I have always liked the Jetlag animations, they have their foibles but also have a certain charm to them. Their Hunchback of Notre Dame is not one of their best though, alongside Alice in Wonderland and Jungle Book it is one of my least favourites(though neither of those are bad, I need to re-watch Christmas Carol) and not on par with the likes of Heidi, Magic Gift of the Snowman and Little Red Riding Hood. Where it is let down is in the animation, script and storytelling. I have seen far worse cases many times before in animation or otherwise, but I did find the animation rather flat in colour and repetitive at times while the scripting while having many moments of heart was corny and somewhat over-simplified(though not as badly as Alice in Wonderland) and the storytelling while more faithful in spirit than Disney's(which I did find superior to be honest) is uneven in tone with moments where it is confusingly told and the happy ending while understandable is tacky in comparison(of course there are other adaptations that don't have Hugo's grim resolution but even then they were more poignant to me). However, there are redeeming qualities. The voice acting is decent, and the characters are endearing at least. Quasimodo does make you feel for him, Frollo while not as complex is not clichéd, Phoebus is arrogant without being too irritating and Esmeralda is appropriately sensual. But it was the music that really sold it. The score is both whimsical and intense, and the three songs are just lovely. I found the most effective to be Queen of Your Heart, which really does well in conveying Esmeralda's inner beauty and kindness as well as how much she is admired. Pity Not Quasimodo also is a pleasant listen, I would have liked it to have been longer but I liked the message, likewise with Love is Everything, though its basic message of love may remind people of other Jetlag songs. All in all, this Hunchback of Notre Dame has its good and bad points but I do partially recommend it. 6/10 Bethany Cox
Review of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
