Disney Movie Appreciation Thread - Part 1

[sueb1863]

I can see why Disney felt they needed the gargoyles, since Quasimodo has to have someone to vocalize his thoughts to. They probably also felt they needed something to appeal to the kids. Gotta have some kind of toy for those Happy Meals...

They could have just cut the Jason Alexander character, who was the most slapstick, and it would have worked much better.

 

[DACrowe]

I think this just shows the book was simply incongruous with the Disney formula, period. Even without the gargoyles the happy ending is a very false note that simply does not work for the story.

 

[Jonwo]

I think this just shows the book was simply incongruous with the Disney formula, period. Even without the gargoyles the happy ending is a very false note that simply does not work for the story.

The ending of the book pretty sums up that only in death could Quasimodo and Esmeralda ever be together.

 

[scarlet-witch]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of my all time favorite Disney movies. It's also the first time a villain truly creeped me out.

 

[Quasimod0]

Frollo is definitely one of the best Disney villains. Probably the most vile of them all, with some of the stuff he does in the movie.

 

[Loki882]

I can see why Disney felt they needed the gargoyles, since Quasimodo has to have someone to vocalize his thoughts to. They probably also felt they needed something to appeal to the kids. Gotta have some kind of toy for those Happy Meals...

They could have just cut the Jason Alexander character, who was the most slapstick, and it would have worked much better.

Various people have suggested that they could have made the Gargoyles figments of his imagination (and at first, they seemed to be hinted at that being the case). That way, you get your comic relief, but there's also an element of tragedy/sadness to it (befitting the book) because this guy is so freaking lonely and isolated that he need to make up "friends" just to have someone to talk to.

 

[Loki882]

Frollo is definitely one of the best Disney villains. Probably the most vile of them all, with some of the stuff he does in the movie.

Lets make a list shall we:

-Murdered a mother who was trying to protect her child, while on the steps of a church.

-Was basically a Nazi when it came to his hatred of a particular group of people.

-Tried to drown an infant in a well, and only didn't because a priest stopped him.

-Tried to burn a family alive inside their own house, and only didn't because Pheobus wouldn't allow it.

-Had a ***** for a woman less than half his age, and was incredibly creepy about it.

-Was willing to burn down Paris in order to indulge said *****, and then tried to burn said woman alive for the "crime" of, existing and making him hot and then rejecting him.

-Tried to kill Quasimodo.

-Attacked Notre Dame.

-Etc.

Yeah pretty dark stuff (that entire movie was really dark for a Disney movie when you go back and watch it). And yet, what really makes him a great villain, is that he has layers and facets to his character that make him interesting and somewhat complex (but no less evil).

 

[sueb1863]

Personally, for me, "Hellfire" is the one of the best Disney songs ever. Tony Jay isn't the world's best singer but he nailed it.

 

[scarlet-witch]

Frollo being super rapey was something that went way over my head as a kid, but when I went back and watched it when I was older I was like "Oh...that's why it made me so uncomfortable."

 

[Silvermoth]

Heavens, I've never seen the hunchback but it sounds very dark!

 

[jmc]

Most mature film of the first Disney Renaissance without doubt. There's a reason you don't see Esmerelda included in the Princess lineup, she's far too sexy. Music is great though, far more operatic than other films which were more like broadway tunes. Most underrated soundtrack of that era.

 

[sueb1863]

There's a reason you don't see Esmerelda included in the Princess lineup,

Esmeralda isn't a princess. Though Mulan isn't either, really...

Hunchback is an excellent movie and definitely worth a watch. The vocal performaces are awesome and the music is great. Just be aware that it's got something of a split personality and at times seems like it's two very different movies stitched together.

 

[scarlet-witch]

The guy who did Clopin's singing voice as one of the best voices in all of Disney movies, IMO.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Since some discussion of the film was coming up in the BATB thread, I figured I would mention this here rather than derail it further, but I don't think there is any film animated or otherwise that truly gets life as well as Bambi.

Things are born, learn about their world, experience sexual discovery and personal rivalries, a bunch of bad crap happens largely out of your control, and those lucky enough to survive get to feed the next generation as the cycle repeats.

No need for convoluted plots.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Esmeralda isn't a princess. Though Mulan isn't either, really...

Hunchback is an excellent movie and definitely worth a watch. The vocal performaces are awesome and the music is great. Just be aware that it's got something of a split personality and at times seems like it's two very different movies stitched together.

That's my problem with it as well. They didn't go all the way with it. I know Disney has a history of cure sidekicks and humor, but it REALLY sticks out like a sore thumb here. Those gargoyles are a big detriment to the film.

This is the one Disney film in which the villain is essentially the main character after all.

 

[scarlet-witch]

Really? I thought the Gargoyles worked well in the film. Realistically, someone spending that much time alone would have imaginary friends.

 

[Jonwo]

Various people have suggested that they could have made the Gargoyles figments of his imagination (and at first, they seemed to be hinted at that being the case). That way, you get your comic relief, but there's also an element of tragedy/sadness to it (befitting the book) because this guy is so freaking lonely and isolated that he need to make up "friends" just to have someone to talk to.

The original Berlin stage production of Hunchback make it more obvious the gargoyles are figments of Quasimodo's imagination and the revised US production replaces them with the statues and figures of stained glass but still figments of Quasimodo's imagination.

There's a brilliant song written for the stage production called Made of Stone which is the second to last number of the show where Quasimodo tells the gargoyles/statues they don't understand his pain because they're made of stone and wishes he was like them.

 

[Quasimod0]

Most mature film of the first Disney Renaissance without doubt. There's a reason you don't see Esmerelda included in the Princess lineup, she's far too sexy. Music is great though, far more operatic than other films which were more like broadway tunes. Most underrated soundtrack of that era.

"Out There" is probably my second favorite Disney song behind "I'll make a man out of you".
Hunchback definitely has some great songs. "Bells of Notre Dame" gives me goosebumps every time.

 

[Loki882]

It also LOOKS huge visually.

As for Frollo, who can forget the scene of him sniffing Esmeralda's hair (and how many people really want to).

 

[Whatupman]

I don't think the gargoyles have an especially big impact on the movie. Yes, the humor from them is bad and doesn't mix well with the tone, but they have quite a small part in the movie, so on a whole, their impact is not that big. I also see it like it's all part of Quasimodo's imagination.

A thing I love about the movie is that they didn't feel the need to turn Quasimodo or Phoebus into a *****e so the audience would feel like it was only one clear choice for Esmeralda. A lesser movie would've had made Phoebus a *****e and ended the movie with Esmeralda getting together with Quasimodo.

 

[Loki882]

Except we know that they're real because we see them flat-out fighting off Frollo's men during the climax. There ain't no doubt about it by that point.

The funny thing is that, Pheobus IS a *****e in the novel. Like a huge *****e.

 

[Whatupman]

Hey, if I can believe that Quasimodo is talking to imaginary friends, then I can also believe that he would imagine them helping him fight in the end.

I should really read the novel. But from what I gather, it doesn't seem to end with a happy ending.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Hey, if I can believe that Quasimodo is talking to imaginary friends, then I can also believe that he would imagine them helping him fight in the end.

I should really read the novel. But from what I gather, it doesn't seem to end with a happy ending.

Spoiler

No it doesn't...

 

[sueb1863]

The guy who did Clopin's singing voice as one of the best voices in all of Disney movies, IMO.

He sure does!! Really impressive work there.

I also liked that they made Clopin amoral. He's not really a good guy. At best, he's morally ambivalent, not a hero or a villain. He would have happily killed Phoebus and Quasimodo if Esmeralda hadn't stopped him and felt perfectly justified in doing so.

The song he sings in the sewers when they capture Phoebus and Quasimodo is pretty epic, even if it does imply that the gypsies are all scam artists and that Frollo is sort of right in persecuting them.

 

[Drizzle]

The song "Evermore" from the new Beauty and the Beast reminded me a lot of Quasimodo's songs from Hunchback.