The Post-Renaissance Era of Disney has so far proven that the mould Disney had set for sixty-three years is well and truly broken. Kicking things off with a Fantasia sequel, and then following it up with the studio’s first fully 3D computer generated feature in Dinosaur is a hell of a way to make a statement, one that wasn’t particularly popular following the boom of the Disney Renaissance. Despite the quality of Fantasia 2000 and Dinosaur being high, it wasn’t what audiences had expected. But things looked to be returning to normal with The Emperor’s New Groove…but a troubled development history and the studio wanting to move away from musical driven films meant that New Groove was once again going to prove divisive.
The narcissistic emperor Kuzco (David Spade) is gearing up for his eighteenth birthday. With a long line of ladies ready to become his wife and a literal kingdom at his feet, Kuzco has it all. But when he fires his advisor Yzma (Eartha Kitt), she along with her brainless but good-natured henchman Kronk (Patrick Warburton) plan to kill Kuzco and take over the Inca empire.
After a series of mishaps, Kuzco, now having been transformed into a Llama, must make his way through the jungle with the help of Pacha (John Goodman), a villager who Kuzco had just hours earlier told that he was going to destroy Pacha’s village to build a holiday home. Will Pacha be able to teach Kuzco some humility and respect for other people before Yzma can take the throne…oh and find a way to change him back into a human of course.
The narcissistic emperor Kuzco (David Spade) is gearing up for his eighteenth birthday. With a long line of ladies ready to become his wife and a literal kingdom at his feet, Kuzco has it all. But when he fires his advisor Yzma (Eartha Kitt), she along with her brainless but good-natured henchman Kronk (Patrick Warburton) plan to kill Kuzco and take over the Inca empire.
After a series of mishaps, Kuzco, now having been transformed into a Llama, must make his way through the jungle with the help of Pacha (John Goodman), a villager who Kuzco had just hours earlier told that he was going to destroy Pacha’s village to build a holiday home. Will Pacha be able to teach Kuzco some humility and respect for other people before Yzma can take the throne…oh and find a way to change him back into a human of course.
The Emperor’s New Groove had an extremely troubled development, starting life as one film and then constantly changing hands within the Disney Animation department until it eventually ended up as a buddy comedy in February 2000, just ten months before it was due to release.
A troubled development usually leads to an underwhelming product and according to the critics and audiences at the time of release, The Emperor’s New Groove was exactly that. People were annoyed that it only had one musical number and that the animation was a step back from the progress Disney had made with Dinosaur. But in time opinion has shifted to be more in line with what I have always thought of the film, that it’s incredible and one of Disney’s best Animated Classics.
Kuzco is a character you love to hate, and yes, he goes through a significant amount of character growth throughout the film and by the end is a nice guy. But the great thing about Kuzco is that he’s a terrible human being, but completely oblivious to the damage he causes to peoples lives because he’s so wrapped up in himself. David Spade gives an incredible vocal performance too, he’s completely hilarious and yet totally oblivious. His fourth wall breaks are also excellent, providing the film with some excellent meta humour.
Pacha is the perfect opposite of Kuzco, someone who is so selfless that he’s always putting himself on the line for other people’s happiness. I would have liked to have seen some of Kuzco rub off on him, not that Pacha needs to be selfish and arrogant, but perhaps realising that he needs to look out for himself sometimes.
Yzma and Kronk are arguably the stars of the show though, they mirror the team of Kuzco and Pacha so well but have the exact opposite goal. Kronk is hilarious in a stupid but endearing kind of way whereas Yzma feels like she’s been cherry picked straight out of Looney Tunes. Eartha Kitt delivers a truly incredible performance and thanks to her Yzma is without a doubt one of the most memorable and loveable Disney villains of all time. I would argue that “Pull the lever Kronk” is the funniest moment in Disney Animated History, but there’s so much more where that comes from. My sides hurt after some of Yzma and Kronk’s scenes because they’re just so funny.
A troubled development usually leads to an underwhelming product and according to the critics and audiences at the time of release, The Emperor’s New Groove was exactly that. People were annoyed that it only had one musical number and that the animation was a step back from the progress Disney had made with Dinosaur. But in time opinion has shifted to be more in line with what I have always thought of the film, that it’s incredible and one of Disney’s best Animated Classics.
Kuzco is a character you love to hate, and yes, he goes through a significant amount of character growth throughout the film and by the end is a nice guy. But the great thing about Kuzco is that he’s a terrible human being, but completely oblivious to the damage he causes to peoples lives because he’s so wrapped up in himself. David Spade gives an incredible vocal performance too, he’s completely hilarious and yet totally oblivious. His fourth wall breaks are also excellent, providing the film with some excellent meta humour.
Pacha is the perfect opposite of Kuzco, someone who is so selfless that he’s always putting himself on the line for other people’s happiness. I would have liked to have seen some of Kuzco rub off on him, not that Pacha needs to be selfish and arrogant, but perhaps realising that he needs to look out for himself sometimes.
Yzma and Kronk are arguably the stars of the show though, they mirror the team of Kuzco and Pacha so well but have the exact opposite goal. Kronk is hilarious in a stupid but endearing kind of way whereas Yzma feels like she’s been cherry picked straight out of Looney Tunes. Eartha Kitt delivers a truly incredible performance and thanks to her Yzma is without a doubt one of the most memorable and loveable Disney villains of all time. I would argue that “Pull the lever Kronk” is the funniest moment in Disney Animated History, but there’s so much more where that comes from. My sides hurt after some of Yzma and Kronk’s scenes because they’re just so funny.
The animation and art direction are excellent. It takes on a more minimalist approach in comparison to the late Renaissance Era Disney films, but also remains evocative of the angular design of those films, particularly Hercules. It’s bursting with colour and an excellent soundtrack, even if there is only one actual musical number (performed by none other than the fantastic Tom Jones).
The film is a tad on the short side though. It moves with the pace of an Olympic sprinter and is all over and done with in less than eighty minutes. I feel like there could have been a few of the more emotionally charged moments that should have been given a bit more time to breathe.
I find it surprising that The Emperor’s New Groove received such a lukewarm reception upon its release, but I’m glad that the film has gone on to get the recognition it does truly deserve. It’s without a doubt one of the funniest Disney Animated Classics out there, with plenty for both adults and children to enjoy. Like a fine wine, The Emperor’s New Groove just gets better with age for me. You simply must not miss this if you love animated films.
The film is a tad on the short side though. It moves with the pace of an Olympic sprinter and is all over and done with in less than eighty minutes. I feel like there could have been a few of the more emotionally charged moments that should have been given a bit more time to breathe.
I find it surprising that The Emperor’s New Groove received such a lukewarm reception upon its release, but I’m glad that the film has gone on to get the recognition it does truly deserve. It’s without a doubt one of the funniest Disney Animated Classics out there, with plenty for both adults and children to enjoy. Like a fine wine, The Emperor’s New Groove just gets better with age for me. You simply must not miss this if you love animated films.