The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

To date I have met zero people who hold this as their favorite Disney film and I do not think I will ever meet anyone who does. It is very hard to create an animated film that is less than ‘okay’ on my rating scale. There is always talent and craft evident in any animated feature. Sadly, that is about all I can say for The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

In 1482 Claude Frollo, a powerful Parisian judge, has a gypsy woman murdered in the streets but is stopped by the archdeacon of Notre Dame before he can kill the woman’s deformed child as well. Frollo agrees to care for the child, calling him Quasimodo, but keeps him secluded in the bell tower of the cathedral. Years later, Quasimodo falls in love with Esmeralda, a gypsy street performer he watches from above. This puts him at odds with Frollo, who is determined to eliminate the gypsy presence in Paris.

This is exactly what it sounds like- bold, dramatic stuff. There are plenty of heavy religious and emotional undertones at play and they drag the film down at times. The ultimate goal of this film was to return to the glory of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King- lush animation and a powerful dramatic story. For the most part, Disney accomplishes both of these goals. What they fail to do, however, is make the film enjoyable to watch.

The animation does hearken back to the quality of Beauty and the Beast. There is a vibrant color pallet for the people of Paris, especially the gypsies, juxtaposed against the drab colors of some of the architecture and the religious zealot bad guys. There is a fair amount of detail in the background and a few attempts at camera trickery. Some of the CGI works but the grandest uses of it (including Quasimodo swinging from the bell tower down to the crowd below) shows that Disney still hasn’t figured out how to blend the two styles together convincingly all the time.

One of the chief problems is that the characters of Hunchback do not translate well to a family-friendly film. Quasimodo is a fairly vanilla protagonist, more of a curious and awestruck man-child than a tormented soul longing for acceptance. Esmeralda fits the spirited norm-challenging outsider well but adds a dash of sexuality not normally found in a Disney film.

Finally, the film suffers from a weak villain. Frollo himself is spooky looking but is not inherently intimidating or threatening. His power comes from his position. He can make things happen because of his stature. Take all that away, and I could probably take him in a fight. His internal conflict over Esmeralda is poorly developed and rushed over.

Essentially, The Hunchback of Notre Dame tries too hard. It has the feel of a Broadway musical drama but it gets forced into the confines of a children’s movie. It’s dark and feels far from appropriate for kids at times. As a musical, it bombs- I cannot recall a single song from this film. Add on top of this the fact that the comic relief falls largely flat on its face and you are left with The Black Cauldron: Redux. It’s got its game on in the animation department but the other ingredients weren’t added in the proper proportions.

RATING: 3 out of 5

Ghost* (1990)

Anytime I watch a popular romance film I approach it with trepidation. Films under the label of ‘romance’ are usually chick flicks in disguise anymore. If you’ve looked through the films I’ve rated in the past, you know that chick flicks and I do not get along. So when a film is listed interchangeably as a romance and a chick flick, I get really worried that I’m about to waste my time. Thank goodness that Ghost does not live up (or should I say down?) to its chick flick label.

Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is a banker for a large company in New York. His artist girlfriend, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore), lives with him in a posh apartment. Life is beautiful and perfect until Sam spots some troubling discrepancies on a few accounts. A few days later Sam and Molly get mugged and Sam is killed. Only, Sam’s spirit sticks around.

Helping him work through his unfinished business are a creepy subway ghost, who shows Sam how to interact with objects, and a scam artist posing as a medium named Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), who is surprised to discover that she really does have the gift. While working through his anger and emotions, Sam learns that his death was not a random crime. With the help of Oda Mae, Sam must work to thwart a greedy, former co-worker at embezzling money and hurting Molly.

Interestingly enough, there is more drama, comedy and suspense in Ghost than romance. You could probably argue that this film’s primary labeling as a romance is a misnomer but I don’t see any need to do so. If nothing else, Ghost is the kind of romance film that elevates the bar for the genre. More romantic comedies should strive for the kind of genre blending on display here rather than taking the easy way out with ticket-selling clichés and second-rate actors.

Of the main characters, Demi Moore is the weakest link but it’s not entirely her fault. Molly is written as a pretty face and a victim. While Demi Moore’s acting chops are debatable, she does what is needed of her character. Patrick Swayze, however, is fantastic as Sam. When he’s not wide-eyed with wonder, panic or impatience, he is vengefully or ponderingly scowling. His transition from newbie ghost to fully-functioning poltergeist is believable and the rules and abilities laid out for Sam and his deceased brethren are easy to digest.

The undeniable scene-stealer of this film is Whoopi Goldberg. She hits every mark, every punch line and every facial expression perfectly. When she’s interacting with nothing or interacting with Patrick Swayze while pretending to be unable to see him, her performance is immaculate. No wonder they gave her an Oscar for this role! She is funny without forcing it and gaudy without going over the top. Whoopi alone makes this film worth seeing.

The story itself is quite interesting. There have been ghost tales before involving unfinished business but Ghost’s suspense and drama help it stand out. Some ghost flick fans may not like the kinder, gentler approach that Swayze takes but these people need to realize that not all disembodied spirits are out for revenge alone. In many ways, this is a story about a man overcoming a handicap in order to do something important. Maybe classifying death as a handicap is a stretch but without Sam having to learn the ropes of being a ghost, the plot and resolution would be too easy and far too convenient to be enjoyed.

The underlying moral of ‘corporate greed is bad’ is a little cheesy by today’s standards and some may complain that this motive comes right out of left field but let’s keep in mind when this movie was made. The late 80s and early 90s saw a wave of films containing a harsh reaction to the Reagan era of big business and corporate success. Ghost wisely avoids being too preachy on this matter but the subtext is there.

Other than a few dated-looking special effects, Ghost is still able to resonate and move today’s moviegoers. Passion, suspense and intrigue never go out of style. Hopefully this film’s popularity won’t either.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5

The Seventh Sign (1988)

A unique and, at times, jarring quasi-literal portrayal of the events contained in the Book of Revelation, The Seventh Sign is not for everybody. In fact, only those who are seriously interested in Christian eschatology should bother watching it, because the everyday Christian will think “They got it wrong!” and those who know nothing about Christianity will think “This is what they believe?”

Thusly, only watch the film if you're interested in examining the eschatological elements contained within. A rather low-key budget forces the film to spread itself thin in places, particularly in special effects, but this burden is also a bonus, as it forces the filmmakers to aim for more everyday style effects which, while making it laughably bad for some, makes it a challenge to watch for others. Because of it’s low-key delivery, The Seventh Sign turns out to be one of the more realistic looking End Times films.

Demi Moore stars as a mother-to-be who rents out her garage apartment to a mysterious stranger. Turns out this stranger is an angel of the Apocalypse. The most unique aspect of the film is its questioning whether or not we can delay or interfere with the God-designed apocalypse. Overall, it’s passable, but a good watch for religion scholars.

RATING: 3 out of 5