History YMMV / TheHunchbackofNotreDame

** Quasimodo not winning Esmeralda's love in the end is a major point of contention, as it's one of the few times Disney subverted the true love ending between the leading man and woman. Either it sends a wrong message about ugly people not deserving true love, or it's a refreshing change of pace for demonstrating Esmeralda's right to choose (SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped explains that argument further).

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped:
** The {{Anvilicious}} Aesops aside, the film does raise a very real and still very relevant issue regarding Frollo and his treatment of the Roma: it shows someone who shouldn't have political power using it to abuse others, especially minorities. Persecution due to racism and their harmful stereotypes is still going on in this day and age.
** Clothing yourself in religion and dogma does ''not'' automatically make you a good person.
** The scene where Quasimodo is publicly tortured shows with brutal honesty that anyone can turn out to be a downright vicious bully, especially to those who are different, even with the slightest provocation.
** Do not treat women as objects or prizes to be won. Frollo's lust for Esmeralda led to widespread chaos and agony, and she nearly died horribly over it.

* CrazyAwesome: Clopin who runs a Parody of the King's Court with fake ministers with phony titles, and constantly has fake injuries. Yet also gets a DyingMomentOfAwesome during TheSiege.

* CatharsisFactor: After seeing Frollo persecute and kill Quasimodo's mother (and later having the audacity to rub it in Quasimodo's face just before he's about to kill him), have one of his own former officers tortured, and launch his purge of the Roma in Paris, seeing him fall into a molten mass was pretty fulfilling. It’s not one of the most (if not, the most) satisfying deaths of a Disney villain (maybe the most satisfying for a villain in general) for nothing.

** While his beliefs are still bigoted and he remains a crusader/fanatic, the movie proves Frollo more or less right that at least those Roma who are associated with the Court of Miracles are dangerous criminals, and arguably even terrorists for attempting to murder the serving captain of the guard. Even had they done nothing bad whatsoever before, and even if their methods of dealing with intruders are born out of 20 years of Frollo hunting them down and murdering them first, that by itself actually serves to perfectly ''justify'' him arresting them, even under modern legal norms.

** While his beliefs are still bigoted and he remains a crusader/fanatic, the movie proves Frollo more or less right that at least those Roma who are associated with the Court of Miracles are dangerous criminals, and arguably even terrorists for attempting to murder the serving captain of the guard. Even had they done nothing bad whatsoever before, that by itself actually serves to perfectly ''justify'' him arresting them, even under modern legal norms.

* CommonKnowledge: Many portray Clopin as Roma, but he isn't. He is their leader, but on the technicality that the Duke of Egypt, the leader of Paris' Roma population, answers to him.

** Judge Claude Frollo. Do we see flashes of guilt and torment in him that make him more sympathetic? Did he really feel nothing for killing Quasimodo's mother or did he take seriously the Archdeacon's plea to adopt Quasimodo out of guilt and a genuine fear of God? Do we see signs of him suffering and desiring to become a better person in his villain song, or is it more important that the experience makes him act even more evil than before? Part of this alternate interpretation is due to his AdaptationalVillainy, since he was a conflicted character in the original source material.

** Also [[DoubleSubvertedTrope double subverted]] in one RealityIsUnrealistic way as regards Quasimodo. As per the attitudes of actual Medieval Parisians, the peasants actually take no issue at all with Quasimodo's physical deformities; it's his ''red hair'' of all things that they ostracize him for.

** Multiple scenes (including "Hellfire" and numerous shots of the cathedral surrounded by fire and smoke, especially in the film's fiery climax) have become even more uncomfortable to watch since the real Notre Dame cathedral [[https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-paris-collapse-live-updates-today-2019-04-15/ caught fire in April 2019]].[[note]]Notre Dame did survive the fire, with all of its art and even its signature rose windows and religious artifacts not sustaining damage, but the building did lose its famous spire and its roof as well, resulting in heavy restoration planned for it.[[/note]] Not to mention the OminousLatinChanting lines such as ''Dies irae, dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla," which actually means "The day of wrath, that day, shall consume the world into ashes." On top of this, there's Frollo's FamousLastWords:

* TastesLikeDiabetes: While the film isn't without its good jokes, much of the silly, slapstick humor is often criticized as obviously being geared only to small children and comprising the darker narrative.

** Frollo, in the context of the wider DisneyAnimatedCanon. Just look at how many examples here have to do with him specifically, as well as his [[Characters/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisneyJudgeClaudeFrollo enormous, dedicated character page]].

* RealismInducedHorror: Judge Claude Frollo is often considered one of Disney's most disturbing villains due to being a surprisingly realistic portrayal of religious fanaticism, xenophobia, and violent male lust, in contrast to other Disney villains, who often have more simply (if not cartoonishly) evil goals and personalities. Ironically, his own fears of hell and eternal punishment lend him even more human-like qualities, although he eventually puts these fears aside to focus on his KnightTemplar mission to eradicate the Roma.

** The depiction of the Roma people in the book has not aged well, although it's still a [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagging]] example. While Esmeralda's persecution as a witch is portrayed as wrong, near the end of the novel, it's revealed by birth she was French, and was exchanged with Quasimodo (who is actually Romani by birth), although his persecution is also portrayed as wrong. The other Romani in the novel are portrayed as part of the lower class in the Cour des Miracles (Slums), who survive by begging and [[RoguishRomani pickpocketing]], but then again [[TruthInTelevision these are living conditions thrust upon many an oppressed minority in real life]]. Clopin, [[KingOfTheHomeless their leader]], is depicted as an AntiHero, who while possessing a heroic side, [[TragicBigot is hostile towards the Middle class]], and threatens to hang Gringoire for trespassing in the Cour des Miracles, but Clopin is nevertheless still depicted in a better light than the then-current King of France. At several points, they are referred to as the "Egyptians," which reflects the real-life misconception that the Romani people originate from Egypt, which is the origin of the "Gypsy" moniker.

* {{Mondegreen}}:
** There are two regarding the OminousLatinChanting in the "Hellfire" sequence. The first lines of the chorus ("Et tibit Pater", translated as "And to you, father...") are often misheard as "It's [[Franchise/HarryPotter Harry Potter..."]]. Likewise, the lines "Mea Culpa" (Through my fault) and "Mea maxima Culpa" (Through my most grevious fault) are sometimes misheard as the surprisingly fitting "You're at fault!"
** The line "Frollo's nose is long and he wears a truss!" is one in-universe, but out of universe it's commonly misheard as "Frollo's nose is long and he wears a dress!"

* TheScrappy: Hugo is probably one of, if not ''the'' most hated Disney sidekick of all time. While they're still at best divisive, there are viewers who will admit to liking [[CowardlyLion Victor]] and [[OnlySaneWoman Laverne]]. But even people who like the other Gargoyles tend to single Hugo out as the worst part of the movie, mostly due to causing a great deal of MoodWhiplash, having little personality beyond being a FatIdiot, his [[InterspeciesRomance creepy attraction to]] [[BestialityIsDepraved Djali]], and wasting the talents of Creator/JasonAlexander.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: [[TheScrappy Scrappies]] they may be, but the gargoyles do provide a lot of genuinely SugarWiki/FunnyMoments, and at the very least contribute to the plot (for example, they're the ones who convince Quasimodo to go to the festival). Which side of the BrokenBase a fan falls into often depends on their age. People who were teens or adults when the film came out tend to hate the gargoyles, and people who were children at the time love them. Then there are those who don't think they're unequivocally ''awful,'' but don't like them much either; or they like Victor and Laverne but think Hugo is too crass and over the top. And then there are those that think they're cute and funny characters, but they're completely misplaced in this movie and would fit better in either ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' or ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}''. One thing that does tend to be generally agreed upon, though, is that the decision to depict the gargoyles as [[RealAfterAll definitely animate and sentient]] in several scenes, rather than purely figments of Quasimodo's imagination, was a bad idea.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** Frollo is well-known for being the most sexual Disney villain. Now, consider that this is the [[Rule34 34th]] Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon entry...
** The jester in the ''Steadfast Tin Soldier'' number in ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' looks quite a bit like Frollo. And dies like him too!

** Claude Frollo being SparedByAdaptation originates with the opera as he does in the 1923 and 1939 as well, especially odd since in the opera he does not undergo AdaptationalHeroism and is basically a KarmaHoudini by the end. Quasiomodo too survives to the end but this has more to do with him having been DemotedToExtra in contrast to the adaptations that keep him alive in the end and have him as a major character.

** And for his offer to Esmeralda right before her execution - "choose me or the fire" - what exactly was he intending to do if she did pick him? Was he imagining keeping her as a mistress, glorified slave or even a ''wife?'' Or was the offer rhetorical and was he hoping she would reject him so he'd have an excuse to kill her? Would he have killed her even if she said yes?

** A smaller one is the depiction of the Romani characters besides Esmeralda. Creator/LindsayEllis felt that despite the 'justice for the oppressed' theme in the film, the song "The Court of Miracles" did still demonise them to an extent. The Blog/UnshavedMouse by contrast liked that it showed a GrayAndGrayMorality - and that being persecuted didn't automatically make them saints, therefore making them more realistic.

* CatharsisFactor: After seeing Frollo persecute and kill Quasimodo's mother (and later having the audacity to rub it in Quasimodo's face just before he's about to kill him), have one of his own former officers tortured and launch his purge of the Roma in Paris, seeing him fall into a molten mass was pretty fulfilling. It’s not one of the most (if not, the most) satisfying deaths of a Disney villain (maybe the most satisfying for a villain in general) for nothing.
* CompleteMonster: [[Characters/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisneyJudgeClaudeFrollo Judge Claude Frollo]], the [[KnightTemplar Minister of Justice]], is a deeply prejudiced and hypocritical official who seeks to [[FinalSolution totally exterminate the Roma]] scattered around Paris. Frollo [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduces himself]] by murdering a fleeing mother and nearly drowning her infant child for the crime of being deformed. With the archdeacon's intervention instilling the fear of divine retribution in him, Frollo dubbed the child Quasimodo and raised him in isolation under emotional abuse. [[VillainousCrush Deeply enraptured]] with the Romani Esmeralda, Frollo resolves to make Esmeralda his or watch her burn, offering "choose me or the fire" when she's tied to the stake. Frollo has gigantic sections of Paris burned in his further attempt to find the Roma; orders a family torched alive in their own house; and even tries to murder Quasimodo himself in the end after having seemingly murdered Esmeralda, forsaking all piety to reveal the monster he's always been within.

** Esmeralda is one of the most popular Disney heroines alongside Hercules' Meg despite either not being in the Disney Princess franchise, appearing in fandom works often alongside the more popular princesses. It probably helps that she is the first person to defy Frollo's authority and inspires Quasimodo and Phoebus to also take a stand against his tyranny. Aside from being a badass she's also very selfless and kind, praying for the wellbeing of others and being the first person to show concern over for Quasimodo. She also has a very attractive design, which definitely caught the attention of the men in her movie. [[MsFanservice Ahem]].

** Gargoyles were carved for medieval churches for two reasons. The first being to divert water (namely rain) from the church, thus preventing the mortar from getting worn down and the second to protect against evil. [[spoiler: Which makes Frollo's death scene even scarier if you understand medieval architecture.]]
** The actual, present day Notre Dame has two pillars missing, a damaged gargoyle, and a broken doorknob. Not only does this damage happen in the climax, it's all significant in some way.

** Unsurprisingly, the toyline for the movie was a big flop in sales--one K-Mart employee recalled how a full year after the films release, there were whole shelves of toys of Quasimodo and Frollo still shelfwarming, even though they had been marked down to clearance price.
* {{Mondegreen}}:

** The line "Frollo's nose is long and he wears a truss!" is one in-universe, but out of universe its commonly misheard as "Frollo's nose is long and he wears a dress!"
* MoralEventHorizon:
** In his ''very first scene'', Frollo does a combo, he arrests a group of Roma and has them tortured and executed and when a woman escapes he pursues her which ends with him killing her through use of excessive force in order to get what she was holding. When it turns out to be a deformed baby he is willing to simply drown it, a moment that was so bad, Frollo himself feared divine retribution FOR THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME IN HIS LIFE if only because of the Archdeacon's warning. And that's only the start...

* {{Narm}}: "The Bells of Notre Dame" is a great song, and the buildup to it's ending is suitably awesome. What's also awesome is Clopin's actor Paul Kandel is able to hit and sustain such a high note at the end. Unfortunately, that note is ''so'' high, the resulting sound can come across as rather silly, especially compared to the much more serious chorus. It's almost like the filmmakers realize this, as the other singers noticeably drown him out. Then again, some may call it NarmCharm, as the note ''is'' impressive, and the mood and sound don't feel compromised by it's inclusion.

** Quasimodo wearing green, Esmeralda in danger of being burned at the stake as opposed to hanged and everyone except Frollo being SparedByTheAdaptation aren't unique to this story - they first appeared in the [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameBurbankAnimation Animated Adaptation by Burbank Films Australia]].
** Frollo being a judge instead of the Archdeacon of Notre Dame first occurred in the 1939 film, due to the Hays Code prohibiting negative depictions of the church.
** It's commonly believed the gargoyles were invented purely for the film for comic relief purposes. While their individual characterizations were Disney's invention, Quasi ''did'' [[CompanionCube converse with Notre Dame's gargoyles]] in the original novel, to the point where they were his only friends despite being inanimate, which is where Disney got the idea to include them as characters and make them sentient.
* {{Padding}}: "A Guy Like You" seems to be in the movie just to give the gargoyles something to do. It doesn't advance the plot in any meaningful way, and merely retreads Quasimodo's hopes that Esmeralda loves him, which were already covered in "Heaven's Light". It also hurts that the song is a jarring MoodWhiplash and borderline BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
* RealismInducedHorror: Judge Claude Frollo is often considered one of Disney's most disturbing villains due to being a surprisingly realistic portrayal of religious fanaticism, xenophobia, and violent male lust, in contrast to other Disney villains, who often have more simply (if not cartoonishly) evil goals and personalities. Ironically, his own fears of hell and eternal punishment lend him even more human-like qualities, although he eventually puts these fears aside to focus on his KnightTemplar mission to eradicate the Roma.

* RootingForTheEmpire: One reason Disney made Frollo such a monster was because they saw this happening in previous movies and wanted to create a villain that ''everyone'' would hate. [[EvilIsCool It didn't work.]] Some even have a disturbing habit of justifying his actions.

* SignatureSong: "Hellfire"; many consider it to be one of the very best songs in a ''Disney'' Movie, and ''the'' best VillainSong. Other strong contenders are "Out There" and "God help The Outcasts."
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped:
** The {{Anvilicious}} Aesops aside, the film does raise a very real and still very relevant issue regarding Frollo and his treatment of the Roma: it shows someone who shouldn't have political power using it to abuse others, especially minorities. Persecution due to racism and their harmful stereotypes is still going on in this day and age.

** Even though he is essentially an abusive foster parent, Frollo's [[HobbesWasRight grim depiction]] of the world "out there" actually sounds quite realistic considering the film is set in [[TheMiddleAges Medieval Europe]] which was not known for being kind to those with severe birth defects. Quasimodo does, however, get to witness this first hand, and later [[ShutUpHannibal says]] that [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech it's because of people like Frollo that the world is that way]].
** While his beliefs are still bigoted and he remains a crusader/fanatic, the movie proves Frollo more or less right that at least those Roma who are associated with the Court of Miracles are dangerous criminals, and arguably even terrorists for attempting to murder the serving captain of the guard. Even had they done nothing bad whatever before, that by itself actually serves to perfectly ''justify'' him arresting them, even under modern legal norms.
* TastesLikeDiabetes: While the film isn't without it's good jokes, much of the silly, slapstick humor is often criticized as obviously being geared only to small children and comprising the darker narrative.

* UncertainAudience: Probably the biggest criticism leveled at the film. This is without a doubt one of Disney's darkest animated pictures, but for it's many frightening and mature scenes, there are also several moments that are deemed too childish and slapstick oriented, with almost all of the infamous gargoyles' scenes being the prime examples. Because of this, the film is constantly going through MoodWhiplash, sometimes in the very same scene, which has caused a few viewers, even ones who love the film to say that a lot, most, or all of the more silly jokes should've been cut.

* TheWoobie: She may only appear at the beginning, but Quasimodo's mother definitely counts. Already part of a discriminated race, she spends her last moment's in fear for her and her son's life, being killed by Claude Frollo, not knowing what would become of her child. The fact that Frollo, a man who very nearly killed that child that she fought to protect would become his adoptive parent and abuser is just adding salt to the wound.
* WTHCastingAgency: Jason Alexander as Hugo is a sore spot for many fans, as Disney was perceived to be trying to recapture the magic of Creator/RobinWilliams as the [[{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}} genie]] - by just blindly casting a comedian as a comic relief sidekick. As noted under TheScrappy, Hugo is the least liked of the gargoyles, although some will say that the problem isn’t Alexander’s performance so much as the writing for the role, which gives him practically ''no'' good material to work with. Additionally in Alexander's defense, it's not like his acting and comedic chops hadn't been proven years before this film, and he actually had a Tony winning Broadway background to justify being in a musical.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: A lot of people also seem to have a fondness for Clopin, the AllKnowingSingingNarrator of the film.

* AcceptableEthnicTargets: The Roma are portrayed among the [[RoguishRomani thieves]] in the slums of Paris. At the time of its publications (and indeed, even today), the Roma were not well-liked by other Europeans. Hugo being one not to shy from controversy does however show that these Roma are merely a part of a larger community of thieves rather than a solely ethnic class. The Roma even have their own sub-leader. Hugo even going as far to have their leader Clopin is still ultimately portrayed more positively than France's own king, King Louis XI.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The movie toys with the idea of [[ImaginaryFriend the gargoyles being all in Quasimodo's mind]], reinforcing just how isolated he is. Unfortunately, there's also moments where they're present without Quasi, even showing them in battle against Frollo's soldiers, which pokes a pretty big whole in that concept.

** The depiction of the Roma people in the book has not aged well, although it's still a [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagging]] example. While Esmeralda's persecution as a witch is portrayed as wrong, near the end of the novel, it's revealed by birth she was French, and was exchanged with Quasimodo (who is actually Romani by birth), although his persecution is also portrayed as wrong. The other Romani in the novel are portrayed as part of the lower class in the Cour des Miracles (Slums), who survive by begging and [[RoguishRomani pickpocketing]], but then again [[TruthInTelevision these are living conditions thrust upon many an oppressed minority in real life]]. Clopin, [[KingOfTheHomeless their leader]], is depicted as an AntiHero, who while possessing a heroic side, [[TragicBigot is hostile towards the Middle class]], and threatens to hang Gringoire for trespassing in the Cour des Miracles, but Clopin is nevertheless still depicted in a better light than the then-current King of France. At several points, they are referred to as the "Egyptians," which reflects the real-life misconception that the Romani people originate from Egypt, which is the origin of the "Gypsy" monkier.

* SignatureScene: In terms of the non musical portions, Quasimodo breaking free, saving Esmeralda and bellowing out '''"Sanctuary"''' on the top of the bell tower would be the most iconic.