Enchanted Tales Jean-Claude; Two Parts Gaston to One Part Frollo

Not going to lie, Jean-Claude might be my favorite thing about this movie, which I guess is sad. There is no hiding that he is more Gaston than Frollo but he is so over-the-top that he is just delightful.

Jean-Claude is an egotistical rich boy who hates fun and love taxes. The only part of him that is reminiscent of Frollo, besides being the antagonistic in a movie that bares the Hunchback name, is that he is obsessed with Melody a.k.a not-Esmeralda. He doesn’t really lust after her so much as he of just wants a date. I think him wanting a date comes out of his vanity  more than him wanting her. But he is hung up on capturing her but even that comes out his vanity.

This movie would have you believe that Jean-Claude hates the Gypsies because they are different. I would say no. He seems just to hate poor people and loves money. He also gets money from taxes so people who cause distractions to work and don’t pay him his taxes are the enemy. He is motivated by money just like the creators of this movie.

 

There is no hiding that he looks like Gaston. In fact, he looks and acts more like Gaston than The Secret of the Hunchback version who is also after money and looks like Gaston.

With him being motivated by vanity he is further removed from Frollo whose vanity lay in him maintaining his purity. So in reality he is nothing like Frollo however most adaptions simplify Frollo so I’m not to surprised. At least compared to the rest of characters he is entertaining.

There is not a lot to this guy, he is for all intended purposes a mustache-twirling villain. He has no depth and I’m ok with that. This version is not in the business of depth and complexity so to have it would have been phony. There is something delightful about a egomaniac villain.

Also Jean-Claude gets some good lines and some silly banter with his minion, so I forgive him since he the only thing in this movie that I can stand.

Next time the Stupid Instruments