The Hunchback of Notre Dame / The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (3-Disc Special Edition) (Blu-ray / DVD) by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment by Kirk Wise Gary Trousdale

There is nothing to dislike! This was given as a most requested gift to my son! I would purchase again!

Review of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Hunchback of Notre Dame III got this DVD/Blu-ray edition from Costco. The DVD special features for both films are nothing out of the ordinary, pretty much what you would expect. Now, for the movie reviews below.The Hunchback of Notre Dame This film is truly a masterpiece with dark themes so deep, it takes an adult to truly understand them. These themes include society’s inhumane treatment of people who are different, emotional manipulation, racial prejudice, lust, and murderous intent. (I would have rated this film PG instead of G.) Judge Frolo has raised Quasimodo to believe that he is so deformed that no one in society will ever accept him and that Quasimodo must remain inside the cathedral for the rest of his life for his own protection. There is a hint of truth to that: When Quasimodo joins the Festival of Fools against his master’s wishes, the crowd subjects him to their cruelty. Then Judge Frolo makes Quasimodo feel guilty for leaving the cathedral in light of the fact that Frolo has raised him and provided him food and shelter. (The same thing happens to Rapunzel in Tangled. Imagine that!) The visual animation in this film is phenomenal! In the early days of computer generated graphics, this film makes excellent use of CGI to display the grandeur of Paris and the Notre Dame cathedral. With regard to the characters and storyline, Disney decided to take some liberties, which benefits the storytelling and character development in my opinion.The Hunchback of Notre Dame II Most critics gave this film a bad rap mainly because its animation was not as beautiful as its predecessor’s and it did not contain as many dark themes. The Hunchback of Notre Dame II was a direct-to-video film, so I did not expect the animation to be as sharp as the first film’s. Its quality is about the same level as that of a cartoon on television, a fact that does not bother me. Sure, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II does not contain as many dark themes, properly making it a G-rated film, but it still contains important themes, such as true love, friendship, acceptance, self-confidence, and courage. I feel that the continuation of the first film’s storyline was much needed. Although Quasimodo gained Esmeralda and Phoebus as two of his closest friends, he did not get the girl in the end, so his emotional loneliness had not quite been resolved. Along comes Madeline, a young woman who is subject to the guilt-based manipulation of her caretaker Sarousch in much the same way that Quasimodo was subject to the guilt-based manipulation of Judge Frolo in the previous film. Not only do they have that in common; Madeline is the only person besides Quasimodo who can hear and see his gargoyle friends. They are perfect for each other. The film’s plot progression is rather predictable – Madeline tries to, but is not able to, tell Quasimodo about her connection to the evil Sarousch until it is too late, and Quasimodo feels betrayed. (I won’t give away the ending, but you can probably guess it.) On a final note, it is interesting to see Quasimodo and his friends in a post-Frolo world. The people of Paris accept Quasimodo for who he is, and he is free to roam around in public. Quasimodo appears to love to his bellringing job so much that he would gladly do it for free. (How many of us can say that about our jobs?) Captain Phoebus and Esmeralda are happily married and have a cute son named Zephyr. They are all Quasimodo’s truest friends. Quasimodo even consults Esmeralda, his former love interest, for advice on how to deal with his falling-in-love feelings for Madeline. Most of the cast returned for the second film with the addition of Jennifer Love Hewitt, who voiced Madeline. Hopefully, I have convinced you to watch this film!