Characters: Burbank Film's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986)

Quasimodo

 Quasimodo is adequately played by Tom Burlinson. There's not a whole lot that differs from the novel with this portrayal. Burlinson is quite capable of conveying Quasimodo's pathos. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but this interpretation sounds an awful lot like Charles Laughton from the 1939 film. Quasimodo looks rather like a monkey here, and is animated like one. It gives him a sort of unnatural quality, which is really fitting for the character.

Archdeacon Claude Frollo

Ron Haddrick  provides the voice for Frollo. Unlike a lot of animated adaptations, Frollo is a priest and makes frequent references to religion. It's funny to think that a cartoon would include this element, but the 1956 film would not. The animators really run with Hugo's description of a "goblin monk." Frollo almost resembles Gargamel from the Smurfs, which is pretty funny. Sounds like him too. Even with that, I find this version of Frollo to be pretty effective.

Esmeralda

Esmeralda is fairly plain. She's nice, she's naive, but not particularly interesting. Angela Punch McGregor's performance is, like the way she's written, is plain. She's able to have a basic emotional range, pity for Quasimodo, fear for Frollo, admiration for Phoebus ect.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not compelling either.

Pierre Gringoire

Gringoire is used as the comic relief. In this, he succeeds. He's vain, wimpy and wishy washy.

I actually really enjoy Gringoire here, but for whatever reason he doesn't get a resolution. He just disappears halfway through the movie.

Phoebus

There's not much to say about this version of Phoebus. He's a nice guy who sincerely loves Esmeralda, basically the opposite of the book. Fleur de Lys and her family are absent, so his conflict there is not included.

The other characters are mostly extras. I considered including Clopin, but he's only in a single scene.

Next: Art and Animation

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