Disney sells Villains

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Disney Villains picture image

Disney Villains

On the other side of the Disney branding spectrum, we have the darker and less well known line of products called the Villain line. Unlike the Princess Line which doesn’t feature heroines based on a “royal” title this line is said to encompass all the villains but really only focuses on a few. Those being; The Evil Queen from Snow White, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Cruella from 101 Dalmatian, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, Jafar from Aladdin and recently Mother Gothel from Tangled. Other villains like Scar, Gaston, Dr.Facilier, Hades and the Cheshire Cat filter in on products occasionally. Though I would argue that the Cheshire Cat is not villain but a Chaotic Neutral.

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Judge Claude Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

So here is the big question, Where is Frollo? He is considered to be one of the great Disney villains because of his complexity. As far as I can tell he might be hiding in the products like in the Disney Vile Villains Playing Cards or in the Disney Legendary Villains Personal Checks, I do know he was in the Disney’s Mix and Match Villains Book, I owned it as a child. But as far as him being an advertised villain, he is not and he doesn’t have many his own featured products.

 

Disney Villain Monopoly Box picture image

Disney Villain Monopoly Box

But why isn’t Frollo a key villain in this line? Is it because Hunchback was super unpopular? Well that doesn’t help but it’s not like Hades was attach to a popular movie and was Pater Pan that popular that Hook gets a major spotlight? On the Disney Villain Monopoly there are three unknown Disney villains featured, Pete who was antagonist in the Micky Mouse universe, the Big Bad Wolf who was another antagonist from the older Disney shorts and Kaa from Jungle book who wasn’t even the major villain, Shere Khan holds that roles.

I don’t think it so much that Frollo is from an unpopular movie, I think it’s because as a villain he is not fun. Don’t get me wrong he’s a great villain, he just never revels in his evil schemes the same way the others do, in fact he’s thinks he the good pure one. So he is not the logical choice as the one of line’s front runners who love and enjoy their machinations. And if this is indeed the case, it doesn’t really bother me that Frollo isn’t prominent, he just not the funny goofy charming villain that this line seems to love. And that’s ok.

Vicious Villains - Disney Movie Art Poster picture image

Vicious Villains – Disney Movie Art Poster

So what products does villain line offer? Well, in many ways it’s not very different from the Princess Line. It has with games like Monopoly, fashion dolls and makeup, lots of make-up. You can get make-up kits for Maleficent, Evil Queen, Ursula, and Cruella De Ville. It’s just aimed for older girls

And like the Princess line, the villains have their fair share of weird products like a Cruella stapler and yes even a Disney Villains Cupcake Kit.

In many ways the Villain line is just like the princess line except the products are black, red and purple instead pastels and pinks and it carter to older more jaded girls who are not quite ready Hot Topic.

Some additional observations from God Help the Outcast

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So as I was working on my God Help the Outcast I noticed things that didn’t fit into song content so I’m posting them now. (Beware I run off on a bit of a tangent)

 

Quasimodo listening to Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo listening to Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo watching to Esmeralda during God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo watching to Esmeralda during God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I once agian suspect that the Disney Production team didn’t read the book (well maybe a few did), I say this because in the book Quasimodo is deaf but here in the Disney movie Quasimodo has such a amazing hearing. He can hear a soft ballad in the sanctuary all the way in the bell tower. I don’t think it was necessary to have Quasimodo listening in on Esmeralda. They did it to include Quaismodo since he had not been in the movie for 5 whole minutes. I mean it also worked to get Esmeralda and Quasimodo to reunite and  to give them a chance to bond but they couldn’t have thought up another way.

 

 

Frollo's Female Doppelganger singing a line in God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo’s Female Doppelganger singing a line in God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Judge Claude Frollo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lady who asks for love. Frollo’s twin sister? Could be. Frollo has no back story so he could have a sister. My guess is since they look so much a like and look to be the some age, they’re twins. What else is Frollo hiding in his past? I want back stories, Disney. It’s interesting to learn what pushes a character to doing less than wholesome things. Like;

Ursula Disney The Little Mermaid picture image

Ursula Disney The Little Mermaid

Why was Ursula exiled? Many speculate that Ursula is Triton  sister but  maybe Triton pulled a  coup d’état and stole the kingdom from the octopus people. That makes sense but it would make Triton look bad. Really Disney don’t say that Urusala once lived in the palace and was exiled if your  not going to into why she was exiled.

 

 

Gaston Disney Beauty and the Beast picture image

Gaston Disney Beauty and the Beast

 

Why did Gaston like Belle? I mean sure she’s pretty and Gaston is a shallow idiot but she didn’t feed his ego and that’s what he needs. He is governed by outward appearances, but where did this superficiality come from? His upbringing?

 

 

 

Jafar Disney Aladdin picture image

Jafar Disney Aladdin

Why was Jafar so stupid? He sent years searching for the Cave of Wonders so he could get the lamp so he get three wishes and the when that plans fails his bird tells him to marry the princess. However, Jafar had military control over the city-state and a  mind control ring. My goodness, is Jafar one stupid idiot, it would have taken his less time and energy to pull a coup d’état and I’m sure the people of  Agrabah wouldn’t have notice a shift in power. The Sultan seems more interested in  toys than his people. My guess is Jafar was drop repeatedly as a baby and that him more than a little dense.

 

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture imageBut Frollo had a job, control and perhaps an deep emotional  connection with a women who prays for love. I have to wonder if Frollo is so tightly wound and his sister wants love, what was their family dynamic like growing up? Assuming that she is his sister, but she looks too much like Frollo for  it be coincidental where as the rest of crowds look generic.

 

Who do you think that lady in Notre Dame is? Think she could be important or just some extra that looks like Frollo and nothing more? Opinions, Thoughts, Anything!

 

Let’s get Superficial – The looks of Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

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Disney Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame

Judge Claude Frollo

 

As I mention in my Character analysis of Frollo, he is of the elegant Disney Villain variety. Other Villains include but are not limited to, Jafar, Yzma and  Doctor Facilier. Frollo is thin and tall, (perfect super model body). He has a very angler face and a hook nose. Like many of the characters he has small eyes. Oddly enough he has grey hair but black eyebrows which are thin.   Thin eyebrow makes one look older and fuller brow make one look younger. So Disney Frollo is old, and considering he looked old in the back story, he’s probably clocks in at 60 or so.

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame with Phoebus Disney

Frollo and Phoebus Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Judge Claude Frollo

 

 

 

 

 

 

He wears a long black robe with purple and red elements. As I also mentioned in my 1939 costume post, long black slabs of fabric look very unapproachable and it’s like a giant arrow that says” I’m a bad guy”. The first time you see Frollo, you know this be the villain. Of Course a big black scary horse helps, plus he arrests people for no reason. However his clothes assert his evil.

Frollo and Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Frollo and Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney

Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

So how does Disney Frollo compare with Frollo in the book? Well in the book Frollo’s face  is described as austere, calm and sombre. He’s bald with a few gray hair that form a natural tonsure. He has a broad forehead that is furrowed with wrinkles and deep-set eyes. His eyes are the only thing expressive about him. Frollo is also 35 in the book. Which is supposed to be old but the idea is that he’s not too old, just old to shallow 16 year-old. Disney Frollo’s does has an austere look but Disney didn’t base Frollo’ s design off the book. They based it off of Sir Cedric Hardwicke’s look. They have the same dower look that gives way to insane bat-shit crazy looks. They have the same framing locks which is impossible not to notice.  Disney’s Frollo is just older and balder, though he’s only balding. But it doesn’t take a genius to see where Disney got their inspiration from. Disney Frollo is almost an exact copy of Hardwicke’s Frollo.

Lemud Illustration of Frollo

Lemud Illustration of Frollo

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Jehan Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Jehan Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up Esmeralda the “pretty” one

Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame singing "God Help the Outcast"

Esmeralda singing "God Help the Outcast" Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Deeper look at the Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame Characters part 8; Minor Characters – The Old Heretic

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The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

A Memorable Character who has no affect on the plot is The Old Heretic (voiced by Gary Trousdale one of directors who as did non-baas for Djali). The guy who yells “I’m Free’ after getting out of some form of confinement but then immediately gets into a new one and then proclaim “Dang it” because they can’t use the word Damn.

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic is free Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic falling Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic railing against the cruel hand of fate Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So why I’m I bothering with this character. Well, he’s funny, he’s a running gag done well. You see him twice, it the same joke but it’s funny. And though the film goes out of it’s way to do this joke, it feel natural and not forced. Mainly because of control freak Frollo it’s believable that an old guy would be locked away in a cage for X number of years. But odd that a stock would left open during a festival.

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Old Heretic looks likes Jafar from Aladdin in his disguise (this make four cameos by other Disney characters, others are  Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Carpet (Aladdin), Pumbaa (The Lion King) and the Baker (Beauty and the Beast) . Maybe the Jafar Disguise is the default  look for Disney’s prisoners. If Disney made  a version of the Count of Monet Cristo, Abbe Faria  would probably look like Jafar/Old Heretic too.

Jafar Disguise Disney Aladdin picture image

Jafar in Disguise Disney Aladdin

Belle, Carpet, Pumbaa Disney Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King picture image

Belle, Carpet, and Pumbaa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker Figurine Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Baker Figurine Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Baker Disney Beauty and the Beast picture image

The Baker Disney Beauty and the Beast

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little is known about the Old Heretic. We have no idea why he is a heretic or even how old he is. You don’t even learn that he is supposed to be a heretic. One thing that we do know is this; he has a Confinement Destiny*.  He just a gag no more no less. But in the scope of  a running gag it’s enjoyable.

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

*This is a lame joke relating to Ananke (very simply it means Death Destiny). Ananke plays a big part in the novel and I’m making up another type of destiny, it’s a lame joke, I have a Lame Joke Destiny ^_~.

Next Time – It’s a surprise ^_^

Quaismodo and Hugo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quaismodo and Hugo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame