10 Surprisingly Grim Deaths In "Family" Movies

Family movies tend to cover some pretty serious topics behind the veil of heartwarming animation, light humoured exchanges and, more often than not, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson these days. For example, 'Wall-E' is a beautifully animated film that is quite blatantly warning you of the danger of ignoring climate change and 'Despicable Me' is pretty obviously an effort to show viewers that even villainous characters can redeem themselves.

However, there is a side to these so called 'family' movies that the producers probably don't want you to think about too much: a lot of characters no doubt died, or were killed off, in some rather grim manner.

Naturally, this topic should be reserved until after the younger viewers' bedtimes but it really must be investigated, discussed and bring on group epiphanies one character at a time.

Without question, these discussions should occur within arm's reach of your preferred coping mechanism and please ensure they are on standby right now lest one or two of these entries cause an inescapable glass shattering moment that truly ruins your favourite family film forever.

Apologies in advance.

In the 1996 Disney adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic novel, Claude Frollo acts as the Minister of Justice for Paris and deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo's legal guardian having brutally murdered his biological mother on the steps of Notre Dame when Quasimodo was just a tiny baby.

Throughout the film, Disney capture Frollo's evil, calculating nature incredibly well and he is easily one of the most easily despised characters from the drawn animation era of the company and the movie itself is probably one of the darkest overall - compounded by Frollo's horrid demise.

After Esmeralda rejects Frollo's lecherous advances, Quasimodo rescues her from being burned at the stake and takes her to the safety of Notre Dame's bell tower before a standoff ensues between the Hunchback and the evil Minister.

During the struggle, Frollo falls from the highest balcony of Notre Dame into the molten lead poured onto the streets by Notre Dame's enchanted gargoyles. This gruesome fate is made infinitely worse on reflection because if the fall didn't kill Frollo instantly, he would have burned slowly to death agonised by his shattered bones.

A nasty way to go but, on the bright side, Frollo's end in the novel saw him fall into a gateway to Hell and an eternity of excruciating damnation... Silver linings and all that Jazz...