good vs. evil with classic animation that shines brighter in digital format.
"Hunchback" unfortunately was released after the monumental failure "Pocahontas," which likely made its theatrical audience harder to please. That poor sense of timing aside, the film is solidly respectable. Its rich, dark color palette is reminiscent of "Sleeping Beauty's" gothic tapestry style, recalling an earlier era when animation was a young art form.
The Special Edition DVD of the movie takes particular advantage of the sharper picture technology available. The film has been noticeably cleaned up since its first VHS release. The backgrounds of Notre Dame Cathedral particularly stand out.
Adding to the spellbinding animation is Alan Menken's score, which is filled with powerful choir pieces and deep organ music. Menken was the man behind previous Disney renaissance musicals such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid." A Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround channel ensures that "Hunchback's" soundtrack comes through in near-perfect clarity.
Animation and song come together beautifully in the "Hellfire" sequence. Here, the film's villain, Frollo, seems to hallucinate haunting religious figures as he vows to destroy the gypsy girl, Esmeralda, (voice of Demi Moore) who has bewitched him. "Hellfire" is often regarded as one of the more popular villain songs among fans.
However, the overall plot of the adaptation itself might disappoint fans of Victor Hugo's original novel. There are plenty of departures from the text. The most obvious of these is changing the role of the villain from an archdeacon to a ruthless magistrate in effort to avoid backlash from religious viewers.
To say the story has been "Disneyfied" is more than fair as heroes and villains are relatively clear-cut. Although the title character of Quasimodo is deformed, the animation and sensitive voice delivery (provided by Tom Hulce) ensure the bell ringer is portrayed as kind and gentle.
"Hunchback" unfortunately was released after the monumental failure "Pocahontas," which likely made its theatrical audience harder to please. That poor sense of timing aside, the film is solidly respectable. Its rich, dark color palette is reminiscent of "Sleeping Beauty's" gothic tapestry style, recalling an earlier era when animation was a young art form.
The Special Edition DVD of the movie takes particular advantage of the sharper picture technology available. The film has been noticeably cleaned up since its first VHS release. The backgrounds of Notre Dame Cathedral particularly stand out.
Adding to the spellbinding animation is Alan Menken's score, which is filled with powerful choir pieces and deep organ music. Menken was the man behind previous Disney renaissance musicals such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid." A Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround channel ensures that "Hunchback's" soundtrack comes through in near-perfect clarity.
Animation and song come together beautifully in the "Hellfire" sequence. Here, the film's villain, Frollo, seems to hallucinate haunting religious figures as he vows to destroy the gypsy girl, Esmeralda, (voice of Demi Moore) who has bewitched him. "Hellfire" is often regarded as one of the more popular villain songs among fans.
However, the overall plot of the adaptation itself might disappoint fans of Victor Hugo's original novel. There are plenty of departures from the text. The most obvious of these is changing the role of the villain from an archdeacon to a ruthless magistrate in effort to avoid backlash from religious viewers.
To say the story has been "Disneyfied" is more than fair as heroes and villains are relatively clear-cut. Although the title character of Quasimodo is deformed, the animation and sensitive voice delivery (provided by Tom Hulce) ensure the bell ringer is portrayed as kind and gentle.