The Emperor's New Groove (2000) 3 stars out of 4. Featuring the vocal talents of David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton. Story by Chris Williams and Mark Dindal. Screenplay by David Reynolds. Head of story Stephen Anderson. Music by John Debney. Songs by Sting and David Hartley. Directed by Mark Dindal. Rated G.
In recent years, with such works as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan, the Disney animation unitís work has been spectacular and literary ó high-brow, if you please.
These features have been just as satisfying for adults as for children.
Now comes The Emperorís New Groove. If the above mentioned titles can be likened to grand opera, than this newest Disney offering is on the level of vaudeville.
Don't misconstrue. The Emperorís New Groove is a delightful little pastiche that lacks the grandeur of its predecessors.
But what it is missing in production values is compensated by its voice talents.
It must be the true millennium for I am about to do something I never thought possible ó compliment David Spade.
This annoying little comic actor has, since his days on Saturday Night Live, made a career out of sarcasm. Mostly, he is grating and annoying.
Yet it is just these qualities (or deficiencies, depending on your point of view) that make his foray into the wonderful world of Disney animation so successful.
Spade voices Kuzco, emperor of a mythical mountain kingdom in a pre-Columbian South America. Kuzco is arrogant, egocentric, spoiled and selfish, thinking only of his own pleasure.
He treats everyone with contempt and condescension, including his chief adviser, Yzma (voiced by the legendary Eartha Kitt).
After being fired by Kuzco, the power-hungry Yzma transforms the young emperor into a llama. The metamorphosed ruler is stranded in the jungle where his only hope of returning to his palace and regaining his throne rests with a peasant named Pacha (voiced by John Goodman), whose village he was about to destroy to make room for his summer palace playground.
Pacha, a good-hearted soul, agrees to help Kuzco if he promises not raze the village. The devious Kuzco, to whom a promise means nothing, agrees, of course, and the mismatched pair set out to set things right.
At about 80 minutes, The Emperorís New Groove moves quickly. The animation, especially the backgrounds, is sketchy. The depth and detail that went into previous efforts such as Tarzan are wanting, but that is not much of a drawback since the story is a piece of fluff ó sort of a fairy tale with a moral for the youngsters.
Of course by the finale, Kuzco is changed back into a human being, has learned the true meaning of friendship and is a reformed ruler. The only missing ingredient is Jiminy Cricket singing ìWhen You Wish Upon a Star.î
I donít believe I am writing these words, but Spade is perfect as the arrogant emperor you love to hate. He plays his voice like a violin, making his character one you can despise, but not crossing the line so that you cannot root for his reformation.
Goodman does well as the honorable peasant, while Kitt is wonderfully flamboyant and hammy as the evil Yzma.
However, they all pale in comparison to Patrick Warburtonís Kronk, Yzmaís muscle-bound manservant. If the name doesnít sound familiar, Warburtonís claim to fame was as Puddy, Elaineís off-again, on-again boyfriend on TVís Seinfeld.
In The Emperorís New Groove, he steals the film as the somewhat dim, right-hand man of Yzma. Kronk can and would rather whip up a gourmet meal or speak to the forest animals in their own language, than do his masterís evil bidding.
It is a wonderful performance and should lead to bigger and better roles for this fine comic actor in live-action films.
The filmís songs by Sting are serviceable, but lack the soaring splendor of The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast.
Overall, The Emperorís New Groove is more a childrenís adventure than previous Disney outings. But adults shouldnít be dissuaded from giving it a look-see. It all depends on your David Spade tolerance quotient.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com. For more reviews by Bloom visit www.jconline.com and click on golafayette. More reviews by Bob Bloom can be found at the Internet Movie Database Web site at: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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