THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME vs. POCAHONTAS
A film review by Jim Maguire
Copyright 1996 Jim Maguire
Directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale Produced by Don Hahn
Featuring the voices of: Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, Kevin Kline, Charles Kimbrough, Mary Wickes, Tony Jay.
Victor Hugo's tale THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME was an extremely long book - 600 pages- and showed us a lot about poor, evil, and the forces that surround all human beings. As they say, everything can be turned into Disney. First it was POCAHONTAS, now this. Disney, however, has really struck on something big. Although I had various reasons for not liking POCAHONTAS, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME has turned around all the complaints given by critics.
First of all, the voices in HUNCHBACK are fresh, and surprisingly free. POCAHONTAS, however, is incredulously under-voiced. If the Disney animators care about comedy in their features, why don't the animals talk. NOTRE DAME has three refreshing gargoyles, voiced by Charles Kimbrough, SEINFELD's Jason Alexander, and the late Mary Wickes.
Second, POCAHONTAS tries to convey emotion in terms of violence, sloth, and greed. On a comic note, it has all the seven sins from the Morgan Freeman movie SEVEN. HUNCHBACK puts more love in between the two, and less anger. Disney has finally realized that the comedy and romance is where their stories spring, not the lust.
Third, and last, POCAHONTAS's songs are incredibly dry; it's the first Disney movie that actually had me annoyed from having songs in my head. For example, in the song " Mine, Mine, Mine" in POCAHONTAS said "mine, mine, mine" so much that I felt like stabbing all the characters who sung it. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, however, had me muttering "the bells of notre dame" everywhere I went.
With beautiful love contrasts between Demi Moore and Tom Hulce ( Quasi and Esmeralda,) who wants to have a history lesson???
HunchBack: A
Pocahontas: C-
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