DISNEY'S THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE (2000) Reviewed by John Sylva
Rating: B+
Director Mark Dindal (Cat's Don't Dance) and the animation gurus at Disney bring us the holiday entry of The Emperor's New Groove, which is, simply put, the best animated film in years. Groove succeeds where Disney films as of late have not: Its emphasis is on character development and storyline, rather than the appearance of the animation itself. Unlike 1999's Tarzan and this past summer's Dinosaur, Disney's The Emperor's New Groove holds the potential to go down as one of Disney's more accomplished films and possibly come to be considered an animated classic.
David Spade brings his sarcastic antics to the film's central character, the self-absorbed, selfish, Emperor Kuzco, who we're told by a poor old man (who fell victim to his Emperor's harsh ways) has a "groove," the way in which everything in his self-indulgent world works. Kuzco has recently fired the wicked Yzma (voiced by Eartha Kitt), who, in return, along with her ignorant right-hand man Kronk (voiced by Patrick Warburton), vows to seek sweet revenge. But Yzma's original hope to poision the Emperor's drink at dinner takes an unpredictable turn when Kronk accidentally replaces the poision with a potion, and as a result the Emperor is magically transformed into a llama. Meanwhile, the llama-herding Pacha (voiced by John Goodman), who previously was informed by the Emperor that his hilltop village would be demolished and replaced with his summer resort, unknowingly brings the llama/emperor home when Kronk idiotically misplaces the bag in which the transformed Kuzco is unconscious. From here, Pacha and Kuzco form an unlikely, unpredictable, and unsteady friendship as Pacha agrees to take Kuzco back to the palace, but only under one condition: The Emperor must build his summer resort elsewhere. But all does not go smoothly-Kuzco has not yet been cured of his snobbishness, and Yzma will not relent in her hope to have the Emperor killed.
Jonathan Roberts and David Reynolds pen The Emperor's New Groove full of wit, intelligence, and a sophisticated yet simple storyline with plenty of twists and turns to keep the action rolling onscreen. The morals and lessons Roberts and Reynolds fill Groove with are certainly nothing we haven't seen before, but for parents looking for a film that will entertain their children and quite possibly teach them a lesson or two in friendship and in life, the film is more than adequate.
John Goodman's vocals make for a warm and affectionate protagonist, David Spade cleverly shapes his character much like the stereotype a fan of Spade would associate the comedic actor with, Patrick Warburton brings big laughs to his dumbbell of a character, and Eartha Kitt is sharp and biting as Yzma, making for an easily despicable, fun villainess.
The animation's smooth, vivid colors highlight the vast and majestic settings, effectively setting the lively onscreen mood.
Containing enough gags to hold the interest of younger children, presenting numerous pop culture references that will humor teenagers, and holding plenty of tongue-in-cheek comedy at which parents will laugh but find zooming right over their children's heads, Groove has something to offer to all ages. The film's only shortcoming is: With a swift running time of 75 minutes (obviously to suit the short attention span of younger audiences), it all ends too soon.
THE BOTTOM LINE: With the impressive Emperor's New Groove, Disney shows that after a long hiatus, it truly does have its groove back.
Film reviewed December 10th, 2000.
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