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Parents' Guide to

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II

By Sarah Wenk, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Weak sequel, with a bit of the original's charms.

Movie G 2002 68 minutes
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 5+

Based on 3 parent reviews

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Lebron12James3 Parent
December 28, 2021
age 2+

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CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
April 20, 2021
age 6+

Not the best, but still ok!

Now, while I loved the first movie, this sequel is just the WORST! The animation is so cheap, the songs feels unfinished and the story is just too simple. Howwwever, this movie still isn't too bad. The characters still look and feels right (except for Phoebus, they really messed up his personality here), some of the songs are actually decent and at least Quasimodo gets his 100% happy ending. And I do like that we get to see that he has changed a little bit since the 1st movie, he has for example a really good bond with the people around him, especially with little Zephyr; Esmeralda's and Phoebus's son. That leads me to that I also think it's nice to see Esmeralda and Phoebus as parents. We even got back the same voice actors which is great. And I actually found the gargoyles to be a little bit funnier in this movie. And this new character Madeleine is actually an ok character. She is living in some sort of captivity too which makes her a perfect match for Quasimodo and she also changes through the story thanks to Quasimodo's kindness, which is nice. So overall, even if this sequel is by far not the best, it's still ok. If you are a fan of the Disney version of the character Quasimodo I think you should watch this movie at least once. :)
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME II involves the Festival d'Amour, when Parisians gather at Notre Dame and proclaim their love for each other by shouting it to the rooftops. Poor Quasimodo has no one to shout about until he meets Madellaine, who is part of a traveling circus. The evil circus manager, Sarouche, forces Madellaine to steal from circus attendees, and he has his sights on one of Quasi's bells, one that is especially necessary for the big love festival. The bell is plain on the outside, but inside is encrusted with jewels. As Quasi tells Madellaine "It's more beautiful on the inside." (Get it? Get it?) Will Madellaine overcome her aversion to Quasi's looks? Can Quasi look past her thieving ways to see who she really is? Will the evil Sarouche be stopped?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (12 ):

There's a reason some films go straight to video. The characters, settings, and situations are the same, but something is missing. In this sequel, the biggest shortcoming is the quality of the music. The songs are weak imitations of those in the original film. Luckily, there aren't many of them.

If you've ever seen a Disney film, you probably know how this one turns out, but there are some pleasures to be had on the way to the end of this one. Quasi's gargoyle friends provide comic relief, and the animated Paris is lovely. It's predictable and a bit ham-fisted in getting its message across, but the underlying lesson, of looking for the truth beneath the surface, is a good one for everyone to be reminded of from time to time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about judging people by their appearance. What problems does that lead to?

  • How does this movie compare to the original? Which do you like better? Why?

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