Retro Review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

So this is a new feature here at the Geek. We are going to actually cover some of the older films. We're going to be finding out what are still good and which one's aren't. Either way should be some fun. Hit me up on here or social media with your thoughts. Love to hear what you have to say. Also maybe what you like about the films.

Now on to why you clicked the header in the first place. We bring you a family minded movie, and one still keeping with the whole monster movie summer theme that I have got going. At least that is what I think is going to be the big movies for this summer. They seem to be excited about monster films and think it'll be fun to cover here on the blog. Shall see though.

We start with Disney's probably last big box office movie before things went south. I know they have Pixar but if you remember back at this time they weren't doing so good. Things weren't clicking like they are now for the mouse. They didn't have Pixar, Star Wars or Marvel to help bail them out. The animation part was floundering. After this film, they would actually start making direct to DVD movies and sequels of varying quality. I might cover those one day.

This film is a gothic opera styled movie. The music and production are very musical based. You have this baby that was killed by a politician and instead of killing the baby as he tried the local Priest actually stops him from doing the bad deed. By appealing to his inner good, as if he has one. The man agrees to let the boy live though he should be locked up because he's a "monster" and should be kept away from good decent people.


The boy was given the name Quasimodo and locked away for a really long time. That is until one day at this local festival he would sneak out and trying to be normal he got caught. They publically embarrassed him and was saved by a gypsy. Soon there is a triangle love affair in the form of a Captain in the mayor's office. He's there to basically be the sheriff of the town. Though he doesn't agree with the rules and way things are being run.  Now with them all basically bad people in the eyes of the law and those that run the city they have to help one another.

It's cool to see how this one guy Quasi goes from a sheltered person to actually being out in the world. A good message for the little one's to see and go with. As we all should teach one another with respect and shouldn't outcast just because he/she is not "normal". I would say though I wouldn't show this to a child that doesn't like or enjoy music. As there is a lot of it. I'm not lying for a little bit of dialogue there are a whole couple of music numbers in this.

That is where this film got me. I've actually never seen this film before as my wife actually likes it. I guess it's from when she was a kid and her mom's love for musicals. Anyhow, not a bad movie but if you don't enjoy singing I wouldn't show it. Can tell too that it's not exactly up there with the other Disney films that graced this decade. It's not exactly the same as Aladdin or Lion King.