| The Hunchback of Notre Dame II | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bradley Raymond |
| Produced by | Chris Henderson Hiroshi Saotome Stephen Swofford |
| Written by | Flip Kobler Cindy Marcus Jule Selbo |
| Starring | Tom Hulce Jennifer Love Hewitt Haley Joel Osment Demi Moore Kevin Kline Michael McKean Jason Alexander Charles Kimbrough Jane Withers |
| Music by | Carl Johnson Randy Petersen Kevin Quinn Walter Edgar Kennon (songs) Chris Canute |
| Editing by | Colleen Halsey Peter Lonsdale |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | March 19, 2002 |
| Running time | 68 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II is a 2002 direct-to-video sequel to the 1996 Disney animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was produced by Walt Disney Animation Japan. Unlike many Disney DTV sequels, the entire key cast of the first film returns (barring Tony Jay, since Frollo was killed in the original - Jane Withers shared the role of Laverne with the late Mary Wickes).
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In 1488, several years after the original film, Captain Phoebus and Esmeralda have married and have a son named Zephyr. They have started a commune. Quasimodo is now free to interact with the public; however, he continues to live in the cathedral with his gargoyle friends Victor, Hugo, and Laverne.
A circus troupe led by Sarousch enters town while on tour. However, it is revealed that Sarousch is in reality a master criminal who plans to steal Notre Dame's most beloved bell, La Fidèle (The Faithful), the inside of which is decorated with enormous jewels of various colors. He sends Madellaine, his aspiring assistant, to discover the whereabouts of La Fidèle; however, she runs away after seeing Quasimodo. The gargoyles convince Quasimodo to go to the circus in an attempt to court Madellaine. Sarousch captures the audience's attention when he makes an elephant disappear, while his associates steal from the audience. Sarousch forces Madellaine to follow Quasimodo and obtain the information he wants. At first she tries to persuade Sarousch not to do so, but he reminds her of her background: years ago, when Madellaine was only six, Sarousch caught her trying to steal food from him, but instead of turning her over to Judge Claude Frollo, Sarousch took her under his wing out of sympathy. She follows Quasimodo and Zephyr, and after seeing how gentle Quasimodo is with Zephyr, his appearance no longer bothers her. Quasimodo takes her around Paris, and shows her numerous sights.
Meanwhile, Phoebus receives reports of robberies and sets out on his horse, Achilles, to investigate. As rain begins to fall, Quasimodo and Madellaine run into the cathedral. Madellaine dries off behind a curtain, and Quasimodo shows her La Fidèle. Quasimodo gives Madellaine a figurine he made of her, and he tells her that she can now see herself through his eyes. Tears well up in Madellaine's eyes, and after kissing Quasimodo on the forehead, she leaves.
The next day, Quasimodo feels odd; one minute he feels sick, the next he feels energetic. After he seeks Esmeralda's help, she realizes he is in love with Madellaine and tells him he must tell Madellaine of his feelings. Phoebus enters and expresses his belief that the circus may be responsible for the string of thefts in which Madellaine might be implicated, which do not delight the other main characters (Quasimodo due to being in love with Madellaine, Esmeralda due to believing that Phoebus still holds prejudice views towards gypsies, and Zephyr due to admiring the circus).
Sarousch convinces Madellaine to distract Quasimodo while he steals La Fidèle. Having herself developed feelings for the hunchback, Madellaine refuses at first, but Sarousch blackmails her into obeying by threatening to throw her out of his circus and have Quasimodo killed. While investigating, Phoebus decides to question Sarousch, who denies involvement, but Phoebus spots one of the stolen jewels underneath Sarousch's hat and prepares to arrest him. Out of desperation, Sarousch tells Phoebus that Madellaine is responsible.
Later, while Quasimodo is out with Madellaine, Sarousch and two of his subordinates sneak into the cathedral. Zephyr and Djali the goat follow them and watch as Sarousch causes La Fidèle to vanish. The gargoyles, who had tried to drop a bell on the thieves, end up trapped under it; Laverne rams one of its sides, causing the bell to clang loudly. Hearing the sound, Quasimodo and Madellaine rush back. When it is discovered that La Fidèle has been stolen, Clopin claims that if they do not find the bell, the festival will be ruined. Phoebus suddenly realises that Sarousch was behind the whole thing and played him for a fool. He sends the soldiers all over Paris to find Sarousch. Quasimodo assumes that Madellaine has used him, and tells Phoebus that he was right and he runs back into the cathedral. Phoebus apologizes to Quasimodo and has Madellaine arrested, and after realizing that he lost his true love and can no longer trust her, Quasimodo is seen crying on the steps of Notre Dame feeling miserable, used, and betrayed.
Quasimodo climbs to the bell tower, hears the gargoyles calling, and pulls the bell off them. After they tell him Zephyr left to pursue Sarousch, Quasimodo and Esmeralda rush to the Palace of Justice to tell Phoebus. Madellaine, who is locked in a cell, tells them Sarousch has taken the bell underground. Although Esmeralda convinces her husband to trust Madellaine's word, he nevertheless binds Madellaine's hands and forces her to accompany him.
Quasimodo and the others venture into the dark catacombs. They encounter Djali, who takes them to Sarousch and Zephyr. Sarousch forces Phoebus and the guards into opening the gate to allow his raft through by using Zephyr as a hostage. Madellaine convinces Quasimodo to trust her, and the pair run up a stairwell. Quasimodo lassoes a rock to create a tightrope, and Madellaine walks across it. When the raft passes beneath her, Madellaine seizes Zephyr from Sarousch's grasp. With Sarousch robbed of his leverage, the guards advance on Sarousch and arrest him.
At the festival, Quasimodo and Madellaine proclaim their love for each other and share their first kiss while Zephyr rings La Fidèle.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II received generally negative reviews from film critics. The film currently bears a 22% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 3.6/10.[1] Critics and audiences panned the film for the poor quality of the animation in comparison to that of the original, the original songs as well as the weaker villain in Sarousch as opposed to fan-favorite Frollo.
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