Madeline as Phoebus and Pepito as Quasimodo, Hunchback

Madeline as Phoebus and Pepito as Quasimodo

What can I saw about the Madeline episode that features a meager attempt to reference the Hunchback of Notre Dame? It’s a lazy, confused mess that would rather talk about writing even though the people who wrote it don’t know the first thing about writing. It’s not charming, cute or insightful. It is weak and torture to watch and I didn’t care for it on any level.

Next Hunchback version after a short Winter Break. If you have a suggestions, let me know because I haven’t made up my mind yet.

I know I have mentioned the lesson before in other posts where I bashed, I mean reviewed, the Hunchback episode of Madeline  but I find that the way it was handle in this episode is so awful that it needs to be bashed more.

Madeline, Pepito and her friends read Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Madeline, Pepito and her friends read Hunchback of Notre Dame

I do not claim to be expert on the show, I mean I could only watch two episodes other than the hunchback one, but the two episodes I saw had two good lessons; one was altruism and not judging dogs based on breed (allegorical to racism).

In those two episodes people had to actively learn something and a sense development was achieved. The episodes were torture but there was at least a depth.

Madeline as Phoebus and Pepito as Quasimodo, Hunchback

Madeline as Phoebus and Pepito as Quasimodo

Then we get the Hunchback episode. Anything that deals with Quasimodo should be more or less deal with getting over looks to see who a  person truly is, unless it’s done as parody or satire. But this is a kids show so is the standard lesson should be applied.

The problem is NO ONE learns it because the episode doesn’t care about the Hunchback. Writing-wise the episode is all over the place so there is no time to for a character to grow or learn the Quasimodo lesson.

Pepito and Gerald Dippetty Doo, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Pepito and Gerald Dippetty Doo

Since everyone but Pepito gets that Quasimodo is awesome, he is the one who is at odds with Quasimodo’s looks but he only comes around to liking Quasimodo because his idol tells him that he is great and should play Quasimodo in the play. Then Pepito plays Quasimodo and good is in a dumb play but he learns nothing.

But there is nothing to indicate in the episode that Pepito is like Quasimodo, he is just a jerk throughout the episode, he made a much better Phoebus. But since he is the one in opposition to Quasimodo he had to be the one to realize how great Quasimodo is but it’s pointless if he just told it out right.

Quasimodo captures Ms. Cavell, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Quasimodo captures Ms. Cavell

The episode should have been about the girls meeting a Quasimodo-like figure, Pepito or one of the little girls judging him and then the Quasimodo-figure helps them somehow and the jerk learns that judging people based on appearances is a jerky thing to do. Cliche? Yes but at least someone learns and grows from the core Quasimodo-lesson-for-kids.

Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Madeline’s dreams

The title is also confused, as it’s Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I know the scheme of the titles go Madeline and Whatever the focused is, but Madeline has no connection to the Hunchback. It should have been called Madeline and the Play or Madeline and Notre Dame.

Pepito as Phoebus, Madeline and the Hunchback image picture

Pepito as Phoebus, Madeline and the Hunchback

This episode is a mess for beginning to end and it’s no surprise that lesson is a mess and just tacked on to weak cash in episode.

Next Time; Conclusion, Thank God

Madeline as Phoebus, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Madeline as Phoebus

 

The Animation in Madeline is crap-poo. No, actually it’s worse. It’s not even bad enough to be delightful. No, it’s honest-to-god poo. But what makes it so bad besides every damn thing? Well, I will list three things because anymore analysis on this, is going to drive me to insanity.

 

#1 The Colors

Madeline, Pepito and her friends read Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Madeline, Pepito and her friends read Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

The Color design is dull. It tries to be bright and colorful but it meanders  in the dull. Honestly I could take the colors  as the tones aren’t awful and the gradient are ok but the  dumb character design ruin it,  which brings me to me second point;

 

 

#2 The Character Design

Ms. Cavell holding The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Ms. Cavell holding The Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

The Character Designs are flat, uninteresting and dumb. Sure they look like the books but while the books were endearing the character look stupid. With their cold soul-less black dot eyes, their blocky bodies  and there unvaried faces. They just look stupid in motion. Then we come to the problem real issue;

 

#3 The Laziness

 

Madeline or Pepito as Quasimodo  picture image

Madeline or Pepito as Quasimodo

The animation in Madeline is abject, unfiltered, pure  laziness.  Anything that could be good and endearing is trashed by the immense awfulness of the animation. The character’s motion are stilted and awkward. The repeat animation is laughable. The use Pepito as Madeline in a long shot which make it a continuity error. I’m sure this show has a LOT of them. There are dozen upon dozen still frames to pad out the ghastly time. They also you a dissolve transition to get the girls to turn at the end while they are brushing their teeth. Also that is another continuity error since it has the girls in their “magnificent” day clothes but the shot before that they were in their nightgowns. So much laziness in this show.

 

Madeline and her dumb song hunchback of Notre dame

Madeline and her dumb song

The animation in Madeline is one of it’s biggest failures. it hard to really get passed the crappy animation. I mean one could if the story and characters were interesting but they are not so the bad animation is really inexcusable.  It really is just crap-poo.

 

Next time – The Moral of the Story

Pepito and Gerald Dippetty Doo, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Pepito and Gerald Dippetty Doo

Ms Cavell and Floating paper in the Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame  Song picture image

Ms Cavell and Floating paper

In the Madeline Hunchback episode, Ms. Cavell is trying to get the little girls into reading and writing. She takes them all over Paris and finally at the 6 minute mark, she introduces us to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is one of her favorites book. You would think after introducing the book they would talk about it a little bit, but no as soon as she spits out the title the song starts.

Some Guy and with a horse made of Steam, Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame  Song picture image

Some Guy and with a horse made of Steam,

Madeline episodes alway have a song in them regardless if it works or not. So you might think that the song would relate to the Hunchback or Notre Dame but no. The song is about writing and how Great Paris is for writers.

Ms Cavell and a French Poem, Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame  Song picture image

Ms Cavell and a French Poem

Considering writing is the overarching theme in this, it’s not a bad thing. What is a bad thing is that is the worst thing ever created by a human. A fair warning, this song has been known to kill people because it causes uncontrollable bleeding in the ears.

Madeline and her dumb song picture image

Madeline and her dumb song

Ms Cavell sings how Paris inspires writers. Then the girls sing the stupidest chorus ever;

                                             “Write, Write Write on the left bank.”
                                                  “Left, Left, Left of on the Right.”

I have no words for the stupidness that is those lyrics and they repeat it twice. The bulk of the song’s lyrics just repeat the same idea, Paris inspires writers. The rhymes are ok but they are not by no means great. For whatever ok-ness they might have the chorus ruins it along with instruments and the visuals.

Ms Cavell and Floating paper in the Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame  Song picture image

Ms Cavell and Floating paper

The Instruments are mostly a crappy cheap electronic piano. I hear an accordion which is so french and cliche but honestly the accordion is fine. However that godforsaken electronic piano with it stupid glittery cheap sound dominates this shit-feast of song.

Slide Transition in the Madeline and the Hunchback of Notre Dame  Song picture image

Slide Transition during the Song

Then there are the visuals. Now I haven’t got into the animation of Madeline yet but here it is in a nutshell is what I think of it; IT FUCKING SUCKS. And my god the song portion is atrocious in the visuals.

First off let’s editing. They use fucking slide pushes. Which is a transition that pushes the clip from left right off screen. They feathered the edge to make it look soft and gentle but it looks cheesy as fuck.

Madeline and her dumb song hunchback of Notre dame

Madeline and her dumb song

Then the little girls sing the chorus in an abstract space with letters behind them as they walk without ever going anywhere. But look their legs as the step wide. Their legs shouldn’t go that wide without their torso going down. I know this trivial but it fucking bothers me. It also looks like they animated one set of legs and put them on every girl including Pepito…. Pepito has girly legs.

Madeline and her dumb song picture image

Madeline and her dumb song

It’s just laziness. But that is what the Madeline show is, Laziness, un-bashed and unapologetic laziness. Thankfully because it so fucking lazy the song is short. But even it’s length can’t help it from being the most awful song ever. Quickly, let me listen to I’d stick with you from the Disney Hunchback sequel. (listens to it) Ahhhhhhh….. way better.

Next Time; Let’s Complain about the Animation More….. (cries)

Madeline as Phoebus, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Madeline as Phoebus

Madeline and Danielle as the Captain and Esmeralda picture image

Madeline and Danielle as the Captain and Esmeralda

I will give Madeline a little credit, and this pains me greatly, but they did give an interesting take on Quasimodo’s character. It was about how he treats others and not how he is beautiful on the inside. I mean it’s still emphasis on Quasimodo’s inner beauty but it’s said in a different way and I can appreciate that.

I also like the girl who plays Esmeralda. Danielle, as she is called, looks appropriate to the role. Though they never mention Esmeralda as Gypsy, so it’s moot point.

Madeline as Quasimodo and Danielle as Esmeralda, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Madeline as Quasimodo and Danielle as Esmeralda

But my god how this episode fails to communicate the source material every chance it gets. It seems in a way a throw-away episode. I bet they were just trying to get Hunchback in before the Disney movie came out. Otherwise I’m not sure they knew Hunchback existed at all.

Madeline and Pepito in the mud Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Madeline and Pepito in the mud

 

This episode seems to have a little bit of an identity problem. It really can’t decided if it wanted to focus of the Hunchback and its children-friendly theme, writing, Paris love or mud castles. I mean it does take 6 minutes to get a mention of the Hunchback. And the Hunchback-focus is phoned in at best.

Pepito as Phoebus, Madeline and the Hunchback image picture

Pepito as Phoebus, Madeline and the Hunchback

Let’s tackle a big annoyance. The episode only focuses one two characters from the book; Quasimodo and Esmeralda. But Esmeralda is only mention because she was nice to Quasimodo. We hear of a Captain of the Guard which is Phoebus but his name is never stated. Other major characters do not exist in Madeline’s world.

Quasimodo captures Ms. Cavell, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Quasimodo captures Ms. Cavell

Then there is the little instance of plot the episode indicates at that are just off or wrong. First, the play starts with Esmeralda in sanctuary and Quasimodo brings her food. It’s not like the episode just skipped to that scene since Ms.Cavell assures Mr. Dippetty Doo that it will get better. This should be at the end, if it was crap to this point it’s not going to get better.

The addition of the Captain was only to shoehorn in since they couldn’t otherwise. And it was to act as counterpoint to Quasimodo’s looks. Then we have Mr. Dippetty Doo swinging down to grab Esmeralda while they are both in Notre Dame. That’s just silly. These two instances are the only indications of plot from the book aside from being way off they are lifted from the movies adaptations and not the book.

Pepito and Gerald Dippetty Doo, Madeline and the Hunchback picture image

Pepito and Gerald Dippetty Doo

Then we have Pepito learning to play Quasimodo because he apparently has a big heart. Pepito should have played Esmeralda with his level of selfishness, Oh wait, I forgot book-Esmeralda doesn’t exist here.

But in all seriousness Pepito doesn’t have an arc, he doesn’t seem to learn anything or reach any conclusions that was influence by Quasimodo. Mr.Dippetty Fucking Doo has to tell Pepito that Quasimodo is awesome. This just makes the episode really superficial and lazy. It’s really mind-numbing the lack of effort this episode has for the story. It didn’t celebrate Hugo’s work at all, it marred beyond recognition.

Next Time; the Stupid Song

Madeline and her dumb song picture image

Madeline and her dumb song

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