The Hunchback

Salma Hayek deserved her Esmeralda.

This was the basic thought after the final credits of this not great but nice crafted film. Sure, the great job of Mandy Patinkin is the pillar of this film reminding the animation of 1996, offering the tools for Richard Harris for a dark, creepy character, impressive in each scene.

Fair atmosphere, not bad acting and the courage to offer the correct perspective, sure at level of sketch, to the masterpiece by victor Hugo.

Can be better ?

It is just decent. And this is the only important thing because, not being memorable version, it is a pleasant one.

In short, just correct .

Sometimes it is difficult to judge a reproduction of an old classic film. The remake has to interpret the story to a different generation. I believe this Peter Medak movie will be better received by the younger generation for its modern visual effects and story telling. I recomend this film to high school and college students who will need to write a book report on the Hunchback of Notredame and want to enjoy a great movie at the same time. The casting and acting was great and the directing excellent.

Harris is intense and frightening as dom claude an expert actor who knows his trade very well. Patinkin is very sympathetic and hayak looks good but offers little emotion. a decent film but the 1982 derek jacobi version explored characterization much better.

I know you'll see his name in the opening credits, but you might watch the entire production without remembering that Mandy Patinkin is in the movie. He's completely unrecognizable, and he masks his voice to talk like he's deaf. I'm famously good at recognizing people, but I couldn't see him inside Quasimodo at all. Well done! Quite frankly, I didn't think he had such great acting talents inside him. He was truly wonderful.

This tv version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is very similar to the Disney version, and with good reason: Mandy was going to give voice to the character in 1996 until creative differences led him to leave the production and create a real-people version of his own. So, when you see Esmerelda's white goat, the discovery of baby Quasimodo on the church steps, and the Festival of Fools, you understand. Salma Hayek plays the tantalizing gypsy, and it's easy to see why Archbishop Frollo (played by Richard Harris) feels such temptation. This version delves pretty deep into that angle of the plot (but, then again, so does Disney), and Richard whips himself whenever he gets impure thoughts.

Like every version of this classic French story, there are some scenes that are just too sad to watch. I've never been able to make it through Quasimodo's humiliation in the town square; that's where the handy fast-forward button comes in. The rest of the movie is very good, especially as a real-people companion to the Disney classic. Jim Dale plays Clopin, and if you grew up seeing him in the Carry On films, or listening to his Broadway recording of Barnum, you'll be delighted to see him in such a fitting role.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and torture scenes, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

A realistic and good performing cast made this a good movie. The ugly, but nice Quasimodo (whose face looked quite ridiculous, but still very misformed), the beautiful and enchanting Esmeralda and of course the mean Frollo. They were all very good, although I must say

that Mandy Patinkin, as Quasimodo, made the biggest impression on me, he really could make you cry. Richard Harris was great as the clergyman torn between his belief and Esmeralda and Salma Hayek, of course, was as stunning and beautiful as ever. As for the story, well I believe I don't have to explain that to anyone.

Great, but yet not very much acclaimed or famous film. 8/10