History YMMV / TheHunchbackofNotreDame

* 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 ultimate leader Clopin, whom their own leader answers too, is still ultimately portrayed more positively than France's own king, King Louis XI.

** 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, but it's important to remember that bigotry and ignorance aren't the same thing.

* BrokenBase: Whether or not the musical keeping truer to the book's original ending by having [[spoiler:Esmeralda really die at the end (averting the film's DisneyDeath)]] was a good decision or not is debated between viewers. Half disliked the film's original happy ending and were happy to see it, and felt it was more in-tone with the rest of the (mostly) grim and serious story. The other half that dislike the change feel that it wasn't properly set up and was simply made for the sake of being grim. Arguments generally boil down to whether the film was too lighthearted or the musical was too dark.
* CatharsisFactor: In the original film, Quasimodo outright saves Frollo, and Frollo's death--falling from a crumbling gargoyle head as he tried to kill Esmeralda--was entirely his own fault. The stage musical changes this to have Quasimodo outright kill him by throwing him off the roof to avenge Esmeralda. Frollo's line of "And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!" is instead changed to Quasimodo's BadassBoast of "And the wicked shall not go unpunished!" It's an incredbily dark scene (and Quasimodo is crushed with grief afterwards) but it's just as satisfying as the original.

** In a more straightforward regard, its depiction of institutional misogyny holds up very well- Frollo's EntitledToHaveYou attitude is always portrayed as unequivocally wrong and not once does the story play into Victim Blaming tropes. Corrupt authority figures using their position of power to harass women is a problem just as prevalent in the 2020s as it was in the 1470s.

* ValuesResonance: In a deeply metaphorical way, when Victor Hugo wrote Frollo's speech on how the printing press would destroy the church (ceci tuera cela) he was using hyperbole to make a point. Obviously the church itself was not literally destroyed. His point was that by allowing people to take the printed scripture into their home the physical church was going to suffer from it. The very base concept is that something which helped propel the religion into more homes could also chip away the relevance of one of its previously important facets. Frollo's position as a priest adds to this because if less people attend the physical church there is less money and incentive to maintain the physical church's structure. [[note]] We will note Hugo was a big fan of gothic architecture and in his day some parts of Notre Dame de Paris weren't properly maintained or in some cases cheaply altered because of the points Frollo makes. Less people came, maintaining the physical church wasn't as important. Frollo was given some AuthorTract here as these were among Hugo's actual views even if Frollo perhaps as a character took it a little more personally. Hugo wrote a longer essay on this subject to those interested where he also held some views that the printing press had taken away some creative people who might have otherwise been architects into other careers. Thankfully though if you have been to Notre Dame De Paris in modern times it is much better maintained today then it was when Hugo wrote all of this. In fact his writing on the subject is believed to have helped kick off the first major reconstruction effort.[[/note]] Fast forward to the earlier days of the internet you would have found people following on Frollo's coat tail with wondering could it do the same to the printed book or at least do some damage to elements contained in them? On one hand thanks to the internet it's a lot easier for us to get our eyes on the text of a work like "Hunchback" but with so many other distractions and options a lot of people would agree reading stories from the past is one of those facets of the printed book that has less prominence as before the internet. Exactly how many tropers are on this very page for the Disney film and have never read this story to know what this example is even about?

[[folder: The Disney Film]]
* {{Adorkable}}: Like his book counterpart, Quasimodo has NoSocialSkills due to his upbringing. But instead of being hostile to others, the Disney version portrays him as sweet, shy, awkward, and even endearing enough to be UglyCute. His glee and following awkwardness at the Festival of Fools is comparable to a 20th-century teenager at a school dance.
* AlternateAesopInterpretation:
** You don't need romance in your life to be happy.
** Also you can't force someone to love you and no one is "owed" a lover just because they're a good person. That person's choice of who they end up with is theirs and theirs alone.
** Whatever people are like as individual, crowds are ''fickle'', and can turn the entire group towards or against something once a single person says or does something sufficiently attention-getting, whether it's a thrown tomato or a RousingSpeech.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** 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 the Archdeacon's plea seriously 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.
*** Some fans of the movie ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCSqnYv1ZA0&ab_channel=AudialArchitect including Tony Jay]]) view him as a TragicVillain, despite being one of the Disney villains to be a HateSink TautologicalTemplar. Most (if not all) of Frollo's villainous actions stem from his greatest fear: eternal damnation for his immortal soul. Unfortunately, he handles his fear in the wrong ways. Instead of acting according to God's laws and practicing true Christian values, he twists God's word to serve his pride, vanity and arrogance. He uses PsychologicalProjection and InsaneTrollLogic to absolve himself of wrongdoing and feed his delusion that he is the purest person alive. During his song 'Hellfire', it's implied that Frollo knows his obsession for Esmeralda will endanger his soul, but he's too deep in denial of his sins to do anything about it. Frollo's descent into evil could've been stopped long ago if he had separated his faith from his pride and face the reality that he is just as much prone to sin as any other man. However, the mix of his {{Pride}}, {{Lust}} and PsychologicalProjection ultimately leads to him turning against God and damning his soul to Hell.
** 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 had said yes?
** ''Clopin''--he seems very happy and nice, but he does call Quasi the ugliest person in Paris in a way that even the context can't completely excuse, doesn't let him hide in the "Feast Of Fools" sequence, apparently bugs out the second everything goes pear-shaped (as Frollo would likely want to arrest him for the confusion), and then ''expresses complete delight in hanging Quasi and Phoebus''. Without giving them the chance to defend themselves in any way. He's also protecting his home, friends, and family from the most monstrous person in the country by silencing what he believes to be the man's most loyal subordinates... In fairness to Clopin, the only time he vanishes is during the "Feast of Fools" when the crowd turns on Quasimodo, but when the fighting outside Notre Dame happens he's shown jumping into the fray with the other Roma. He's their leader, so getting himself arrested at the Feast of Fools would have been bad for the Roma.
** The Archdeacon doesn't even acknowledge Quasimodo's existence after the opening scene, despite them both living in the same building. So, that raises the question: is he really the benevolent arbiter of justice in Notre Dame, or a callous hypocrite, willfully blind to Frollo's abuse of Quasimodo? Or is he too scared of Frollo to do anything about it?
** Are all of Frollo's soldiers -- aside from Phoebus -- jerks who follow any of Frollo's orders just for an excuse to abuse their authority, or are they for the most part just LoyalToThePosition? When Frollo gives the Brutish Guard the order to seize the cathedral, do the three background EliteMooks become tense in preparation of carrying out the order, or is it a silent gesture of [[EvenEvilHasStandards disapproval]]?
** Was the soldier who interrupted 'Hellfire' actually the Brutish Guard or was it an angel sent by God to help Frollo? There are several points worth bringing up. First, the guard's face cannot be seen, so it's uncertain whether it's actually one of Frollo's soldiers or an angel as theorized. Second, the light behind the guard appears like the light of Heaven while the fire behind Frollo looks like the fires of hell. The guard sounds as though he's pleading for Frollo to let go of his obsession with Esmeralda, knowing it'd lead to his damnation. However, Frollo is too deep in denial of his sins to acknowledge his wrongdoings and ignores the angel's warning by giving into his lust for Esmeralda. When the guard closes the door, the light disappears, meaning that Frollo has rejected going to Heaven. Third, the Brutish Guard usually speaks with a coarse and gruff voice, even around Frollo, but during 'Hellfire', his voice sounds soothing and gentle, a complete contrast from his usual self. If this to be believed, then God did give Frollo a chance to repent for his crimes, but Frollo was too proud and too deep in denial of his sins to do so.
* {{Anvilicious}}: The film repeatedly points out Frollo's hypocrisy, in case you missed it. A few examples below.
** From Clopin:
--->'''Clopin:''' Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin / And he saw corruption everywhere except within.
** From the Archdeacon:
--->'''Archdeacon:''' You can lie to yourself and your minions, you can claim that you haven't a qualm / But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes, the very eyes of Notre Dame.
** From Esmeralda:
--->'''Esmeralda:''' You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people. You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help!
** From Quasimodo:
--->'''Quasimodo:''' All my life, you've told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you.
** The Music/BetteMidler version of ''God Help The Outcasts'' has harsher lyrics than the movie version, taking the religious hypocrisy message even further as the singer accuses God of favouring certain people that discriminate against those down on their luck and being responsible for making the outcasts in the first place.
** At the beginning of the film, Clopin asks the viewer a "riddle" regarding Quasimodo and Frollo: "Who is the monster, and who is the man?" This comes directly after Frollo murders an innocent woman and attempts to drown her baby.
* AwardSnub:
** None of the songs from this movie received Oscar nominations. This is the only movie that Music/AlanMenken composed for the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon during the 1990s which this happened to. Menken also didn't win for the Score either even though he was nominated.
** Especially glaring since Frollo is often considered one of the greatest from Disney, Creator/TonyJay was not given an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Villain. Also notable as the only times an actor got nominated for the voice of an animated character are Creator/JeremyIrons for [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Scar]] and Creator/NedBeatty for [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 Lotso]].
* 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. Their supporters like to point out that they're better foster parents for Quasimodo than [[AbusiveParents Frollo]], and Quasimodo probably would've grown up a bitter person if it hadn't been for them.
* BrokenBase:
** 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.
** 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 demonize 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.
** The film itself, particularly when first released. Many viewed it as a wildly-misconceived bastardization of Hugo's novel, to the point that the screenplay received a Razzie nomination. Its reputation has, however, improved since then.
* CargoShip: Hugo thinks Djali is pretty hot. Hugo is a gargoyle, Djali is a goat. [[FridgeBrilliance But come on, Hugo's part goat!]]
* 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 for nothing.
* CommonKnowledge: One criticism that's sometimes made of the film -- and often believed to be behind its SoOkayItsAverage reception on its initial release -- is that it's too much of a re-tread of ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', which had the same directors, and likewise had a French setting and focused around the life of an outcast with an unsightly physical appearance. However, that's really all that the two films have in common, with this one being a much darker and comparatively more realistic film. If anything, this film's [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameII direct-to-video sequel]] is probably more guilty of being a rehash of ''Beauty and the Beast''.
* 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 dubs 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.
* CrackShip: As noted on ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'''s [[YMMV/{{Tangled}} YMMV page]], Frollo x Mother Gothel became one when people realized how similar they are.
* CreepyAwesome: Frollo, easily one of the most disturbing villains Disney has ever written. He's a pitch-perfect depiction of a lustful, bigoted monster and an AbusiveParent who's both frighteningly depraved and disturbingly competent.
* CriticalDissonance: Despite being moderately well-received (scoring somewhere in the 70s on Website/RottenTomatoes), this is the only Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon film to ever get nominated for a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie Award]]. It was in a one-off category called "Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million", which also included ''Film/IndependenceDay'', the original ''Film/MissionImpossible'', ''Film/{{Twister}}'', and ''Film/ATimeToKill''. ''Twister'' won this Razzie, and it was the only "Rotten" nominee in the category. Said category hasn't aged well, and has never been used since by the Razzies.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: When Frollo is reviewing the alphabet with Quasimodo, this exchange happens. The censors probably let it pass because of Tom Hulce's harmless, innocent delivery of the lines and the happy gesture Quasimodo makes when he gets it right.
-->'''Frollo''': D?\\
'''Quasimodo''': Damnation.\\
'''Frollo''': E?\\
'''Quasimodo''': ''Eternal'' Damnation!
* CrossoverShip: It's become somewhat popular to pair Clopin with Harley Quinn from the Batman-franchise (the pairing is even called "[=JesterBells=]"). In many cases, they're essentially the male and female versions of each other (especially now that Harley's being portrayed as more of an [[AntiHero anti-heroine]] by Creator/DCComics), and many people have pointed out that Clopin would treat Harley way better than the Joker treats her.
* CryForTheDevil: "Hellfire". Behind closed doors, Frollo prays to the Virgin Mary for protection from Esmeralda's "witchcraft", which he convinces himself is driving him to sin through lustful, burning desire. He begs Mary to either burn Esmeralda in Hell or deliver her to him as his love to free him from his sin. He may be a vicious KnightTemplar, but he's also very human and very conflicted, two qualities that generate sympathy and may make it at least more understandable.
-->'''Frollo:''' God have mercy on her... God have mercy on ''me...''
* CultClassic: While it isn't as popular as other Disney animated films, it seems to have had grown a following thanks to the Internet, perhaps because of Creator/TonyJay's performance as Frollo.
* DieForOurShip: The Phoebus from the movie is much, MUCH nicer than the one from the novel, and he comes to sincerely like Esmeralda. And yet the Quasi/Esmeralda fans still hate him for "stealing her away from the one who DESERVES her better".
* DracoInLeatherPants: Despite being a CompleteMonster, Frollo has a ''lot'' of fangirls.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: A lot of people also seem to have a fondness for Clopin, the AllKnowingSingingNarrator of the film. No doubt due to his wonderfully grandiose nature, aided by Paul Kandel's excellent vocal work.
* EvilIsCool: Frollo became one of the most popular Disney Villains for being one of the most realistic in the canon, having a great VillainSong, and Creator/TonyJay giving a fantastic performance.
* EvilIsSexy: Frollo has ''huge'' numbers of people who find him attractive.
* {{Fanon}}: While the king is referenced once or twice, it's never explained what he's doing at the time of the movie or why he doesn't intervene when Frollo is torching Paris. Common consensus is that he is off fighting in the wars that Phoebus has returned from.
* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** The opening lines of "A Guy Like You" indulge in some BlackComedy as the gargoyles observe the fires from Notre Dame cathedral. The Notre Dame cathedral fire in 2019 can make this moment rather uncomfortable in hindsight.
** Outside of the film itself, the "Making Of" special that aired on the Disney Channel has Creator/JasonAlexander humorously boasting that the three gargoyles are destined to become Disney's most beloved characters. Since the gargoyles turned out to be some of Disney's [[TheScrappy most hated characters]] and their presence is widely considered to be the film's main flaw, Jason's statement is either this trope or HilariousInHindsight.
* GeniusBonus:
** 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.
** Also, the background singing in Frollo's scenes throughout the film has several layers of meaning:
*** 'Kyrie Eleison', a refrain which is repeated throughout the film, means 'Lord have Mercy'... appropriate.
*** The chanting when Frollo is chasing Quasimodo's mother through Paris comes from a Gregorian chant called the Dies Irae - Day of Wrath - and includes a phrase that roughly means 'Beware the coming of the judge.' Again, appropriate.
*** And, during "Hellfire", the shadowy figures that torment Frollo in his madness chant 'Mea Culpa' - 'It's my Fault' - something which Frollo constantly denies.
*** Even one of the first lines of "Hellfire", "of my virtue I am justly proud", is contradictory in and of itself; {{Pride}} is one of the seven deadly sins, meaning that to be proud of his virtue is inherently hypocritical.
** Quasimodo's climatic scene (being chained to the pillars of the church, then tearing them down in rebellion) is lifted directly from the story of Samson in the Bible.
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: This film is really popular in Germany, having several stage shows based off of it.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** The original ending where [[spoiler:Quasimodo is stabbed by Frollo only for Frollo to die later and Quasimodo's wish to ring the bells one last time]] bears some similarities to the 1997 version, which came out a year later.
** 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 IronicLastWords:
--->'''Frollo:''' And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!
** Frollo has been relentlessly racist towards the Roma. However in 2010, it was shown he was not the only French leader to hold such bigotry as 8000 Roma were deported from France to Bulgaria and Romania.
* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: A variation. It's no surprise that Oscar nominee Creator/TomHulce gives an excellent performance as the titular character. What ''may'' catch you off your guard is that he also has a rather lovely singing voice which he gets to show off here.
* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/MandyPatinkin was considered for the role of Quasimodo. A year after this movie, he actually got to play Quasimodo in another adaptation.
* HoYay:
** Djali is referred to as a male. Hugo makes no secret of his attraction to him.
** It's way too easy to read something going on between Quasimodo and Phoebus, considering how they started out hating each other, much like Phoebus did with [[LoveInterest Esmeralda]], but become FireForgedFriends and Quasi even pulls him into a hug after Phoebus [[spoiler:saved his life]].
* IronWoobie:
** Quasimodo's life from start through adulthood is one long story of isolation and abuse, and he even gets [[DidNotGetTheGirl friendzoned]] by Esmeralda. Nonetheless, he remains a kind man and even blesses the two's love in the end.
** Esmeralda counts as well, given all the persecution the Roma go through, the fact that [[CompleteMonster Frollo]] is after her specifically, and she still manages to be willing to pray for ''everybody else'' in "God Help the Outcasts".
* JustHereForGodzilla: The 2 most well-known types of fangirls in the fanbase, "Frollophiles" and "Clopinphiles", are often known for watching the movie merely to see Frollo and/or Clopin. Clopin's side often has many fans complaining about how he "doesn't have enough screentime".
* LoveToHate: Frollo.
** He is, first of all, ''realistically'' scary. He's an example of the many times throughout history that bigotry and persecution has been self-righteously excused as justice.
** He is voiced by Creator/TonyJay which automatically gives him a badass voice.
** He is FauxAffablyEvil in where he generally appears pretty polite but yet there is a glint of madness and zealotry underneath, and you know it. See the episode with the ants and the torture chamber.
** Despite spending all his time kicking dogs, his HiddenDepths are hinted at once in the movie: the VillainSong. Is he NecessarilyEvil and hates himself for it, does he actually hate himself for lusting towards Esmeralda or is he just a deluded KnightTemplar? Is it a real epiphany that throws him more into madness or an IgnoredEpiphany? No one knows, so it adds a layer of depth to the character.
** He shows himself quite competent in his endeavors in general, if evil.
** And there's the whole CreepyAwesome thing.
** Despite being such a loathesome [[CompleteMonster individual]], Frollo is such a well-written, three-dimensional, and all-around memorable character you can't help but like him despite all the crimes he commits.
** Has come to a head with the WebAnimation/YouTubePoop turned WidgetSeries WebAnimation/TheFrolloShow, in which Frollo is slightly [[AdaptationalHeroism toned down]] into an anti-heroic UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist, and is joined by [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Gaston]] and [[Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt the Anarchy Sisters.]]
* MemeticMolester: Frollo, for [[SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny good]] [[CompleteMonster reasons]].
* MemeticMutation:
** "Hellfire" is becoming an increasingly popular subject for WebAnimation/YouTubePoop.
*** Also, statements to the likes of "most dramatic reaction to a boner ever" or "the boner that [[spoiler: burned down Paris]]."
** The scene where Frollo attempts to throw baby Quasimodo down the well has also become a popular WebAnimation/YouTubePoop source. People commonly edit things like bad movie posters or unpopular celebrities like Music/JustinBieber over Quasimodo.
** [[http://31.media.tumblr.com/b048c3e15b7262d0c3ad73332de8a405/tumblr_inline_mmrrbs7DEl1qz4rgp.jpg This]] screencap of Phoebus, usually attached to posts of a confusing or mind-bending nature.
** ''"Witchcraft."''
** Frollo's final line, ''"And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!'', followed by posters adding a nonchalant response from God such as "As you wish", or "That's not a bad idea.", or ''epic'', as in "OK, {{Satan}}, for this once I'll let you enter My house just to claim this soul. He's yours." Somehow it may soften [[NightmareFuel the creepiness]] of the scene.
** On [=TikTok=], the opening lines of "Out There" -- "Remember what I told you, Quasimodo: You are deformed... (I am deformed...) / And you are ugly... (And I am ugly...)" -- have become quite popular, usually playing over misshapen objects, hated characters, or failed craft projects.
** Quasimodo is an [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed assassin]]. [[labelnote:Explanation]]Given Quasimodo's parkour skills climbing around the architecture of Notre Dame along with hiding himself under a hood at times, these kinds of jokes are pretty common. Especially with ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'', which had Notre Dame as a structure to explore.[[/labelnote]]
* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales: The movie was a ''huge'' hit in France. The filmmakers were especially worried about offending the French people by taking an iconic symbol of French literature and culture and giving it the so-called "Disney Treatment". This is possibly why Disney was shocked later, when ''Hercules'' was met with A LOT of hate in Greece.
* MisaimedFandom:
** Frollo was often thought of as [[EvilIsCool cool]] despite having much less reason to be thought of as such ([[MoralEventHorizon and much more NOT to]]) than other Disney villains. Instead of being a [[EvilIsSexy muscular macho-man]] like [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Gaston]] or a powerful sorcerer like [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jafar]], he is a genocidal self-righteous old religious fanatic. But for all his decidedly uncool qualities, his character ended up winning many people over.
*** While it may not have been the intent of the filmmakers, it's still easy to see why Frollo got the EvilIsCool treatment. After all, he's a truly menacing and effective villain. What's more egregious is fans who believe EvilIsSexy. Sure, Creator/TonyJay's [[ArousedByTheirVoice voice is quite pleasing]] and his sexuality is a key part of Frollo's character. But you'd think [[DirtyOldMan an old man perversely preying on a repulsed younger woman]], and being perfectly willing to kill her should she reject his advances would be an enormous turnoff for all viewers.
** The movie portrays Esmeralda and Phoebus's romance in a fully positive light, and though Quasimodo is heartbroken and jealous at first, he eventually fully accepts their love and is content as their friend. But you wouldn't know this from the Quasi/Esmeralda shippers either calling Esmeralda a "stupid whore" for choosing Phoebus or depicting Phoebus as anything from a brainless, dullard pretty-boy to an abusive monster just so Esmeralda can dump him and be with Quasimodo (granted, it helps that Phoebus really is an absolute bastard in the original novel).
* MisaimedMarketing: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg4NO2M0Z8Y The]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBIWQeBaPKo original]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M-HZomy4eM trailers]] heavily emphasized the comic relief characters and the brighter musical numbers, especially the gargoyles and "Topsy Turvy", [[NeverTrustATrailer without giving even the slightest impression of]] [[DarkerAndEdgier the incredibly dark, emotional story and characters]] [[TrueArtIsAngsty the film would later stand out for]]. Funnily enough, the video commercial describes it as [[BlatantLies "loaded with laughs"]]. Director Gary Trousdale was [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVE4aa-UkM aware of this]].
-->'''Trousdale:''' The marketing department at that time thought, "Well, we'll maybe fool people into thinking it was light-hearted, happy Disney." They played up the gargoyles and they played up the Feast of Fools. And so all the marketing at that time was, "It's a celebration! It's a festival!"
* 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, ending 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...
** Among Frollo's minions the Oafish and the Brutish guard stand out as the most equal to their master in cruelty. It appears that they enjoy the freedom that his ruling leaves them to mistreat those that they see fit as they both harass and threaten Esmeralda for being a Romani and incite the mob to torture Quasimodo ForTheEvulz. By the time that they gladly burn down the city and immediately attempt to behead Phoebus for saving a family of kids from a fire that their boss started they have clearly chosen to follow him to damnation.
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
** If talking about the soundtrack, most will at least mention Creator/TomHulce's singing voice. It's not grand or anything, but it's just ''so sweet.'' Notably, even when Doug Walker admitted to not finding Hulce's voice that great, he still went on to note that the sheer passion and heart he puts into it sounds wonderful.
** A slightly odd example, but when Esmeralda pulls a ShutUpHannibal on Frollo and shouts "Justice!" at the top of her voice. It's so powerful and ''awesome'' that it's prone to giving people goosebumps.
** The "Hellfire" {{Leitmotif}} applies as well. An absolutely epic, chilling piece of music, you can easily understand why the composers made it recur as many times as they did. Points also go to the lighter version during "Heaven's Light" and the ending. It's pretty impressive how a such an intimidating piece of music can transfer into a piece so heartwarming.
** Frollo's BadassBaritone certainly applies. Creator/TonyJay completely embraces the idea that EvilSoundsDeep, resulting in a delightfully sinister sound from our BigBad, making even small lines sound completely awesome.
* {{Narm}}: "The Bells of Notre Dame" is a great song, and the buildup to its 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 realized 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 its inclusion.
* NarmCharm: The entire ending teeters on this, especially the unprovoked hug by a random kid (who also shows up at Clopin's puppet show...). However, while it may seem sappy, especially if you know the much less happy ending of the original story, it's still a heartwarming and cathartic moment for both Quasimodo and the audience.
* NewerThanTheyThink: The 1939 film version is what introduced the 'justice for oppressed minorities' theme into the story, drawn from director William Diertele's experiences in Nazi Germany. "God Help the Outcasts" is more inspired by a scene from that film, where Esmeralda prays for help for her people. Of course, this could also qualify as OlderThanTheyThink, if one is under the impression Disney invented these elements.
* NoYay: Frollo's obsession with Esmeralda. [[MisaimedFandom Yet a portion of the fanbase ships them...]]
* OlderThanTheyThink:
** Quasimodo wearing green, Esmeralda in danger of being burned at the stake as opposed to being 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 was already covered in "Heaven's Light". The song being a jarring MoodWhiplash and borderline BigLippedAlligatorMoment just makes it worse.
* PresumedFlop: It's remembered for being the only Disney film to get a Razzie nomination, and the only Disney Renaissance entry to not get any Oscar nominations - cementing its reputation as the biggest failure of the decade. While there was critical bafflement at the MisaimedMarketing hiding the movie's dark themes, it still made over $300 million.
* 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. Out of the animated Disney movies, Frollo is the most likely to exist in real life - and with how corrupt the church was in TheMiddleAges, someone like him almost certainly ''did'' - which just makes him even more terrifying.
* RetroactiveRecognition: The Oafish Guard is voiced by Bill Fagerbakke, aka ''[[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants Patrick freaking Star!]]'' And [[WesternAnimation/LloydInSpace Kurt!]] And [[{{WesternAnimation/Gargoyles}} Broadway!]] And he uses the ''exact same voice'' for him too!
* RonTheDeathEater:
** Esmeralda is often depicted as an ungrateful bitch who rejects Quasimodo due to his ugliness, and stops caring for him. Esmeralda consistently ''did'' care for Quasi as a friend... just not as a lover. In fact, she didn't even ''know'' that he was in love with her.
** Despite being much, much nicer than he is in the original novel, Phoebus is made out to be as unpleasant by those who prefer Esmeralda to be with Quasimodo instead.
* RootingForTheEmpire: Some have a disturbing habit of justifying Frollo's actions.
%% * 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.
* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: Creator/DemiMoore developed quite a hatedom in the 90s and 2000s for a series of badly received {{Box Office Bomb}}s and attacks over her perceived diva-ish behavior. Now that the hate has died off, people are far more receptive to this - which was following poor turns in ''{{Film/Striptease}}'' and ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''. Her performance as Esmeralda is considered a real highlight of the film - especially conveying Esmeralda's fiery ActionGirl persona, as well as her soft compassionate side.
* 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.
* 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".
* {{Squick}}:
** Frollo grabbing Esmeralda in the church and '''smelling her hair'''.
** During "Hellfire", he rubs one of her scarves against his face.
** Keeping on the "Hellfire" point: no matter how glorious the song is, it's ''still'' Frollo singing about how if Esmeralda doesn't submit to his desire, "she will buuuuuuuuuurn." Once again, ''how'' did they manage to get this past the censors?
** While it's played for laughs, Hugo the Gargoyle's attraction towards Djali the goat is fairly disturbing.
* SpecialEffectsFailure:
** The crowd scenes utilize CGI people. Especially on the Blu-Ray, it's... noticeable.
** See Frollo's effort to grab the gargoyle as he hangs for dear life, as it constantly changes position between shots.
* StrawmanHasAPoint:
** 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 firsthand, 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 the Court of Miracles harbors 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 justifies his arresting them on purely legal grounds.
* 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 compromising the darker narrative.
* 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 hole in that concept.
* ToughActToFollow: Par for the course with Disney films that spawned sequels. It's considered to be the ''darkest'' film in the animated canon, and certainly one of the most ambitious in its willingness to address some themes that most would consider less than family-friendly and in the frighteningly realistic main villain. The sequel, ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameII'', was a direct-to-video film that was unable to meet the acclaim of the original. The end result turns out worse than most had expected, with subpar animation and an uninteresting villain.
* TrueArtIsAngsty: The movie is widely considered to be one of Disney's best, mostly ''because'' it's so much darker than their usual material.
* UglyCute: Quasimodo, who's Ugly ''Adorable''. WordOfGod states that he was specifically designed this way (taking inspiration from, among other things, pugs) so it's much easier for the audience to identify and sympathize with him early on. If he's too ugly it takes too long and the moment is lost, and there are even some people who will never empathize with him no matter how good of a person he is if he's too ugly.
* UncertainAudience: Probably the biggest criticism leveled at the film. This is without a doubt one of Disney's darkest animated pictures, but for its 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. And even during its run in theaters this was a common reaction, with parents and MoralGuardians of the time believing the darker and more mature elements came on too strong for kids while older viewers who might have appreciated the same darker and more mature elements were left baffled by the comedy elements that seemed to be very jarring and out place when compared with the rest of the film.
* ValuesDissonance: At the time, "Gypsy" was an accepted term for the Roma people, although it's increasingly seen as a slur.
* ValuesResonance:
** As [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIIWy3TZ1eI Lindsay Ellis notes]], the film has gained more praise in recent years, partly because many of the film's themes feel more relevant in TheNewTens than they did in TheNineties.
--->'''Lindsay Ellis:''' I think [Hunchback] would be more appreciated if it came out today, because we need stories like this today. Fasci-y abusive Frollo, justice for the oppressed, the focus on how [[HeManWomanHater some men]] [[IfICantHaveYou really]] ''[[IfICantHaveYou loathe]]'' [[EntitledToHaveYou the objects of their desire]], the wholesale demonization of ethnic groups... Maybe this movie wasn't appreciated in its time because it didn't resonate as much in 1996, but it does resonate now in 2017.
** With regards to Esmeralda not ending up with Quasimodo, that plot point has only aged better as the years have gone on. Esmeralda is a powerful and compassionate character in her own right, and Phoebus is the one she chooses (he doesn't pursue her or 'win' her; she chooses him and they fall in love mutually). Quasimodo accepts Esmeralda's choice and is happy to have her friendship, understanding he is not EntitledToHaveYou. And Frollo, who does have the latter attitude, is shown to be in the wrong.
** There is also the fact that [[RewatchBonus on a rewatch]], Esmeralda is being more than a friend to Quasimodo: she's trying to rescue him from an abusive situation. She learns that Frollo raised Quasimodo, who's been kind, generous, and a little nervous around her, but believes that he is a monster and must stay in Notre Dame forever. Quasimodo insists that Frollo saved him, and Esmeralda's suspicious look seems to be that she knows the signs of {{Gaslighting}}. So when she's encouraging him to come with her to the Court of Miracles, she's trying to show him a new life where no one will judge him; when that doesn't work, Esmeralda gives him her necklace, a map to the Court, and says she'll come to visit him. In fact, when Clopin tries hanging Quasimodo and Frollo on the basis of being spies, she rescues them and is surprised when Phoebus says they came to warn everyone that Frollo found their hiding space and must evacuate. She really thought they had come to join her and gain their freedom. It's more relevant in the 2020s that Esmeralda was trying to help someone she met break through years of emotional abuse and gain his independence.
* ViewerGenderConfusion:
** The gargoyle Laverne has no TertiarySexualCharacteristics and a voice actress (Mary Wickes) with a husky voice. Although she has a mostly feminine name, it's only mentioned once in the film. Averted in other languages where either her voice is unmistakably female, the language itself has grammar rules that indicates gender (like in Spanish or French) or both.
** Djali the goat is female in the novel, but male in this movie – which doesn't stop male gargoyle Hugo from [[HoYay flirting with him.]]
* VindicatedByHistory: When it was released, it was a moderate hit with both critics and audiences - the consensus was "Hey, it was better than ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'', but nowhere near as good as ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'' or ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''". However, in the years since the film's release it's now far more common to see people praising the movie as not only the best movie of the Disney Renaissance, but one of Disney's most ambitious films ever, thanks to its dark storyline and heavy themes of prejudice, social injustice, lust, eternal damnation, and powerful religious imagery. Frollo is frequently brought up as one of Disney's most frightening and memorable villains because of the relative realism of his monstrous beliefs and actions, which only makes them ''more'' horrifying.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Notre Dame, and the image of Esmeralda dancing Frollo sees in the flames in "Hellfire". It is mentioned in the commentary that the special effects team gave their best in that scene.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Endlessly marketed to kids with cute dolls and toys and such... and then Frollo sings "[[VillainSong Hellfire]]", which is all about his lust for Esmeralda and how [[IfICantHaveYou she will burn if he can't have her]]. There is no ambiguity about the nature of his feelings for her. Also, he "accidentally" kills Quasimodo's mother and then tries to outright murder him as an infant, flat out saying he's going to send him to Hell. That happens ''just minutes into the film''. It even got a G rating in North America. Interestingly enough, one of the film’s actors Jason Alexander even said he thought the film was too dark to take his kid to. And that’s coming from a guy who played the most child friendly character in the movie!
* TheWoobie: She may only appear at the beginning, but Quasimodo's mother definitely counts. Already part of a discriminated race, she spends her last moments 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 the 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.
[[/folder]]

* SlowPacedBeginning: For all its strengths, the book ''could'' afford to shave off some of its exposition. [[UpToEleven There's a chapter that's as long as its own book (thirty pages in total) devoted to explaining the view from Notre Dame]], although to be fair it does also provide the reader with some insight into the history of Paris' architecture and [[AuthorFilibuster the author's opinion on its state in 1831]].

** Also [[DoubleSubvertedTrope double subverted]] in one RealityIsUnrealistic way regarding 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.

** Esmeralda is one of the most popular Disney heroines alongside Hercules's 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 for Quasimodo. She also has a very attractive design, which definitely caught the attention of the men in her movie. [[MsFanservice Ahem]].
** Frollo, in the context of the wider Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon. Just look at how many examples here have to do with him specifically, as well as his [[Characters/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisneyJudgeClaudeFrollo enormous, dedicated character page]].

** Despite being such a [[HateSink loathesome]] [[CompleteMonster individual]], Frollo is such a well-written, three-dimensional, and all-around memorable character you can't help but like him despite all the crimes he commits.

* RootingForTheEmpire: Some have a disturbing habit of justifying his actions.

* EvilIsCool: Frollo. Ironically, he was meant to be so despicable that people would [[HateSink despise him with all their hearts]]. Instead, he became one of the most popular Disney Villains for being one of the most realistic in the canon, having a great VillainSong, and Creator/TonyJay giving a fantastic performance.

** Frollo was often thought of as [[EvilIsCool cool]] despite having much less reason to be thought of as such ([[MoralEventHorizon and much more NOT to]]) than other Disney villains. Instead of being a [[EvilIsSexy muscular macho-man]] like [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Gaston]] or a powerful sorcerer like [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Jafar]], he is a genocidal self-righteous old religious fanatic; an intent to avoid EvilIsCool is apparent here, yet it apparently did not work either.

* 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.

** Frollo's final line, "And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!'', followed by posters adding a nonchalant response from God such as "As you wish", or "That's not a bad idea.", or ''epic'', as in "OK, {{Satan}}, for this once I'll let you enter My house just to claim this soul. He's yours." Somehow it may soften [[NightmareFuel the creepiness]] of the scene.

** Frollo's final line, "And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!'', followed by posters adding a nonchalant response from God such as "As you wish", or "That's not a bad idea." Somehow it may soften [[NightmareFuel the creepiness]] of the scene.

* AwardSnub: None of the songs from this movie received Oscar nominations. This is the only movie that Music/AlanMenken composed for the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon during the 1990s which this happened to.

--'''Trousdale:''' The marketing department at that time thought, "Well, we'll maybe fool people into thinking it was light-hearted, happy Disney." They played up the gargoyles and they played up the Feast of Fools. And so all the marketing at that time was, "It's a celebration! It's a festival!"

* RetroactiveRecognition: The Dame la Jolla Playhouse version of the musical (now available on [=YouTube=]) is the version most fans are familiar with and features Patrick Page--who would later play Hades in ''Hadestown''--as Frollo.

* MisaimedMarketing: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg4NO2M0Z8Y The]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBIWQeBaPKo original]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M-HZomy4eM trailers]] heavily emphasized the comic relief characters and the brighter musical numbers, especially the gargoyles and "Topsy Turvy", [[NeverTrustATrailer without giving even the slightest impression of]] [[DarkerAndEdgier the incredibly dark, emotional story and characters]] [[TrueArtIsAngsty the film would later stand out for]]. Funnily enough, the video commercial describes it as [[BlatantLies "loaded with laughs"]].
** Unsurprisingly, the toyline for the movie was a big flop in sales--one K-Mart employee recalled how a full year after the film's release, there were whole shelves of toys of Quasimodo and Frollo still shelfwarming, even though they had been marked down to clearance price.

* RonTheDeathEater: Esmeralda is often depicted as an ungrateful bitch who rejects Quasimodo due to his ugliness, and stops caring for him. Esmeralda consistently ''did'' care for Quasi as a friend... just not as a lover. In fact, she didn't even ''know'' that he was in love with her.

** Was the soldier who interrupted 'Hellfire' actually the Brutish Guard or was it an angel sent by God to help Frollo? Some fans of the film believe that the guard who interrupted 'Hellfire' was actually an angel.
*** There are several points worth bringing up. First, the guard's face cannot be seen, so it's uncertain whether it's actually one of Frollo's soldiers or an angel as theorized. Second, the light behind the guard appears like the light of Heaven while the fire behind Frollo looks like the fires of hell. The guard sounds as though he's pleading for Frollo to let go of his obsession with Esmeralda, knowing it'd lead to his damnation. However, Frollo is too deep in denial of his sins to acknowledge his wrongdoings and ignores the angel's warning by giving into his lust for Esmeralda. When the guard closes the door, the light disappears, meaning that Frollo has rejected going to Heaven. Third, the Brutish Guard usually speaks with a coarse and gruff voice, even around Frollo, but during 'Hellfire', his voice sounds soothing and gentle, a complete contrast from his usual self. If this to be believed, then God did give Frollo a chance to repent for his crimes, but Frollo was too proud and too deep in denial of his sins to do so.

* UncertainAudience: Probably the biggest criticism leveled at the film. This is without a doubt one of Disney's darkest animated pictures, but for its 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.

-->'''Clopin:''' Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin / And he saw corruption everywhere except within.

-->'''Archdeacon:''' You can lie to yourself and your minions, you can claim that you haven't a qualm / But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes, the very eyes of Notre Dame.

-->'''Esmeralda:''' You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people. You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help!

-->'''Quasimodo:''' All my life, you've told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you.

-->'''Lindsay Ellis:''' I think [Hunchback] would be more appreciated if it came out today, because we need stories like this today. Fasci-y abusive Frollo, justice for the oppressed, the focus on how [[HeManWomanHater some men]] [[IfICantHaveYou really]] ''[[IfICantHaveYou loathe]]'' [[EntitledToHaveYou the objects of their desire]], the wholesale demonization of ethnic groups... Maybe this movie wasn't appreciated in its time because it didn't resonate as much in 1996, but it does resonate now in 2017.

** Judge Frollo running down and killing an innocent Romani woman then blithely dismissing it with "I am guiltness. She ran. I pursued." hits harder following the Black Lives Matter movement and increased public awareness of acts of excessive violence inflicted on minorities by law enforcement officials, sometimes simply on suspicion of wrongdoing.