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Visitors Review

Aral_Bateman 2013-06-03 12:09:26

it is not that meant to be..

-=contains spoiler from both original and movie versions=-i am a huge fan of Notre dame De Paris musical,i also read book thissummer and i watched movie today,in the beginning i was hopeful towatch a good film especially when i saw 6.3 IMDb point.first sceneswere good but i actually waited for,theaters scene directly frombook,but it was normal but when Esmeralda kisses gringoire i feltsomething is wrong..they don't even kiss in book,even in musical..and there were huge gap why Esmeralda being judged by sorcerer,in thebook she teaches her goat how to respond numbers of clock or write word"phoebus".. wait there were a phoebus weren't there? in this movie heis some soldier junk nothing more,the creators made Quasimodo's love toshow around and they even canceled Frollo's love..but Notre dame wasfrollo. his thoughts his struggles between love of god and love ofhuman in movie we cant find anything like that all we have is,somevillain who is really bad and kills people whose clashes with histhoughts..and not mentioning phoebus,not mentioning love of frollo,notmentioning jehan (brother of frollo) not mentioning mother of Esmeralda(maybe it is OK,the storyline would have chopped much)they even notmentioned the real story.. (another PS:frollo wasn't a opus dei or somecult member he actually in interest with alchemy he tries to makegold..he was stuck in science and religion)finally don't watch this movie,it is some kind of directors edition toreal masterpiece,and if you have watched it before read the book,godhave mercy on you..you must read to book immediately..this movie is worse than hunchback of Notre dame II the animatedmovie,spend your time with watching Notre dame De Paris musical..enough said..

2013-06-02 22:29:01

mediocre melodrama

Sad attempt at a beautiful story. This version lacked substance, though the actors tried to make it fly. I would recommend the original classic or the film starring Anthony Hopkins.

2013-05-29 00:17:21

One of the best adaptations of Victor Hugo's novel !

This movie is one of the best adaptations of Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris. The story offers a brand new vision of the book : the pathetic transition between Middle Ages and Renaissance, the end of Quasimodo as a single human gargoyle (he is very fine and clever), Esmeralda is delicious, Frollo is wonderful just like the other characters. I believe it is a very good success and it is really worth to be seen !

2013-05-28 09:29:06

Ummm... Yikes!

My goodness was this a bad version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Everything about this production reeks. Not even sexy Salma Hayek could save this classic piece of trash. What is with the persute of printing presses, and since when has the hunchback printed books? I had hoped with all its short commings it might include the original ending, but, alas, Esmerelda lived. The only verson that has the original ending where Esmerelda dies is the 1957 version. THAT version is better than this one. This version also deletes the character of Pheobus and now Esmerelda is accused of killing the king's minister or whatever. Take my advice and try and find the 1982 version ( it is very difficult to locate sometimes.) with Anthony Hopkins and Leslie Anne Down. It is far better.

2013-05-27 21:29:11

A "Hunchback" That Grips The Soul.

Having seen the Disney, Lon Chaney & Charles Laughton versions of Victor Hugo's classic novel "Notre Dame De Paris," I was more than eager to give this version a shot. Mandy Patinkin (aka Inigo Montoya in "The Princess Bride" & Jason Gideon on CBS' "Criminal Minds") literally grips your soul with his impassioned portrayal of Quasimodo. Salma Hayek is perfectly cast as Esmeralda, initially repulsed by Quasimodo, but then growing to love him (sound familiar?). Richard Harris gives a dimension to Frollo that up to now was only in the novel: pain and indecision over his lust for Esmeralda. You actually feel sympathy for him even when he's perpetrating evil. Edward Atterton (a soldier in "The Man In The Iron Mask") is also well cast as Pierre Gringoire. This version is excellent, and stands alongside the Disney & Lon Chaney versions as true cinematic achievements, though I must give credit to the Charles Laughton version for inspiring a key scene or two in the Disney version. See this "Hunchback."

2013-05-27 10:03:42

Excellent, despite the liberties it takes with the original

Yes, this version of The Hunchback takes liberties with the original story, but put that aside and you find incredibly deep and moving performances. Die-hard Hunchback fans will gripe about the changes to the story line, but those who just like a good film will love it. I think I'll watch it again tonight.

martin_g_karlsson 2013-05-25 18:34:12

The Bell Tolls for Quas on TV

This is very much a television version of the tale, the film starts outlike an episode of 'Xena...', with little meaningful dialog orcharacter description. It does get a bit more substantive after awhile, but all characters are still cartoonish. Salma is the exotic beauty. Richard Harris is an evil and sexuallyrepressed Frollo, fiending to bust a nut up in Salma. The othercharacters, including Quasimodo are quite forgettable. Its also a sorta liberal version of the story, Frollo is a suppressorof Enlightenment ideals, like the abbot in 'Name of the Rose', andQuasimodo is a champion of liberty. The shadowy side of the Quascharacter is ignored, though he does pour liquid led on people. He isreally only an outsider in that he looks different and enjoys playingwith bells more than the average person. Perhaps the film is intended for children, but I doubt it, consideringFrollo flogs himself bloody to amend wanting to spank his monkey. Amostly uninteresting and forgettable, but not awful, and sometimesentertaining, rendition of the tale.

2013-05-25 00:53:23

this is marvelous !!

This review is from: Hunchback of Notre-Dame (DVD) This is such a terrific version. Probably my 1st or 2nd choice actually.I haven't seen any versions for years,but I do remember it was so good.If you don;t want to pay 175.00,(and who would)you can go to [...]and pay 39 dollars for brand new one.I ordinarily wouldn't try and take business away from Amazon,but you know..175 bucks is so over the topfor this old film it's kind of ugly to think somebody would ask that much.Don't get me wrong,I have way over paid for things in the past. But this film is so lovely,let's letothers see it.. Ok ?BTW iNET VIDEO IS VERY TRUST WORTHY AND EXCELLENT SERVICE !!

debrecen 2013-05-19 17:35:02

Excellent remake of a classic story With a modern twist.

Sometimes it is difficult to judge a reproduction of an old classic film.The remake has to interpret the story to a different generation. I believethis Peter Medak movie will be better received by the younger generationforits modern visual effects and story telling. I recomend this film to highschool and college students who will need to write a book report on theHunchback of Notredame and want to enjoy a great movie at the same time.Thecasting and acting was great and the directing excellent.

didi-5 2013-05-19 06:53:53

passable version

This version of Hugo's classic tale, directed by Peter Medak, is spoiltsomewhat by Mandy Patinkin's make-up as Quasimodo - only one side ofhis face seems to be disfigured, making him more like the phantom ofthe opera than the cathedral bell-ringer. But that's a small point.Salma Hayek is just OK as Esmeralda, but she isn't as luminous a beautyas Maureen O'Hara was in the 1930s film version. Edward Atterton isGringoire, and Benedick Blythe Phoebus - neither particularlymemorable.The two in the cast who are really worth watching are Nigel Terry asking Louis, and Richard Harris as the troubled, religious Frollo,ashamed of his feelings towards Esmeralda and jealous of the disfiguredmisfit he has taken on as his pseudo son. The character ismulti-faceted and fascinating.This version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame definitely shows its TVmovie roots, but it is still a superior piece of drama, slightly abovethe average.

2013-04-27 10:29:52

faithful and effective retelling of the classic

This review is from: Hunchback [VHS] (VHS Tape) A surprisingly moving treatment from the Turner Network movie factory. The Hunchback features commanding performances from Harris, Patinkin, and Hayek along with superb sets and literate direction. Neither sentimental overkill nor dry exercise, the film is content to tell the allegorical tale of the "partly made" Quasimodo with sincerity and assurance. If not strictly faithful to the original book, it makes up for it with the engaging performances and the production values. I will note that it can br grim going in places; the viewer is not spared the brutality inherent in the story, but this adds to the film's poignancy. If you missed this on its original TV broadcast, treat yourself to this video (and how about a DVD release?).

Ariel-28 2013-04-27 05:42:19

An interesting version.

This version of the Victor Hugo story was good as a whole.Quasimodo wasn't particularly ugly, and it was amazing that hehadread so much. Esmeralda was sweet, and it was no wonder sherejected Frollo since he looked very old and was far fromattractive. However, at the beginning he really wanted to protectQuasimodo.I was surprised that the art of printing books was so importantin the film. It was incredible that Frollo was even ready tokill the King's minister rather than to let the people havebooks!The public humiliation of Quasimodo and Esmeralda was shocking.Itwas touching that Esmeralda tried to appeal the King for thebellringer. I was very delighted that those two became friends,and again, it deeply touched me to hear Quasimodo talk abouthisappearance.I had never before seen a version in which Quasimodo addressedFrollo as his father. He wanted to get him to confess hiscrime,but still, he tried to save him from death. And he was evenstrong enough to defy his guardian when he said: "You are afreak."At the end, it was touching to see Esmeralda ring the bellsforQuasimodo - at least, he was happy at the moment of hisdeath.

LARSONRD 2013-04-22 18:30:32

Competent adaptation focuses on character play

Nicely done rendition of the classic melodrama, with Mandy Pantinkintaking a turn as Quasimodo, the bellringer of Notre Dame. Salma Hayekis marvelous as Esmeralda, with Richard Harris quite good as the wickedMonsignor Frollo, supported by a nice score by Edward Shearmur. Thefilm stays faithful to the Victor Hugo storyline, while adding a newsubtext about the new printing press' threat to the power of theChurch, which adds to the story's existing political class substory andfuels the behind-the-scenes politics between Frollo and the King,within which the story of Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and the idealistGringoire (quite competently portrayed by Edward Atterton, althoughboth his role and that of Phoebus - a blasé Benedick Blythe - are quiteabridged in this adaptation) play out. Jim Dale (reader of the HarryPotter audiobooks) is also quite notable as Clopin, King of theThieves, whose presence throughout gives the story quite a finedynamic. Small budget lessens the story's epic impact - and the settingresembles more of a rural farm than the center of Paris, but like mostTVMs the story centers on the characters and this focus remainseffective and likable. There have been many capable versions of theclassic story - none of which have come close to matching the spectacleof the original silent version with Lon Chaney as Quasimodo; howeverthis, along with the Charles Laughton version, is a worthy successorand was very nicely helmed by Peter Medak.

2013-04-22 09:43:46

Great movie

This review is from: Hunchback of Notre-Dame (DVD) Looked for this for years- I dont even know if DVD was released in the US. Canadian but still plays great. Great movie drama- lust, anger, greed, ambition, sorrow, WONDERFUL ACTING. Fast service from seller- Thank you

2013-04-21 07:52:28

One of the Worst adaptations- of any story- EVER

Not THE worst- but one of the worst- it ranks up there with Dami Moore's The Scarlet Letter, and The Queen of the Damned (which gets top prize for not just ruining ONE but TWO decent books-While Disney did take a few liberties with their take on this classic novel, they still managed to keep many of the cruicial points, as well as the overall feeling - sure it had a happy ending- every, except of course Frollo, lives to laugh and play in the sequal- In this version, Quasimodo almost plays a supporting character to Frollo, who instead of consuming his time trying to root out and destroy the Gypsies and Outcasts, is on a quest to stop the printing press- and to save me some writing- he feels it's evil- yadda yadda yadda- from there it just gets weirder and weirder- and you start to wish you had just rented ANY other version- Instead of this I reccommend either the Disney Version, the Lon Chaney Version, or the most recent stage version - Notre Dame de Paris (which is about as close to the original story as you can get without reading the story)- or just read the book-The only thing that makes this version even watchable is Salma Hayek's Esmeralda- who is, by far, the most beautiful Esmeralda to date (and from all the versions I've seen- the only one who is actually from Spain)- her dancing, her acting, her costumes- are completely amazing- I put my vote in for a total re-edit of this movie leaving just EsmaeraldaIf you are a fan of the story, or a fan of Literature at all- avoid this one at all costs- actually- unless you're a Salma Heayek fan - this isn't even worth a rent-

2013-04-20 14:55:32

A great enjoyable picture for the whole family.

If you are a Salma Hayek fan, you will know why the Priest went crazy when he saw her dance. I believe that she is the very best Esmeralda that I have ever seen. The movie is worth getting just for Salma. Although I still like the classic ending, it was interesting to give this classic a modern wrinkle to keep us wondering. Salma outstanding beauty clearly demonstated in this film, shows why she is rated as the most beautiful woman in the world by me and others and the fourth most beautiful in general. I wish it was in DVD!

2013-04-09 06:28:46

Simply Brilliant!!

I am truly proud to be one of the few lucky ones who have watched this majestic depiction of one of the greatest novels ever written . The cast were simply brilliant-especially stunning was Patinkin's performance of the sweet-natured but woefully deformed and ill-fated hunchback .Dramatic,powerful and profoundly melancholic, it is as if the part was spacially written for him . Salma hyek captivating beauty and erotic performance and Richard Harris's gripping performance and medieval looks did much to enhance our viewing pleasure .A must-see classic!

2013-04-08 13:36:28

Great Adaptation

This review is from: Hunchback of Notre-Dame (DVD) I saw this movie when it originally aired and loved it. The acting and storytelling are very well done. I searched for this film on DVD for years and it finally came. Don't waste money on the silly cartoon and get this movie. Even as a kid, I would have preferred this version to Disney. Lon Chaney, Charles Laughton, and Mandy Pantinkin are all great in this role.

2013-04-08 10:57:24

The Hunchback 1997

This was a wonderful movie. I am look forword to the DVD when it come out. The acting was great. One of the best movies in a long time.

2013-04-07 18:14:32

The worst version... by far..

I first read "Hunchback of Notre Dame" in the sixth grade. And since then I've saw every movie version except an English TV version put out in the mid 70's. This version is terrible - period! The best part of this version is the casting of Salma Hayek as Esmeralda. If you've read the novel and seen this movie you know this version does not go by the novel (or any of the prior versions) at all. The sequence is out of order, characters deleted and invented, and Quasimodo is advocating a free press. Also, real fans will note that several lines from the 1939 version have been used in this version verbatim. The sad thing is, given the talent of this cast, with proper writing this could have been the best version ever. Sadly, it appears, this version was SNAFU from the get go. Even the 1957 Anthony Quinn version is better and it was generally considered the worst sequel before this piece came along. If you want the classic "Hunchback" buy Chaney's 1923 version; If you want the sentimental favorite buy Laughton's 1939 version; If you want a modern version buy Hopkin's 1983 effort. But whatever you do - avoid this version if your a true fan - this one stinks! Only hardcore Salma Hayek fans will appreciate it!