Although the animation production quality of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame II is not as good as the original film, the music and message of the film excel.
One notable sequence is when Quasi Moto falls in love with Madeleine. He takes her on a tour of Paris. Paris is known as a city of incredible outward beauty in its architecture, parks, monuments, etc but on this particular tour Quasi Moto focuses on the beauty of Paris by utilizing the other senses:
First, they TASTE a souffle straight out of the oven.
Second, they SMELL Rosemary that isn’t pretty but have a wonderful fragrance.
Third, they HEAR the noisy crowds and from a distance they sound magnificent.
Fourth, they TOUCH the rain that would normally ruin a beautiful day.
In each case, something that potentially negative is seen in a new way. It’s really easy for children to see these things and be fascinated by them but we need to make a conscience decision as adults to appreciate them. As with Quasi Moto, you need to look past his exterior to see the beauty of his character. So many things are illusions in life. What you see on the outside is not always what is really there. Often what is really there is more than you can see. Another example of this in the film is the bell in the tower of Notre Dame which looks ugly on the outside but in reality is filled with amazing and valuable jewels.
In this film, magician and juggler Sarousch is the bad guy. Particularly funny was his line at the end as he is taken away “Did I mention I do birthday parties!?”
The film itself is a bit like Quasi Moto. It’s not so much to look at, but valuable and good. The movie is less scary than the original and has romance appropriate for all ages.
Jennifer Love Hewitt (the voice of Madeleine) wrote and sang the closing song “I’m Gonna Love You”. It has special memories for me as Brenda and I had at our wedding.
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