The Hunchback of Notre Dame II

Rating:
Summary: Can't I say 2 and a half stars?
Review: Actually, it all depends on what you're looking for with this DTV Disney sequel. If you're a big fan of the original and are looking for something just as good, or even close, forget it. If you're looking for a more kid-friendly Hunchback story though, and don't mind if it's badly animated, this might be just what you want. Or maybe you're like me, you loved the first, but you're such a Disney fan that even though you knew this one wasn't going to be very good at all, based on the previews, nothing would stop you from buying it anyway. But whatever has been said, or whatever I say here, remember that not all Disney Direct to Video sequels are bad. Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, was wonderful, as was An Extremely Goofy movie, and Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. And some of the others have come close, they just needed more competent directors, like Scamp's Adventure (Lady and the Tramp 2). It needed someone to say, "Okay, lose that song, and that song, and that song, and get a new voice for Scamp...."
Before I say anything else, I wanna say it's VERY disappointing that Disney is falling back into the stingy DVD extras department. Their first DVD's had NO extras, then they started doing great with their releases of films like Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Sword in the Stone, and now they're slipping into the middle ground, with only around 4 extras or so on each disc, most not being worth anyone's time. I mean, some of the games they've had, particularly the trivia ones with Video prizes at the end have been fun, but these newer games are pointless! It seems if you want extras from Disney now, you have to hope your favorite film is released in a two disc set.
Okay, now that that Rant is out of the way...not much to say about the original Hunchback. It's simply a Masterpiece! And I say that despite the fact that I wasn't particularly attracted to Esmerelda. Also, even though I'm an obsessed Disney fan, when it comes to the modern stuff there are always one or two, or more, lines in MOST of their new films that sound a bit too corny for my tastes, but I usually don't let it detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. Of course, Frollo was truly the best! Great villain. I do notice though, that, particularly noticable in Hunchback 2, Disney has managed to sneak in their first homosexual animated character, Hugo the Gargoyle, who is completely in love with Djali the goat, both males. Hmm.
Now, on the subject of part 2. Well, I have to say, the artwork in this was nearly as bad, if not just as bad, as Return of Jafar. That part was really heartbreaking and made it difficult to watch because the original was exceptional, even for a Disney theatrical feature. And in the opening, Esmerelda looked like a drag queen! They improved her later though. It had some corny stuff, a lot actually, since this was obviously aimed towards a younger set. The bit about the bell looking like a hat WAS really annoyingly stupid, as another reviewer or two commented. The most disturbing thing though, was that a lot of the characters seemed to have lost a lot of their excitement/liveliness, Clopin for instance, and Moore sounded like she was phoning it in. Her lines, and those of Madellaine in the beginning were particularly badly written. Madellaine, was likable though, and VERY cute, even though I've always disliked that hairstyle. To be honest, the idea of Quasi being able to find a girl that hot and getting her to love him is really sweet, but pretty corny and unrealistic. It's cute in a movie, just don't try to tell me it could really happen. I've seen the reverse happen, but I've NEVER seen a gorgeous girl go for a less than reasonably attractive guy... Anyways, I HAVE to give them points for doing what Shrek SHOULD have done with that plot. I mean, Shrek went with the old, pointless lesson of "Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder." Who needs to learn that? In its own way, it ends with a "stick with your own kind" message, like, "you're so ugly, the only one who could ever love someone like you is another ugly person," and, "don't dare fall in love with someone who is better looking than you are." Okay, maybe that's the way life seems to really be, usually, but, as unrealistic as it may be, at least Hunchback 2 TRIES, in no subtle way, to say that we should judge people by who they are inside and not on their appearance. People won't listen, but at least it's a nice thought.
Anyway, overall it's watchable. The villain is sooo weak compared to Frollo though. He really just seems like a skinnier version of Ratcliffe. Although Michael McKean still seemed to be giving it his all, and Hulce and Kline seemed to be working as hard as they did in the original. The idea of adding a son for Esmerelda and Phoebus worried me at first, but it was good for Quasi. It's funny though, how much of an effort they went to to point out that Esmerelda and Phoebus were married! Ha ha. But that's good I guess, but was anyone doubting it in a Disney movie? One scene where I thought things were picking up was when Phoebus was comlaining that he was sure the Circus people were the thieves, and everyone kind of got angry with him. It took on a more serious tone there, but that was the best part. It seemed to die out quick. For some reason, even when their son was in danger I wasn't that concerned. The resolution was a bit anticlimactic for me, considering the mega-ending of the original. Then there's the final scenes, at the festival. I'm glad Quasi got a girl this time, and one hotter than Esmerelda, but when she shouted out that she loved Quasimodo, it just seemed silly! I don't know, but I'm glad anyway. All I can say though is, it's a cute little movie for kids, but it's right there on the level of the other not so good Disney Direct to video features. I'll be happy when we see another on the level of Simba's Pride or Extremely Goofy Movie...

Rating:
Summary: Another Disney short coming
Review: After making such a great movie as the first Hunchback, it is hard to beleive that Disney would try to pass this off as a movie we should rush out to buy. It has a great cast, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Jenifer Love Hewitt, what not, but the songs were too horrid to endure, the animation worse than a Don Bluth flim and some situations contrived. What it did have was a beleivable plot as far as cartoons go, which saved it in many places. And there were places where you could tell that animators spent a bit more time than others. I just thought that who ever directed this film should have watch the first one before doing the second. It gives sequels a bad rap.

Rating:
Summary: Not so inspiring
Review: Again and again, Disney has bombarded unsuspecting viewers with sequals (an unwise choice), which often lack the wonder and majesty of the originals. This one, the sequal to the original "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", is like the other sequals, failing to capture the spirit of the original. Characters are reintroduced, and a parade of new characers come. And what's new, there's romance in this sequal, the love between Quazimodo, the lovable bellringer of Notre Dame, and Madelline (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the lonely servent of a greedy master. Like many of Disney's sequals, this one lacks what the originals had.

This is supposed to be a movie, so why does the animation resemble those found in TV shows? Sure, it's brighter, but the graphics found in theater films are far superior to this sequal's (clone's) effortless animation. The scenery found in the original "Hunchback" was more beautiful and lush. The characters lack fresh life, that little boy, Zephyr, is just too kiddie, and the actors and actresses are plain unrealistic. The score was okay and songs weren't as heart-warming as the original. For you to be moved, listen to the original's songs combined with choirs and beautiful voices.

The original is way superior to this clone. This was probably made to please over protective parents who were horrified by who dark the original was, not to continue the adventures of Quazimodo. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was inspiring, heartwarming, and will drive you to both tears and joy. You will be touched by its power and glory, and your soul will fly like an eagel. But as for this clone, it did a mediocre job. The main problem with this film is that is released on DVD and video, not in theaters, which tells us that Disney today cares for money, not our entertainment. At least, this could've been a TV miniseries. Overall, this is Notre Damned.

Rating:
Summary: Now what do you people want?
Review: An animated verison of 3000 Miles to Graceland? After a 6 year absence, Disney brings out a sequel to The Hunchback of Norte Dame. Not that Disney is back for the first time since 1996, but the most of the characters are back. As the movie opens, the annual Jour D' Amour Festival is about to open in Paris France. But Qausi (Tom Hulce) doesn't have a woman that he loves to shout her name from the bells. Phoebus (Kevin Kline) and Esmerelda (Demil Moore) are now married and have a young son Zephyr (Haley Joel Osment). But then Quasi meets a woman named Maelliane (Jennifer Love Hewit) that has come to his tower to get information on La Fidel for her master that wants to steal the bell. Two of the 3 actors that voiced the back I think. The other person who voiced Laverne died after fishining the voicework of Laverne.

Rating:
Summary: It Takes More Than Looking...
Review: As a defense for this film, I've decided to contribute my opinion.

First and foremost, I think anyone who's expecting something even 'close' to the original film has a very narrowed vision. After all, you can tell from the DTV sequels for many other Disney movies that there's a lower budget and thus lower quality. And if anyone had the sense to even watch the credits, you'd realize that this film was not animated in one large single studio at Disney, but by SEVERAL different small Japanese animation studios that were contracted by Disney to make this film. Hence the potential incosistencies and what not.

I don't think that kids (or people who are willing to cut some slack knowing the above said info) are really going to notice or CARE that a song doesn't sound like the next Oscar winning masterpiece or that someone's skin tone goes from light to dark every chapter or so. The point of this movie was to entertain children with a short and sweet story.

In spite of being 21, I honestly can't stop enjoying this little film. While admittedly not all the songs are great, I think Ordinary Miracles was a very beautiful song that could put up a strong match in comparison to the classic songs we know and love. And I think it very sweet that Disney was trying to do something not many films do, and that is showing that even in a maliformed state, Quasimodo COULD be loved without having to turn into a normal human being (ala Beauty and the Beast).

If you're in the mood for a short/sweet film to watch with your kids, or if you're into kiddy flicks, I'd give this movie a chance. If you're looking for something more serious or Oscar-worthy, I'd direct your dollars elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Save it for the Rental Store..
Review: Direct to video films are by nature low quality,quick money making ventures for the companies that make them. Still, I think this has got to be the very worst of Disney's direct to video. The quality is laughable.. evan non existant. Production values would have been better if they had used stick figures and a scrolling backdrop like the do on the saturday morning cartoons. backgrounds are painted and don't move.. If a character isn't speaking, it might as well be one of the statues up in Notre Dame. On top of all the dissapointments,the story line and plot was poorly conceived and left my husband and I feeling like not only did we waste our money but 90 minutes of our life we could have better spent elsewhere.

The 'extras' on this video really aren't. Poor filler to make you think you are getting a bit more than just the movie. If you really must watch it, or have it to entertain your children, consider renting it from the video store or Netflix.. You'll be glad you saved your money.

I truely wish there was an option for 0 stars. That is what it deserves.

Rating:
Summary: Disney's Done It Again.....another stupid sequel!
Review: First off, I should tell you that there was nothing that could stop me from seeing this movie. I LOVED the original "Hunchback" flick. It is one of Disney's best! So even though I thought this film looked pretty dumb just by viewing the trailer, I just HAD to see this film.

Well, now I have seen "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame 2". And do you wanna know what I thought of it: BLEECCCCCCCCHHHHHH!!!!

Okay, so I in all honesty wasn't really throwing up after seeing "Hunchback 2". But let's get something clear: I wasn't pleased by it. It is about as bad as a movie can get without being just plain awful. And nothing good can be said about the animation: it's even worse than that of Disney's avrage DTV flicks! But before I complain anymore, (or even, gasp, get to the few good things this movie offers) let's talk about the movie's plot.

Taking place at least seven years after the first movie, Quasimodo is now getting ready for one of the biggist festivals in all of France (No, it isn't the Feast of Fools). He's getting ready for a day in which, for some silly, traditional reason, couples from around the city shout their true love's name, for ALL of Paris to hear. And all this happens when Quasi rings Notre Dame's most famous bell: a dinger covered with diamonds (On the inside of the bell, let's get that clear) called La Feddle. These are the things people did before TV.

By the way, Esmeralda and Phoebus are now married and have a somewhat cute (and somewhat pesky) kid named Zephyr. And their first lines in the film are typical for Disney sequel parents (ESMERALDA: Zephyr, you need to slow down! PHOEBUS: Listen to your mother son.). Zephyr and Quasi are best friends, and the little kid seems to spend more time with Quasi than with Mom or Dad.

Anyway, an evil circus master named Sarousch is after that big Diamond bell. It must be worth a fortune after all! He tells his assistant Madellaine that she should woo Quasi into telling her where the bell is so he can steel it. Though she's tired of making thefts, ("Why must we always steel?" she asks her boss) Mad does as ordered, and heads to Notre Dame.

Let's take a slight break here to talk about what could be the film's worst scene. The minute Madellaine enters the bell tower, Quasi hides under a bell because he is way too shy to even try talking to her. She looks up at him and asks if he is hiding from her. "No", Quasi replies. And than Madellaine starts laughing and-if you think I am fibbing, I'm not-SHE SAYS IT LOOKS LIKE QUASI IS WEARING A REALLY BIG HAT!!! And than the two of them start making a few bad big hat puns ("Two-Ton Topper" among them). And than, as if things couldn't get any worse, Madellaine looks to her right and.....GASP! "The Gargoyles! They Were Alive" she exclames.

Did I mention that Quasi has been hiding his ugly face for all this time? He's afraid that Madellaine will run off in fright the moment she sees it. And guess what? He's right. The minute Mad just glances at his face, she's like, "I h-have to go! I'm sorry". Come on, Disney! Did we need THAT in the story? I mean, it feels sooooooo tacked in there.

Of course, as Madellaine spends time with Quasi, she realizes he's a really great guy. The two of them fall in love, (Disney's so proud they are giving Quasi a girl) and this sets up some problems. Remember the evil circus guy? Madellaine needs to still steel that darn bell.

Okay, I'll start complaining now! One of this film's most major problems is the fact that it apears to be targeted at little kids. This means the film makers have to hammer the movie's message in as much as possible. For example, the diamonds on the famous bell are, just to hammer in that darn message, on the INSIDE of it. Now get real, Disney! If you were making a bell, and had to put diamonds on it, why the heck would you put them on the inside?

Also, to hear Jennifer Love Hewitt talk, you would think this was one of the greatest love stories you could see in any movie. Wrong. Even Mike and Celia had a deeper relationship in "Monsters, Inc." (maybe that's because Celia always wasn't always telling Mike she must be stupid)! Quasi and Madellaine share one dippy conversation after another, and there were some points where I really wished they would stop talking about their looks ("Do you really think there is more to me than what you see?" Madellaine asks Quasi for some stupid reason).

Even worse, Esmeralda & Phoebus don't have that much screen time. Esmeralda still dances, but she doesn't do much as far as the story is concerned. As for Phoebus, they kind of made him into a bit of a jerk. When Madellaine is being held prisoner and telling Phoebus important info about how he could save his son's life, he replies, "She Could Be Saying Just What Sarousch Wants Her Too!". It's at this point when Esmeralda says a line that makes no sense. "Now try looking at her a second time, like you did with me.". It was the other way around. ESMERALDA was the one who had to give Phoebus a second look before falling in love with him. PHOEBUS was always in love with the girl.

As for the new characters, they are no where close to being as great as any of those found in the original. Sarousch is a stupid bad guy, not up there with Frolo at all. Zephyer is more iritating than adorable. And Madellaine might be kind of likable, but she is NOT an Esmeralda.

There is only one really good song here, and it is played during the End Credits. All the other songs are not that great, espcialy one sung by Quasi and Zephyr about their freindship.

If their is a plus side to this film, it would have to be some of the few cute scenes. Esmeralda & Phoebus have some cute romance at the begining, but they don't do much after that.

And there is one moment where I found myself feeling for Quasi and Madellaine. When Quasi gives Madellaine a hand carved figure of her that he made himself, he tells her that he made it for her. "Now you can always see yourself through my eyes" he tells her. Madellaine looks at the figure. Tears start filling her eyes. No one has ever been this nice to her in all her life. She starts babbling.

But, of course, the film makers blow the scene by having Madellaine give Quasi a huge kiss on the forehead, leaving a big lip print there. But stupid as this movie may be, something dangerous happens when you give this film too many viewings: It starts growing on you.

Rating:
Summary: Is there more to this movie than what you really see?
Review: I am not a big fan of Disney sequels since they lack so much in the plot and songs of the origionals. Its sad to see they are starting to seriously slack off. After all, the origional hunchback was amazing! It was dark, mature, and spicy. The songs were cevorly made and the people making it put all they had to see that it was good. As for this one, it was made by various Japanese companies in order to save a dollar. I began to wonder how they even got the origional actors to return in order to make this cheap second-rate film. I'll go over it slowly so you may know what I mean...

Animation: Yuck is right! It looks like your average Saturday morning cartoon! Far from the great graphics and splashes of darkness and light the origional had to offer. The characters moved in a choppy form, and the black lines around them were far too thick. In some scense (ie: in the staircase) the background was computerized however the character didn't blend in enough so it looked totally wrong. It was also apparant that they tried to use watercolor backgrounds when Quasimodo was singing his little number, but it didn't look truely real enough to get an overall effect. When the sun was setting, they tried to get a shadowy color on the faces however they looked almost too dark and pink. Esmeralda's skin kept changing color between frames (along with Hugo who was pink for a while). When they spoke, the lip movements didn't always match the words.

Plot: Not what I would call creative! There was the Festival of Fools in the origional, couldn't they think of something different? And they kept hammering the message of appearances over and over to the point in which it got to be annoying. Perhaps some person who worked for Disney wasn't happy that Quasimodo never got the girl. Oh well that's life. The sequel was seemingly meant for little children and not the fans of the origional or Victor Hugo enthusiasts. I reccomend you read the book and figure out that the whole story was meant for adults and its hard to turn something so serious into a kid's movie. When you do that, you mess it all up most of the time. The origional hunchback followed that book very well, but it's not a 'sequel type'.

How does one steal a bell that weighs at least two tons? You would have to be super stong to lift it, let alone get it underground. And why is a character who had such a good role in the origional (Clopin) stuck singing a small number here and there? That's not even the main point though. The love story was completely rushed! One minute Madellaine's afriad of Quasi, the next she's falling all over him and vice versa. I distinctly remember that the night Quasi and Madellaine were hanging around Paris together, Clopin said the festival was tomorrow. Well tomorrow came and then they said it was the next day! Gee isn't that funny? And what's the point of shouting who they love while a bell clanged? Or putting the jewels on the inside? If I was to manufacture a bell, wouldn't it be smart to put the jewels on the outside? Sure they used that 'inside' trick as a metaphor for Quasimodo (ahem: beauty is on the inside), but wouldn't the clanger thing break the bell? Hmm. I would prefer they not focus the whole story on the shallow romance and leave the actual good stuff as pretexts. The best part was when Quaismodo angrily slammed the door of the cathedral when Madellaine was trying to talk to him as she was being arrested - she deserved no less.

Characters: No one was like themselves. Quasimodo never fell all over Esmeralda in the origional. In the sequel he's practically acting like a loser. Madellaine is as average as it comes - how could he fall in love with her? I would think he would have wanted someone special and understanding who didn't run away when they saw him. Her main line is always saying she's stupid (she is actually really dumb) and I lost count of how many times she would repeat things. Esmeralda was sort of left alone, however her role from being a main character went to being a mentor for Quasi and popping up every once in a while. Phoebus was probably the smartest person in the film. The second he came up with the bad circus people idea, everyone got ticked off at him! They never concidered it might have been true. Hugo was really strange, and most likely the first homosexual Disney character since he fell in love with a goat who is a guy. And as for Zephyr, he was the most annoying Disney kid I have ever heard of. All he said was 'wow' and 'yay'. Clopin himself seemed different. His role was minor, however he too acted all weird. Sarousch was the typical greedy bad guy who would always lose in the end. He was not even nearly as good as Frollo because Frollo was a bundle of lust and hate. They never even mentioned his name in the film or hinted his very existance. And Sarousch looked even worse than Quasimodo himself!

Overall, I think this film deserves no more than two stars at the best. I don't think that the little kinds would care that this movie really blows or concentrate on the graphics and plot. If Disney is going to slack off, they are going to get bad reviews from the fans who actually do care of how bad it is (ie: myself and company). It isn't fair for them to do this to a wonderful movie and deep book. The sequel is an insult to the origional characters, the author of the book, and people who adore and respect it.

Rating:
Summary: Niiice
Review: I found this to be a very nice sequel. Hmmm, someone else said it was under and hour, i thought it was longer than that but, oh well. It a very nice sequel starring Jennifer Love Hewitt & Haley Joel Osmith.

I think it was actually kinda better than the original even though I haven't seen the original in a while.

But there weren't as many sad parts as the first one which made it very enjoyable to watch! :)

Rating:
Summary: An okay film.
Review: I liked The Hunchback of Notre Dame II as a whole. Of course, the animation was much worse than in the first film, but the voices were good. I also liked the songs.

Again, Quasimodo was a very appealing character, and I liked his warm friendship with Zephyr. Madellaine was nice, but at first, I thought she was too insecure. Sarousch was definitely the stupidest Disney villain ever.