Although Disney is known for over 100 years of animated masterpieces, not every one of them is worthy of an Academy Award. That said, it's criminal to see just how many of Disney's best and brightest often go overlooked.
Fantasia 2000 (1999), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), and Treasure Planet (2002) are just a small handful of Disney's underrated gems, but there's one that truly towers above the rest (in more ways than one).
Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame Scores Overdue Win
Per their social media post, RottenTomatoes recently announced that Disney's adaptation of the Victor Hugo gothic novel finally achieved a Fresh Rating, currently at 80%. While it's certainly unusual for a decades-old film to make the page with this change, those who know what all went into it know that it was bound to happen eventually.
Although the House of Mouse took several artistic liberties when retelling this tale of religion, lust, and acceptance, it has done more than stand the test of time. With a relatable main character struggling with a disability, a leading lady who doesn't present the standard Disney princess identity, one of the most realistic Disney villains of all time, it's truly a mature and masterful Disney flick.
In a time where "woke" culture is a divisive topic, it's truly remarkable to see this side of Disney getting recognition. In this writer's opinion, HoND is one of the greatest Christian epics to grace the screen in recent decades, and Disney should be applauded for taking a risk by presenting these themes in one of their animated features.
The main reason it's finally getting the attention it deserves is because it's a reminder of what happens when Disney allows their artists to take risks and explore alternative stories. Not only that, but the film was also instrumental in how the studio utilized more modern animation techniques.
Keep in mind, CGI animation was still relatively new for The Walt Disney Company. Until Pixar hit the scene, most of Disney's work was done entirely by hand. Looking back at some of the visuals presented in this film, it's remarkable to see how well it has aged. Disney's vision of medieval Paris still looks as incredible now as it did then, even if some of the human models are a little off-putting.
The unfortunate truth of the matter is that we might never see something like this again. As a product of the Disney Renaissance, HoND shares a lot with films like Aladdin (1992) and The Lion King (1994), it was the right ingredients at the right time that can't be recreated by magic, although Disney will certainly try.
We might never have another story like Quasimodo's, and we'll definitely never have a villainous performance like Frollo's "Hellfire," but we still have this gem in Disney's animated crown. Even after another 30 years, the animated masterpiece will resonate like the bells of Notre Dame herself.
Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame is currently available on Disney+.