I’m rather pleased to say that I didn’t hate “The Hunchback of Notre Dame II” as much as I did the first film. With the death of Frollo, many of the evil influences left as well, and we were given a story with suspense rather than demons. A good trade, I think.
Quasimodo still lives in the cathedral, ringing the bells. But his life is dramatically different. He’s now accepted by the people of Paris and has the freedom to go to the town square without fear of what everyone will say. He participates in the festivals and shops in the market. He is still good friends with Esmeralda (Demi Moore) who has married Phoebus (Kevin Kline) and had a son, Zephyr (Haley Joel Osment). Quasi is especially close to Zephyr, and they spend much of their free time together.
When the circus rolls into town, everyone is excited to see it. Madeline, the magician’s assistant, is given the task of finding Quasimodo and discovering which of the bells is the famed and expensive La Fidel – the magician is a thief who steals in every town he plays and wants the bell. Madeline doesn’t want to help him, but she owes him a debt – as a child, she tried to steal from him out of hunger, and rather than turn her over to the authorities, he made her his slave.
When Madeline (Jennifer Love Hewitt) meets Quasi, she’s taken aback by his appearance, but she is also fascinated by his love of life and his knowledge of the city. The more time she spends with him, the more she comes to care for him, and he her. He has wondered if love will ever come his way, and now it looks like he might stand a chance after all. But he doesn’t know she’s a thief’s accomplice.
My favorite part of this movie was actually Phoebus’s horse. An equine with a sense of humor, that one.
This movie wasn’t startlingly fabulous, but it wasn’t terrible either. If you’ve got Hunchback fans in your family, you’ll want to see this one too.
This film is rated G.
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