A gem which presents several very visible defects; Yet with these flaws, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” shines as the best from the Disney factory to date. Because, at first, the name of the company and the title of the film didn't really seem to go well together. You don't marry the king of the dark gothic novel (Mr. Victor Hugo) with one of the most beloved (if not the largest) animation companies in the world and expect the usual global population to be at reception; but expect even Mr. Walt Disney to pat himself on the shoulder blade (or what's left of it) for allowing a hideous hunchback to transform into a GeneKelly-Incredible Hulk combo-type hero. This “hero” is Quasimodo (Tom Hulce), which by the way means half-formed. It is about his distorted upbringing (who teaches the alphabet using abomination, blasphemy, condemnation, damnation and eternal damnation?), his humiliation (being crowned king of fools), his first love and his big, big heart. It's about how our outward appearances shouldn't matter (sound familiar?). It's about believing in yourself but not being enough. And it's about reliving the magic of the Oscar-nominated "Beauty and the Beast," directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale (both, incidentally, were also responsible for "The Hunchback.")Wise and Trousdale obviously had a vision that was not exactly the same. stick to your usual “and they lived happily ever after” type of fairy tale. They showed a lot of artistic license when rewriting the plot. After all, it was a cartoon; but they did not allow this to become an excuse to dissolve poignancy and tragedy into nothingness. Quasimodo didn't get the girl. No one has truly lived “happily ever after.” There was an incredible amount of blood and implied violence. All of this, along with Quasimodo's frantic outburst near the end and the best animated depiction of the kiss on celluloid, contribute to the real emotions that flow from the characters. Speaking of being real, the designs in “Hunchback” were simply breathtaking. The two directors and chief artists traveled to the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris to experience its magnificence and beauty. For ten whole days, they walked, looked, sat, literally lived and breathed Notre-Dame. The artists even “wiped away” dirt just to match the color! The result was such artistry that even George Lucas and Steven Spielberg would have wanted to make their own. The scenes from the market square, the panoramic view of the steps of Notre Dame and beyond it all left me speechless with wonder and pure excitement that such a performance could be possible thanks to animation; all thanks to computer animation.