The Voices of Jetlag’s Hunchback

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Esmeralda Crying after Frollo stabs Phoebus Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda Crying after Frollo stabs Phoebus Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame

The voice acting in the Jetlag version of the Hunchback  is delightfully bad. Most of the lines are delivered with all the passion of a elementary school play. Though make no mistake it does get hammy at some points, like when Esmeralda utters “No” after Phoebus gets stab. But for the most part it’s dull and passionless.

 

Jetlag Frollo and Garamel from The Smurf picture

Garamel from The Smurfs & Jetlag Frollo

 

Also the style of voice the actors use are laughable. Frollo sounds like Gargamel, the bad guy from the Smurfs (kind of looks like him too), Phoebus and Fleur de Lys have terrible fake french accents, and the Duke of Egypt sounds like a mix of Ganon from the Legend of Zelda cartoon and a Pirate at a bad Ren-Faire.

 

Gringoire tries to score a kiss Jetlag version Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Gringoire tries to score a kiss

Maybe the voice actors were not trying but I kind of get the feeling that they tried to sound bad. Like they were just having fun and didn’t care that much it because the quality of the this product was fairly low anyway. I can’t say I blame them. The voice acting is probably the one aspect that delights in its badness.

 

Next Jetlag Article- The Songs, (Help Me)

Esmeralda dancing Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda dancing Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame

Anti Hypothetical Casting – Megan Fox as Esmeralda

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Typically when I do hypothetical casting posts it’s because I think a specific actor or actress would be a good choice for a certain character in the Hunchback Notre Dame. This post however is different. It’s the opposite.

Megan Fox picture image

Megan Fox

Megan Fox, for whatever reason, is for some people an ideal choice for Esmeralda. Now I’m not going to criticize those people. Instead I’m going make a little bit of a generalization. The people who think Fox should play Esmeralda are looking at the character from the Disney perspective; that she is a strong, independent, sexually-aware women. While I guess Fox “embodies” those traits let’s not forget that she isn’t know for her acting prowess.

Fox’s major function in the media is to be lusted after. The truth is Fox isn’t a decent actress. I’m not a great fan of Demi Moore but she can act circles around Fox, I mean she was great in Ghost. But more than that, Moore has a tenderness which did come through in her Esmeralda. Fox doesn’t seem to have anything that makes her a compelling actress outside her physical appearance.

Megan Fox image picture

Megan Fox

 

Depending on how the movie chooses to depict Esmeralda, it’s not difficult role to play. It would be harder if a movie made her like she is the in book since it would take a charismatic actress to make her likable and sympathetic. But the movies goes with the easier approach that she is  kind, strong-willed, independent, and sexy. Even if it’s an easy  role that doesn’t mean that a movie can cast someone solely on looks. There needs to be some charm to actress and not just an overly sexualized lady who poses in front of camera and spout off a lines.

 

Megan Fox picture image

Megan Fox

 

So being that Fox is for some people an ideal Esmeralda  and she stared with Josh Brolin in Jonah Hex I feel compelled to voice my opinion on her playing Esmeralda; No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No!!!

Jetlag Charcaters

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Hunchback of Notre Dame Character Illustration by Francois Joseph Aime De Lemud

Hunchback of Notre Dame Character Illustration by Francois Joseph Aime De Lemud

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an character driven piece. As a narrative it rests on the characters. In the book, the characters may not be that 3- dimensional but there is a richness to them, we care about them.

Most of the adaptations deviate from book to make the characters either more likable or less likable. For example in the Disney movie, Esmeralda isn’t the immature shallow girl that she is in the book and Phoebus isn’t a cad. Instead they’re both noble and moral people. And Frollo is just a murderous jerk in Disney version.

Frollo and Esmeralda from the Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Esmeralda from the Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Now with the Jetlag version, the characters are left pretty much intact with the exception of Esmeralda, I’ll get to that in a minute. However this version doesn’t have much time for character development. We get the basic understanding of the characters but the richness and likability doesn’t come across.

They’re more like the representations of the characters and not the characters. I mean what can be said about these characters; Quasimodo is nice, Frollo is sort-of tortured, Gringoire is there, Phoebus is a cad, and Esmeralda is nice.

Esmeralda from the Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda from the Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Esmeralda is the most changed in this version from the book version. In the book, she is immature and naive. It’s due to her immaturity that she is shallow. Here, Esmeralda is kind and not shallow. I mean she ends up with Quasimodo at the end. I suppose she grows a little bit as a character because she starts out liking Phoebus and the then falls in love with Quasimodo but she is never repulse by him so we never really see a change in how she treats him.

Esmeralda and Gringoire Jetlag version Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Gringoire

The characters in the Jetlag version are dull and bland because the movie doesn’t develop their personalities as characters so what we the audience are left with a cardboard cut-outs of much richer characters.

Next Jetlag review- Voice acting

Gringoire balancing a chair Jetlag version Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Gringoire balancing a chair Jetlag version Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hunchback Horoscope 10/2/12

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Today’s magically and very profound Hunchback horoscope is;

“The cloister was deserted; the clergy gas to the bishop’s place to pray together; the court was empty, save for a few timid lackeys hiding in  dark corners”

So take refuge with people whom you trust, the Barnes & Noble copy of The Hunchback  has spoken.

Jetlag Plot Review

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Tormented Frollo Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Tormented Frollo Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame

With exception of the happy ending where Esmeralda and Quasimodo runoff together the plot of the Jetlag version  adheres fairly close to the book. It has all the core components of the book, Gringoire, Frollo as a tormented priest, Phoebus is a cad with a fiancée, and Djali does her tricks.  Of course they are missing elements that make the story take a more an adult tone like anything dealing with architecture vs the written words, Jehan’s debauchery, Gudule and Ananke to name  a few.

 

Esmeralda's (not) trial Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda’s (not) trial Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame

All the major  parts are streamlined. The movie doesn’t spend much time developing anything and with a narrator major parts are  just example and not shown. Esmeralda’s trial and torture for example are just mentioned and not shown.  The characters are flat representations of the book.  The Jetlag version has the bones of the story but it lacks finer details and the execution doesn’t help it much however with all the other different version messing the story up it’s refreshing to see an adaptation that follow the book.

 

Quasimodo gives the bell a hug Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo gives the bell a hug Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame

Next Jetlag Article  – The Characters

Esmeralda and Phoebus Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Phoebus Jetlag Hunchback of Notre Dame

Fan-Art Friday 09/21/12

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Today’s Fan-art is a bit different, I used the Tudor Scene marker from Azalea Dolls and made a Esmeralda and a Fleur de Lys. I have a bunch of these Hunchback related Paper images so this won’t be the last.

Esmeralda and Fleur de Lys The Tudors Scene picture image

Esmeralda and Fleur de Lys done with The Tudors Scene Maker