First shot of animation: Camera pushes in on the towers above the clouds, then dips into the city streets

We’re square in the era that feels like a novice trying to follow a recipe beyond their technique. And the easy fix is it’s just too faced paced. Nearly every cut is too soon, every shot is too short. The Topsy-Turvy Day number is loaded with sight gags that don’t land because you can’t see them. Moments of calm and wonder don’t really happen despite being in the script. Even 2 more frames would fix so many edits.

Then there’s the tonal issues that come from adapting a Victor Hugo epic for a G rating. The city’s on fire, the only soldier that doesn’t want to murder babies is dead, so let’s have a silly song. You can make animation for teens. It happens all the time. You’ve already got two near-infanticides and a song about angry horny; just cut the gargoyles.

But the one consistent thing is the humor: very silly. The gargoyles create a catapult from raw materials, just to drop it on soldiers. “Mon sewer”. Sassy Kevin Kline. It’s constant.

Hellfire is great for its visual composition and Tony Jay. None of the music is particularly good.