This is a film based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
As with most Jetlag animated adaptations, the story follows most of the book but with some changes.
The film has examples of:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: The ending is not as grim as the original novel with Quasimodo and Esmeralda being alive and ending up as a couple. In addition, Quasimodo throws Frollo into the River Seine instead of off the side of Notre Dame.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Quasimodo is still a hunchback with a damaged eye but is far easier on the eyes than his original version.
- Adaptational Skimpiness: Esmeralda dresses less modestly than her novel counterpart and uses a form-fitting top and a skirt that does more than revealing her legs.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Quasimodo's hair is black, rather than red like it was in the book.
- Ambiguously Brown: Due to her literary counterpart having been an example of Ambiguously Brown, it is uncertain if this portrayal of Esmeralda is truly a Race Lift or still an example of Roma by adoption with her backstory having been cut.
- Ambiguously Human: Clopin's unusual appearance (complete with Pointy Ears!) in this movie makes him resemble some kind of goblin-thing, but nothing else indicates him to be anything other than a very peculiar-looking man.
- Big "NEVER!": When Frollo gives Esmeralda a last opportunity to have sex with him, she says "Never!"
- Bittersweet Ending: Quasimodo and Esmeralda became fugitives on the run, but still live a happy life.
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Broken Aesop: The ending and the last song intend to teach about how love can be liberating, but the film fails to convey this message. The rest of the film was about how love can be destructive, and Quasimodo was not truly lacking anything before being paired with Esmeralda. - Broken Pedestal: After Phoebus does nothing to defend her from the charges against her, Esmeralda sees Phoebus as what he is: a selfish man who doesn't love her.
- Death by Adaptation: Implied to be the case with Jehan, because the narrator mentions in the prologue that Frollo's entire family (as opposed to just his parents, like in the book) died of the plague.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Frollo is thrown into the Seine River instead of being thrown from the Notre Dame Cathedral.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: For some reason, Frollo's voice gets raspier after the prologue. Not coincidentally, the prologue was also the only point in the movie where he was shown as a good person.
- I Was Quite a Looker: Frollo was somewhat cute as a young adult, but not so much in the present day.
- Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: The archers trying to shoot Quasimodo and Esmeralda completely fail to hit them.
- Light Is Not Good: Captain Phoebus is named after a sun god like the original novel, wears white and is still a massive antagonistic jerk.
- Ms. Fanservice: Esmeralda shows off her legs and there is teasing to panty shots. She also wears a form-revealing top with a rather big decolletage.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Gringoire's attempt to save Esmeralda from Quasimodo exposes Gringoire to being killed by Clopin. Esmeralda agrees to have a marriage in name only to save him.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: When he wants to do something that might damage his reputation, Frollo puts his hood up. Somehow, nobody except Esmeralda manages to see through it, and even she only does because she sees him fall over in a way that flips his hood up.
- Plot Hole: Quasimodo didn't witness Frollo stabbing Captain Phoebus, but before killing Frollo Quasimodo states he saw Frollo stabbing the Captain.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Quasimodo and Esmeralda are together but alive.
- Standard Snippet: The opening song, "Pity Not Quasimodo", starts with the opening of "La Marseillaise".
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Unlike in the original story and most adaptations, Quasimodo and Esmeralda get together in the end.
- Uncertain Doom: It is unknown what will happen to Gringoire and the Romani in the ending.
