Quasimodo (voice of Tom Hulce) desparately wants to mingle with other people but doesn't dare to because of the warnings from his master, Frollo. Throwing caution into the wind, this deformed Parisian joins in with the jocularity of the Festival of Fools and becomes enchanted with a lovely, young gypsy by the name of Esmerelda (voice of Demi Moore). Things turn sour and the hunchback becomes the target of scorn (not to mention tomatoes), and Esmerelda comes to his rescue. This earns her the wrath of Frollo, who also falls for the Gypsy girl's ample charms. Frollo will stop at nothing to catch her, even if it means burning Paris to the ground. Besides each other, Quasimodo and Esmerelda have the handsome, young captain of the guard (voice of Kevin Kline) on their side.
With "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", Disney proves that it has recovered from the stumble known as "Pocahontas". Although none if its songs is the sure-fire Oscar contender that has marked each of Disney's five most recent animated outings they are, by and large, of a higher caliber than those of the film's most recent predecessor. With stunning animation, strong characterizations and that trademark Disney humor (supplied by three talking gargoyles and a goat), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" easily earns that most coveted of cinematic monikers, "instant classic".