A Nova Onda do Imperador

"The Emperor's New Groove" is stylistically a break from Disney tradition - it's closer in tone to the Genie in "Aladdin" or some of their TV shows than most of their movies, making a refreshing change. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that this isn't a Disney movie at all... the only talking animal has a good excuse for yapping in the voice of David Spade, the only romantic relationship is that between Pacha and his wife (and even there it's more the sign of a happily married couple), and apart from the Emperor's Theme Song Guy ("He's the hippest cat in creation...") - and Sting over the end credits, but we'll forgive that - no one bursts into song. Plus the emphasis is more on Warner Bros-type energetic humour than usual. No wonder it was a disappointment at the box office; not your traditional Disney movie.

Then again, "The Rescuers Down Under" was an underrated pleasure as well.

The story isn't particularly different - you've got the ruler who has to change externally before he can change internally ("Beauty and the Beast"), Kronk, the good-hearted sidekick of the villain (Yzma) who can't bring himself to kill the hero ("Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"), and so on - but as is often the case it's not so much what the plot is as how it's handled. Although the movie suffers from "Is-that...?" syndrome - it's too hard not to see Finch from "Just Shoot Me!" every time Kuzco speaks (strangely enough, even though Pacha's wife has the voice of Wendie Malick from the same show, I never pictured Nina Van Horn... which isn't the case with "Fillmore!", where Miss Malick voices Principal Folsom. Go figure) - the movie's speed, energy and high humour rate make it easy to forgive, with Kuzco and the bad guy's sidekick as standouts. The movie's also a bit more self-reverential than other Disney movies, notably in our hero's narration (plus at one point Yzma and Kronk notice they're leaving a blue trail behind them, which turns out to be the trail they leave on the map to the palace illustrating the race between them and our heroes).

The surprising thing is that it even works with character - though the Emperor is enough of a self-absorbed hedonist (to a prospective wife: "Let me guess - you've got a really great personality") to turn off Paris and Nicky Hilton, he and Pacha have a believable relationship throughout the movie, so that by the end we're rooting for him to get turned back into a human. Too bad Marc Shaiman's score was thrown out (he'd have been a natural, as opposed to John Debney), but no sense whining over what might have been. An adventure, a comedy and a drama all in one, "The Emperor's New Groove" has everything that was notably absent from DreamWorks' own South American-set cartoon "The Road to El Dorado" (charm, interest, no Elton John overdose and so on) and is the funniest movie from the House of Mouse since "Aladdin." It's easier to forgive them for giving the world "Dinosaur" in 2000 as well.

Why DOES she have that lever, anyway?

"The Emperor's New Groove" is a rare hilarious Disney movie.

It's very different from any other Disney movie so this movie might also be very watchable to you Disney haters out there. The movie pace is incredibly high and the music by John Debney and Sting are a real surprise. The movie really is a non-stop hilarious comedy with some unique humor. Also the style, both visual and story-wise is different from any other previous Disney movie, which in this case is a positive thing.

The characters are great. Kuzco and Pacha are a perfect team. Yzma is a remarkable villain and her sidekick Kronk is hilarious. Yep, Laughs are guaranteed in this very hip and hilarious movie!

The story really is of no importance and most of it never makes sense but that's also why this movie is both unique and hilarious to watch over and over again.

Highly recommendable to everyone!

9/10

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The Emperor's New Groove is enjoyable with plenty of laughs provided mainly by our villainess, Yzma, and her dim-witted sidekick, Kronk.

The comedy is also the movie's biggest strength along with its vocal cast. David Spade as emperor Kuzco gives this self-absorbed and bratty character a weird likability which is admirable. John Goodman as the peasant Pacha is pretty much your average John Goodman role, but he does that well. They are also good for some great laughs when they are together.

As I mentioned at first, Yzma and Kronk are simply hilarious. I slapped my thigh several times watching them. Eartha Kid and Patrick Warburton both do excellent voice-work.

Aside from the comedic proficiency I find it pretty average. The animation looks a lot like a Saturday afternoon show, but still better than the later 2D abomination of "Home On The Range" (2004).

The setting of the story is pretty original, but the story itself is kind of recycled, not bad, just an average "egotistical-asshole- learns-how-to-be-nice-to-others" story.

But what the hell. It works! The Emperor's New Groove is definitely worth your time.

Hard to see why it wasn't a wildly popular mega-hit - I have two theories, one charitable, one not. The charitable theory is that people were put off by the title. MY heart certainly sank when I heard it. I mean, just say it out loud - "The Emperor's New Groove" - now how could a good movie POSSIBLY have a title like that?

Yet now, I rather like the title. It fits the story; it doesn't care if it's fashionable or not; it's just so pleasingly RIGHT - but in an almost indescribable way you'll have to watch the film to find out. Maybe it WAS a marketing mistake. Who cares? I never took seriously the charge that Disney's artistic decisions were made by its marketing department, anyway.

That was the charitable explanation for why it made considerably less, inflation adjusted, than every other one of Disney's animated features from "Beauty and the Beast" on, and failed to even get nominated for a "Best Picture" Oscar in a year in which they had difficulty coming up with half-plausible candidates. The uncharitable explanation is probably closer to the truth. People are idiots. This is a classic - but it's also animated - by pencil on paper rather than finger on keyboard - so who will ever notice?

Doubt me? You won't once you've seen it. Everyone to speak of who did reports that it's very, very funny, and they're right - and trust me, nothing is ever THIS funny unless it's clever and witty as well. It goes without saying that their character animation is unmatched in its brilliance and ... I've already used the words "humour" and "wit"? Well, I'll use them again. In addition there's a charming dottiness that a merely hip film could never quite capture. Art direction is perfectly judged and consistent throughout, with a pleasing absence of because-we-can computer effects.

Here's just ONE example of what I'm talking about. One side of the emperor's palace consists of this HUGE golden face, and we find out in a funny scene (but they're all funny) that all excess water is drained out through the nostrils. But that's not all we see. We see characters crawling out of the nostrils, we see someone dangling like a big booger on a rope out of one of the nostrils - one snot gag after another - yet no explicit camerawork ever draws our attention to them. Not only do the characters deliver their lines perfectly deadpan, the camera delivers its images perfectly deadpan. It's just perfect.

Two more things I should mention. Unlike Disney's other recent features, it never, not even for a second, feels as though the story has been unduly compressed - and at 78 minutes it's a trifle shorter than most.

Also, despite the constant hilarity, it's rather touching.

No movie I've seen in the past six months has filled me with such joy. Well, perhaps there have been a few others, but they were all made long ago.

When most people think of fantastic Disney movies people often let this one slip by. This is by far one of my favorite Disney movies. 18 years after release and multiple viewings I can still laugh at the jokes, as they still are fresh to this day. Kids will love this and adults too. Just do yourself a favor and watch this and prepare to laugh yourself out of your seat.