A Nova Onda do Imperador

A radical departure from Disney's standard approach, this movie will appeal to everyone in all age groups. My 3-year-old daughter loves it, and so do I. This couldn't be a Disney movie, there are no princesses! I would pass up all the classics to watch this movie. I suppose that technically the animation isn't as good as Snow White. All other aspects of the movie are much better. I laughed so hard I cried.

Get the DVD with all the extras.

Although my affection for other Disney movies of the 1990s has decidedly waned, my love for "The Emperor's New Groove" is still as strong as ever. In fact, I'm now beginning to think it's a work of genius. It's clever, unpretentious, fast-paced, and- like "Lilo and Stitch"- you don't feel that the vision of the film was muddled up by the suits. The characters are not constantly breaking into song, and there is a welcome lack of cloying sentiment. No cutesy talking teacups here! The lightning- fast comic timing, sharp writing and constant loony non sequiturs (i.e. "For the last time, we did not order a giant trampoline!") improves upon each viewing, and the voice work is uniformly excellent, from David Spade's hilariously bratty emperor to Patrick Warburton's dim boy-toy Kronk to Eartha Kitt's Yzma (an over-the-top screeching Erte-style villainess with an alleged "secret lab" who is also "scary beyond all reason"). You get the impression that everyone involved had lots of fun making this. The art direction, with its whirling cartoon Inca motifs, is simultaneously goofy and gorgeous- and it shows what marvels can be done with nary a pixel in sight. I even love all the local L.A. humor, with even Bob's Big Boy making an appearance. Although I was initially dismayed when I heard that the project, originally entitled, "The Kingdom of the the Sun," was to be changed to "The Emperor's New Groove," I think in the end the changes were a good thing. Did the world really need yet another bombastic Disney musical?

No, I didn't think so either.

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.

You've often heard the sales pitch, "adults will love it, too!" almost always referring to a kids' movie and in particularly, an animated movie for children. Well, in this case I agree. Even as a middle-aged adult, I enjoyed this.

The dialog is adult-friendly but at the same time not coarse or crude with no sexual innuendos, no profanity or even a hint of it. Yet, it's hip with some very clever lines.

The story is interesting and offers a few unique twists. David Spade does a fabulous job narrating, has a very pleasing voice, one that's fun to hear. I actually do think adults would like this more than children.

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.