Week 36 in 1996
I had three movies that slightly perked my interest. I do mean slightly. There was not much here this year in my opinion.
I turned down 101 Dalmations, maybe a bad choice.
Muppet Treasure Island, in all honesty, I watched this on TV earlier in the year. Bettter than I thought it would be, but did not need to see it twice this year.
This left me with my choice The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. I had 101 Dalmations in my head all week. However that EW article (You can find the link, on another post I did little over a week ago in this forum area) had The Hunchback as one of Disneys best. I watched this movies many years ago and remember thinking..this is not enjoyable. After the article, I thought, maybe I missed something.
Well, I should have known. Most critics love dark and sullen films. Yes, this movie is very dark, and not for children. I mean people get thrown into fire.
I am not going to insult you with the storyline. I will just move into..the good. Again..just wonderful Disney casting for voice work:
Tom Hulce (Rock Me Amadeus)-as Quasimodo
Tony Jay- as the evil Frodo
Demi Moore- as Esmeralda (ok not wonderful, but holds her own)
Kevin Kline- as Phoebus (not to be confused with Phoebe Cates)
Jayson Alexander,Charles Kimbrough,Mary Wickes- as Victor,Laverne,and Hugo the talking gargoyels.
Now the bad (wawawawa). The music (Alan Menken), was shockingly bad. No catchy songs like in the past animated Disney movies, just blah. I kind of liked God Help The Outcast, but if it was in another movie like Aladdin, it would be forgotten against the great songs in that film. In other words, I think I liked it because it was not as bad as the other bad songs. The direction ( Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise), I felt was everywhere. The film had a very choppy tone, and story. Almost like it was fighting itself to lighten up. The Hunchback is a dark and gloomy book with a light ending. It is what it is. You can tell they needed those gargoyels to add levity bad. I must admit, they did have some funny lines (Frodo's nose is long and he wears a truss). However not enough to lighten the classic tale.
Fire. Fire everywhere. My interpretation. Frollo represents evil or the devil, thus he burns things and people. Quasimodo, up in the church tower, represents good, innocents, almost an angelic person. Good vs evil. A basic Disney premise, but the evil in his movie is something. I mean in the song Hellfire he sings "But she will be mine or she will...BURN". Last I checked a relationship cannot start under those circumstances and succeed. Well there is my interpretaion, maybe to deep, I don't know.
Fun and not so fun facts:
Mary Wickes sadly died during the filming of this movie, Jane Withers filled in as the voice of Laverne and finished her part. Mary did many Disney films, but is more commonly know for parts in Dennis The Menace and White Christmas.
This is one of Michael Eisner's favorite movies.
The writers and animators spent several weeks in Notre Dame to make sure the film looked right.
So Hunchback, the animation and look was wonderful. Voice's also wonderful. Everything else, in my opinion, just struggled against itself. For adults..I would give it 2 1/2 out of 5 Mickeys.
Until next week..I return to Touchstone for a movie that has picked up a cult following. That's a hint
Have a peaceful week.
As always thanks for your time.
I had three movies that slightly perked my interest. I do mean slightly. There was not much here this year in my opinion.
I turned down 101 Dalmations, maybe a bad choice.
Muppet Treasure Island, in all honesty, I watched this on TV earlier in the year. Bettter than I thought it would be, but did not need to see it twice this year.
This left me with my choice The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. I had 101 Dalmations in my head all week. However that EW article (You can find the link, on another post I did little over a week ago in this forum area) had The Hunchback as one of Disneys best. I watched this movies many years ago and remember thinking..this is not enjoyable. After the article, I thought, maybe I missed something.
Well, I should have known. Most critics love dark and sullen films. Yes, this movie is very dark, and not for children. I mean people get thrown into fire.
I am not going to insult you with the storyline. I will just move into..the good. Again..just wonderful Disney casting for voice work:
Tom Hulce (Rock Me Amadeus)-as Quasimodo
Tony Jay- as the evil Frodo
Demi Moore- as Esmeralda (ok not wonderful, but holds her own)
Kevin Kline- as Phoebus (not to be confused with Phoebe Cates)
Jayson Alexander,Charles Kimbrough,Mary Wickes- as Victor,Laverne,and Hugo the talking gargoyels.
Now the bad (wawawawa). The music (Alan Menken), was shockingly bad. No catchy songs like in the past animated Disney movies, just blah. I kind of liked God Help The Outcast, but if it was in another movie like Aladdin, it would be forgotten against the great songs in that film. In other words, I think I liked it because it was not as bad as the other bad songs. The direction ( Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise), I felt was everywhere. The film had a very choppy tone, and story. Almost like it was fighting itself to lighten up. The Hunchback is a dark and gloomy book with a light ending. It is what it is. You can tell they needed those gargoyels to add levity bad. I must admit, they did have some funny lines (Frodo's nose is long and he wears a truss). However not enough to lighten the classic tale.
Fire. Fire everywhere. My interpretation. Frollo represents evil or the devil, thus he burns things and people. Quasimodo, up in the church tower, represents good, innocents, almost an angelic person. Good vs evil. A basic Disney premise, but the evil in his movie is something. I mean in the song Hellfire he sings "But she will be mine or she will...BURN". Last I checked a relationship cannot start under those circumstances and succeed. Well there is my interpretaion, maybe to deep, I don't know.
Fun and not so fun facts:
Mary Wickes sadly died during the filming of this movie, Jane Withers filled in as the voice of Laverne and finished her part. Mary did many Disney films, but is more commonly know for parts in Dennis The Menace and White Christmas.
This is one of Michael Eisner's favorite movies.
The writers and animators spent several weeks in Notre Dame to make sure the film looked right.
So Hunchback, the animation and look was wonderful. Voice's also wonderful. Everything else, in my opinion, just struggled against itself. For adults..I would give it 2 1/2 out of 5 Mickeys.
Until next week..I return to Touchstone for a movie that has picked up a cult following. That's a hint
Have a peaceful week.
As always thanks for your time.