Review – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The Disney-fying animation of the classic Hugo tale is definitely not a step in the right direction. Tom Hulce and Demi Moore voice Quasimodo and Esmeralda, which should give you some idea of what’s in store for you in the voice talent department. The animation is a step or two above the studio’s low points back in the 70s, but now it’s an awkward mix of mediocre foreground cells with computer-animated backdrops that frequently seem out of place. But worst of all – with the possible exception of the hero’s annoying gargoyle sidekicks – are the musical numbers. They’re almost universally mawkish paeans to counterfeit emotion, the sort of thing beloved only by habitués of motivational seminars conducted by the likes of Mary Lou Retton. I was actually in a fairly good mood when I watched this, so I really wanted to like it. But the movie stubbornly refused to meet me halfway. See if desperate