The Hunchback of Notre Dame has me really conflicted in how I feel about it. It's a dark and mature movie with a compelling story and a number of themes effortlessly interwoven, while also being remarkably progressive for its time. It tackles ideas on sex, racism, and religion like no Disney movie before or since. The animation is gorgeous with sweeping cityscapes and defined colouring creating uncountable amounts of frame-worthy shots. It has flourishes of a truly great stage musical, but I'm not a fan of that stage musical style so many of the musical numbers fell completely flat for me, even though the classical/choral instrumentation really appeals to me. And as progressive and mature as its story and themes may be, there's the problematic ending that undermines much of it. Not to mention the jarring tonal shifts between the dark and serious melodrama and the kid-friendly slapstick and witty one-liners, and the rushed pacing/editing that prevents the movie from transitioning properly and breathing between each scene. It's an underrated classic and a messy misstep all at once; a flawed masterpiece. I give The Hunchback of Notre Dame a hugely conflicted 7/10.
Review of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
