The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Alternative Character Interpretation:
    • Clopin--he seems very happy and nice, but he does call Quasi the ugliest person in Paris in a way that even the context can't completely excuse, doesn't let him hide in the "Feast Of Fools" sequence, apparently bugs out the second everything goes pear-shaped (as Frollo would likely want to arrest him for the confusion), and then expresses complete delight in hanging Quasi and Phoebus. Without giving them the chance to defend themselves in any way. He's also protecting his home, friends, and family from the most monstrous person in the country by silencing what he believes to be the man's most loyal subordinates...
    • Really, most of the cast qualifies for the original novel. Quasimodo goes from a bitter misanthrope to a naive, Ugly Cute Nice Guy, Esmerelda from a Neutral Female to a Badass Damsel, Frollo goes from being a tragic Anti-Villain to Disney's most infamous Complete Monster, and Phoebus goes from an uncaring, womanizing Jerkass to an honorable Knight in Shining Armor.
  • Award Snub: None of the songs received Oscar nominations. Among all the movies Alan Menken composed for the Disney Animated Canon during the 1990s, this is the only one that happened to.
  • Awesome Music:
    • It's a great score, but "Hellfire" and the instrumental track "Sanctuary" take the cake. "Made of Stone" from the stage version certainly counts as well.
    • "Out There". The combination of the gorgeous music, beautiful lyrics and Tom Hulce's spectacular performance makes it one of the most magnificent songs of the Disney Animated Canon. (Or any Disney film, for that matter.)
      • And out there, living in the sun...
    • Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, BELLS OF NOTRE DAME!!!
      • Pay attention, dear listener, to Clopin's voice toward the end of that song (particularly in its first iteration). God knows why they decided to practically drown it out with the chorus, but the man holds an absurdly high note perfectly for an absurdly long time.
    • While "Sanctuary" is about four different kinds of incredible (it's a four part piece), and Hellfire is without a doubt, the best villain song ever included in a Disney movie (if not any film), the real crowner here is without a doubt, "God Help The Outcasts." The music is incredible, but the lyrics deserve special mention, as they are a deconstruction of the typical Disney "I Want" Song, in that a Gypsy who doesn't even believe, or doubts, in God ("I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there") is offering to God a more humble prayer than the Catholics there who are asking for money, fame, and glory, whereas Esmeralda simply says "I ask for nothing; I can get by. But I know so many less lucky than I."
      • Equally heartwarming in the original movie the animated film was based on when Esmeralda gives the same prayer when she is introduced to Mary and Jesus.
    • "Heaven's Light" is the sweetest, most perfect love song ever written. Anyone who has ever been unpopular or different knows that feeling when someone notices you, even for a moment, and this song perfectly captures that feeling: knowing that they'll probably never love you back, but for the moment, you can hope, just a little.

I dare to dream that she/Might even care for me/And as I ring these bells tonight/My cold dark tower seems so bright,/I swear it must be heaven's light!

  • Base Breaker: Scrappy they may be, but the gargoyles do contribute a lot of genuinely Funny Moments...
  • Cargo Ship: Hugo thinks Djali is pretty hot. Hugo is a gargoyle, Djali is a goat. But come on, Hugo's part goat!
  • Complete Monster: Judge Claude Frollo is arguably Disney's darkest, most evil villain ever, and that is really saying something. Most people only remember him because of how cruel he was, especially since it was a realistic human cruelty rather than something out of fantasy (no names should be named here, but suffice to say there have been monsters like Frollo in Real Life, there still are, and there most likely always will be.)
    • Let's see: first he crosses the Moral Event Horizon in the first five minutes of the film by attempting to drown baby Quasimodo after killing his mother on the steps of the cathedral simply because he thought she was taking money from him. Then he is shown to be quite obviously emotionally abusive to Quasimodo simply because of his ugliness and insecurity; on top of that, he's downright genocidal towards gypsies, seems to take delight in torturing his own soldiers who've failed him, and deliberately attempts to burn an innocent family alive in their home and force Esmeralda to be his girl. (Ohhh, the hair smelling. *shudders*) Oh, and then he burns down most of a major city because the girl won't have sex with him. And yet the fans have bought him a pair of leather pants.
      • Rather than admit his lust for Esmeralda is his own fault, he'd rather blame it on her insisting that she's a witch who is enchanting him. Which he sees as excusing his violent measures to catch and rape/kill her. He doesn't just blame Esmeralda, but God and Satan as well. He must have slept through the story of Adam and Eve. Throughout it all, he is unrepentant of his crimes and refuses to admit his guilt, even when trying to drown children. His only reason for not killing Quasimodo is so he can use him later for his own purposes, and that he realizes that drowning an infant at the cite of a cathedral is crossing a line that might damn his soul to Hell. (Because all the other vile stuff he does is A-OK, right?) And of course, he even takes this back by the end of the film. "And now I'm going to do what I should have done 20 YEARS AGO!"
        • Worse, his biggest fear is that his lust for Esmarelda (which is her fault) is that it will result in him burning in Hell...and in revenge, he wants her to burn in Hell instead, for daring to do that to him (whether she realizes it or not- he doesn't believe she enchanted him, but he blames her for it regardless). Unless, of course, she accepts "salvation" by sleeping with him. "Chose him or the fire", as he puts it. This is flat out rape in a G-rated movie.
      • It's also rather ironic given that in the book, he's actually more sympathetic, since he didn't kill any woman and actually took in an abandoned baby, Quasimodo, out of the kindness of his heart, and he had a brother who he supported through a fief. Granted, he does become quite evil and mad as time goes on, but he didn't reach the level of evil his Disney counterpart does.
  • Crack Ship: As noted on the Tangled YMMV page, Frollo x Mother Gothel became one when people realized how similar they are.
  • Crazy Awesome: Clopin
  • Creepy Awesome: Frollo, according to some people's opinions.
  • Critical Dissonance: Despite being moderately well-recieved (Scoring somewhere in the 70s on Rotten Tomatoes), this is the ONLY Disney Animated Canon film to EVER get nominated for a Razzie, which is ESPECIALLY baffling considering that Disney has released more deserving films. It's considered (by those who remember it, anyway) better than its direct predecessor, Pocahontas.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse: Clopin.
    • Also, Frollo is arguably this for the Disney Villains. Despite almost never appearing in crossovers, rides, merchandise or games (though will change with Kingdom Hearts 3D) he's one of the most well remembered and many people's favorite.
  • Evil Is Cool/Evil Is Sexy: Despite being a Complete Monster, Frollo has a lot of fangirls.
  • Faux Symbolism:
    • Frollo falling into a lake of Hellfire-like molten lead.
    • Esmeralda's "God Help The Outcasts" and Frollo's "Hellfire", when taken together, sound much like the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
    • Quasimodo tied with chains to the cathedral pillars with his arms outstretched brings to mind both Christ's crucifixion and Samson being put on display for the Philistines. When he breaks free and the pillars crumble, it is reminiscent of how Samson met his end, pushing down the pillars and bringing the roof down on himself and everyone else in the hall.
    • Elements of the Notre Dame architecture are used to convey different moods: for example, the statues foreboding and ominous, the stained glass beautiful and hopeful.
    • At the end of "Hellfire" in the DVD Commentary:

DVD Commentary: Here's some more of our ham-fisted symbolism--Frollo falls down in the shape of a crucifix!

Esmeralda: You took a terrible risk coming here. It may not exactly show, but we're grateful.
Phoebus: Don't thank me, thank Quasimodo. Without his help, I'd never have found my way here.
Frollo (from off-screen): Nor would I.

  • Moral Event Horizon: Frollo either crossed it when he killed Quasimodo's mother and almost killed him too as a baby or when he had a house burned down with an innocent family trapped inside.
  • Narm Charm: The entire ending teeters on this, especially the unprovoked hug by a random kid (who also shows up at Clopin's puppet show...)
  • No Yay: Frollo's obsession with Esmeralda.
  • The Scrappy: Nobody seems to like the gargoyles (unless you're a Jason Alexander fan), mostly due to their contribution of the Lighter and Softer tone of the film. And causing Mood Whiplash in almost every scene they appear in.
    • They are pretty funny at points. The question is whether or not their relatively broad humor is a good thing, given what the rest of the movie is like.
    • The gargoyles are Rescued from the Scrappy Heap in the German musical version. They are portrayed as figments of Quasi's imagination and their humor is toned down, which many feel is how they should have been done in the actual movie.
    • To be more precise, Hugo is the one usually considered The Scrappy, while Victor and Laverne are at the very least tolerated. In particular, the Running Gag of pigeons annoying Laverne is generally considered a little funny at the beginning and very funny by the end.
  • Sequelitis: The first film had gorgeous animation, dealt with some pretty heavy themes for a Disney movie, and had very good music. The sequel dispensed with all of these in favor of a Lighter and Softer approach that shoehorned in a boring love interest for Quasimodo, an annoying child for Phoebus and Esmerelda, and a very lame villain. Why Kevin Kline, Tom Hulce and Demi Moore stuck around for it is a mystery for the ages.
  • Signature Scene: "Hellfire" is arguably the most famous scene in the film. Also the climax, with Quasimodo rescuing Esmeralda and declaring "SANCTUARY!"
  • Squick: Frollo grabbing Esmeralda in the church and smelling her hair. Tell me you didn't find it sickening. Unless you're a Nightmare Fetishist, and find it ... extremely hot.
    • While it's played for laughs, Hugo the Gargoyle's attraction towards Djali the goat is fairly disturbing.
  • Straw Man Has a Point: Frollo's grim depiction of the world "out there" actually sounds quite realistic, considering that this is Mediaeval Europe we're talking about.
  • Tear Jerker: The reprise of Heaven's Light as Quasimodo watches Esmarelda kiss Phoebus and tearing up his ace of hearts card.

I knew I'd never know/ that warm and loving glow/ though I might wish with all my might/ no face as hideous as my face/ was ever meant for heaven's light!

    • God Help The Outcasts, especially the line "I ask for nothing/ I can get by,/ but I know so many/ less lucky than I" coming from Esmerelda.
  • Ugly Cute: Quasimodo, who's Ugly Adorable.
  • Viewer Gender Confusion:
    • The gargoyle Laverne has no Tertiary Sexual Characteristics and a voice actress (Mary Wickes) with a husky voice. Although she has an obviously feminine name, it's only mentioned once in the film.
    • Laverne can be a guy's name, too.
      • Well, yes, but Laverne did wear a somewhat skimpy red dress during A Guy Like You in the piano sequence.
      • But Hugo crossdressed as Esmerelda...
    • Averted in other languages where either her voice is unmistakably female, the language itself has grammar rules that indicates gender (like in Spanish or French) or both.
  • Vindicated by History: When it was released, it was a moderate hit with both critics and audiences - the consensus was "Hey, it was better than Pocahontas, but nowhere near as good as The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast. However, it's recently become a contender for the Magnum Opus of Disney's Renaissance era.
  • Visual Effects of Awesome: Notre Dame, and the Frollo's image of Esmeralda dancing in the flames in the Hellfire song. It is mentioned in the commentary that the special effects team gave their best in that scene.
  • The Woobie: Quasimodo. Becomes an Iron Woobie towards the very end of the movie.
    • Esmeralda possibly counts as well, given all the persecution the gypsies go through, the fact that Frollo is after her specifically, and she still manages to be willing to pray for everybody else in "God Help the Outcasts."
    • Jerkass Woobie: In the 2014 US stage musical adaptation, Frollo is this as he was in the original book and in stark contrast to his animated counterpart. He's given a Freudian Excuse for why he became the man he is, truly loved his brother Jehan, is reasonably kinder and more fatherly to Quasimodo and shows signs of having some care for him, and is more openly conflicted regarding his lust for Esmeralda and how he feels torn between that and his religious position. None of this excuses his actions, however, as he still ends up crossing the Moral Event Horizon when he attempts to rape Esmeralda and then is the cause of Esmeralda's death.
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