For the most part Hunchback of Notre Dame has stunning animation and visuals, and isn’t that what Disney is know for… beside songs, and Princesses and Branding the Hell out their movies. Unfortunately Hunchback has one aspect of their visuals that hasn’t aged well; the CG crowds.

 

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Topsy Turvy CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunchback of Notre Dame has had a history of big crowds scenes, they can be seen the the 1923 version, 1939 version and most of the other film versions have scene with a ton of people. So of course Disney had to this to and the opted for computer generate crowds that the could swap out clothing hair and other traits, it was a time saver. The crowds can be seen in Topsy Turvy, the climax and the ending. And My God they stick out against the film’s art style. There just not refined enough to blend in remote to the film. However it is possible to over look it.

Climax CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Climax CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Finale CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Finale CG Crowds Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

But still when the are notice they’re clunky, angular and not very pretty.  They actually bring the visuals down for me, perhaps I’m too harsh  but they look like the come from a cheap and boring video game about peasants who wear a lot of brown.

Beside the Crowds there is another aspect of the that Disney didn’t quite get right

Next Time – Notre Dame de Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame

Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Notre Dame of Paris Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

This actually old news but Hunchback of Notre Dame is getting the Graphic Novel treatment via Dark Horse Publishing. It’s By Tim A Conrad.

Hunchback of Notre Dame Graphic Novel by Tim A Conrad

Hunchback of Notre Dame Graphic Novel by Tim A Conrad

Hunchback of Notre Dame Graphic Novel by Tim A Conrad

Hunchback of Notre Dame Graphic Novel by Tim A Conrad

Hunchback of Notre Dame Graphic Novel by Tim A Conrad

Hunchback of Notre Dame Graphic Novel by Tim A Conrad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe it not this not the first time Hunchback as been experience the comic treatment.

Today offering is by GilJimbo,  This based off a chapter from the Book called The Broken Pitcher

Clopin by GilJimbo

Clopin by GilJimbo

Frollo singing Hellfire Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney

As I end discussing the music I want to say ONE thing, in Hunchback of Notre Dame, when the songs differ from the standard Disney format of song-type, the songs were great and when the songs was very formulaic it was bad. I think Disney needs to  pull away from the ridgely formulaic movies and be a little more experimental. I realize the Hunchback wasn’t a great success for them but that’s because they took a book that a) is a piece of literature with a bittersweet ending and b) they muttled the plot so it both be “dark” but also for kids.

 

Tangled Promotion Poster Disney picture image

Tangled Promotion Poster Disney

Snow Queen Concept Art Disney picture image

Snow Queen Concept Art Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know Disney recently has been trying new things, Tangled was CG and more like a Dreamwork movie but it was still a princess movie and I was going to mention Snow Queen but that’s in development limbo right now. But maybe Disney should take what was so great about the Hunchback of Notre Dame (the dark elements) and make a dark animated movie. Let’s what would be good, mmm how about Faust:, everyone loves Faust. Or the The Monk , no that’s too dark, lots of sex and satan (but then again the main character is like a Frollo prototype). I think there was talk about doing Disney doing The Ramayana which isn’t dark but Ravana is demon king and I think it would make a great Disney movie especially if they did really cool animation. I guess either Faust alter to scew younger or the Ramayana which would need very little altering would be great.

Night on Bald Mountain Disney Fantasia  picture image

Night on Bald Mountain Disney Fantasia

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

In conclusion Disney, you love Night on Bald Mountain, you love Hellfire, just make a dark movie and don’t market it for kids who know maybe that’s the shot in the arm your company needs; making a good film that people want to watch, and the people like Dark.

Next Time – It’s Fan Art Friday  Can I get a Yay?

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Let’s us now concluded the musical portion of Hunchback with probably the strongest aspect of it; Alan Menken’s Score. The Hunchback of Notre Dame has one of the best score that Disney has ever produced. Menken was inspired by Mozart’s Requiem Mass and there a lot of dark tonalities to the Music  which in conclude Latin chanting which add    to the gothic nature of tone to the movie. When I say Gothic I referring to the building of Notre Dame and not the genre of the Victor Hugo’s book. The score also has a lot of Leitmotifs (referring to a recurring theme associated with a particular person, place, or idea.)

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame pitcure image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

Quasimodo = Out There, Frollo =Hellfire, Phoebus has this march that is heard a lot when ever he appears on the screen, and Esmeralda = God Help The Outcasts. Clopin doesn’t seem to get one because he is always singing. You can hear the song tune throughout the movie. Track 4 Humiliation has the tunes of Out There and  God help the Outcast.

Quasimodo declares Sanctuary for Esmeralda Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image
Quasimodo declares Sanctuary for Esmeralda

 

So while the songs are pretty hit and miss, the score is strong. My Favorite track is defiantly Sanctuary!, it over the top and dramatic. Plus I’m a fan of Latin choir, it maybe a cliche but they really do make everything sound much more epic

 

Next time a slight Rant and Plea to Disney

 

Julie  Zenatti as Fleur de Lys Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Julie Zenatti as Fleur de Lys Notre Dame de Paris

Hey all there’s a new Notre Dame de Paris Lens. This time it’s Fleur de Lys and all her actresses. So go check it out http://www.squidoo.com/fleur-de-lys-notre-dame-de-paris

I’m still adding to it and don’t forget to click the images ^_~ Enjoy

 

 

Not My Joke and it has variations; try to Enjoy

The hunchback of Notre Dame needed a job. He knocked on the door of the belltower. The gentleman at the door asked,

“What do you want?” The hunchback replied,

“I need a job. I want to ring the bell.”

“You’re too short to ring the bell,” said the gentleman. The hunchback said,

“Just give me one chance to prove to you that I can.”

The gentleman agrees and the two go up to the bell at the top of the tower. Clearly the small man could not reach the bell. He takes a few steps back and takes a running jump, banging the bell with his face.
“Okay,” said the gentleman, “but you can’t do it more than once, you’ll hurt yourself.”

But the hunchback did it again and again and again and was fine. He gets the job.

The next day the same gentleman is walking down the street with the priest. The hunchback of Notre Dame takes his running start, misses the bell and falls of the building, crashing to the ground, dead. The priest goes,

“Oh my god! Did you know this man?” The gentleman replies,

“No, but his face rings a bell.”

Robert Marien

Robert Marien

The Notre Dame de Paris Asian Tour Cast Frollo will be played by Robert Marien. He has also  played Frollo in the 2000 Candian Cast and in the 2004 French Cast. He was born in May 5 1956 and is a Québécois. He is an actor, singer, and songwriter who has performed in the musical Les Misérables in Montreal, Paris, New York and London. He has also appeared in numerous films.

Here is a clip of him singing as Frollo from the Canadian Cast with Gino Quilico

I think he a good choice for the role. I have nothing bad to say about this casting choice.

 

Sylvain Cossette

Sylvain Cossette

Seems like the Tour Cast with be mostly Canadian Performers and since Matt Laurent with be playing Quasimodo I would predict that the odds of Sylvain Cossette playing Gringoire are high (Sylvain Cossette and Matt Laurent have worked together and Sylvain Cossette has played Gringoire before in the 2000 Candian cast along with Robert Marien.)

 

Myriam Brousseau

Myriam Brousseau

 

Myriam Brousseau is another Québécois and has been in Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, Romeo and Juliet and ASSASSINS. She’ll be playing the alternative for Fleur de Lys and Esmeralda. I’ve never heard her sing so I’ll hold off on judgement.

 

Edit-  This casting refers to the Asian Tour Cast for more info click here

Notre Dame de Paris 2012 Tour picture image

Notre Dame de Paris 2012 Tour

Cast confirmed: Matt Laurent will be Quasimodo, Robert Marien will be Frollo, and Myriam Brousseau will be the understudy for Fleur-De-Lys and Esmeralda. Rehearsals will start this October in Paris before heading to China where they’ll start touring with Notre-Dame in 2012 and 2013 for 8 to 9 month in English. Robert Marien will also be the vocal supervisor and Gilles Maheu will be the director.

 

Source: http://masterclassamontreal.com/2011/09/23/trois-quebecois-en-asie-avec-notre-dame-de-paris/

I’ll post my reactions on this later

Additional Info

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Long as there's a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Long as there’s a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there were two Deleted Songs in Hunchback of Notre DameAs Long as there’s a Moon and In a Place of Miracles. Both songs were love songs for Phoebus and Esmeralda, and occurs right before Frollo arrested anyone. It was an awkward place for the songs as it’s like “Hey Frollo is coming” “Oh no but first a love song”, it just didn’t work. The other problem is that the directors felt that a love song for Phoebus and Esmeralda took any the Quasimodo-ness from the movie, yada yada yada the directors loved Quasimodo as the focus and no else. As result no love songs.

 

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Long as there's a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Long as there’s a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both deleted songs were meh, In a Place of Miracle was a duet between Phoebus and Esmeralda and As Long as there’s a moon featured Clopin sining and followed a scene from the book. They’re average songs that were awkwardly placed.

 

As Long as there's a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Long as there’s a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I prefer As Long as there a moon more than In Place of Miracles but then agian Clopin the best human character. I also  kind of like that they didn’t have a love song however maybe the addition of love song for Phoebus and Esmeralda would have made fans believe their romance instead of just thinking Esmeralda was shallow in not choosing Esmeralda.

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a Place of Miracles Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Long as there's a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

As Long as there’s a moon Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Time – ?