User reviews

Disney has done it again with a FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY (how many funnies is that? 4?...not enough) FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY (you get the point) movie.

Picture this. 2 friends and I walk into a local movie rental shop and start arguing over the NEW releases. Horror movie? No. Slasher flick? No. Drama? No. Etc, Etc, Etc. Finally, as if it were fate, we all walk into the Disney/Children section of the shop. One suggest "Emperors New Grove". The rest automatically agree... and we weren't disapointed.

David Spade is brilliant as the voice of the Emperor in this movie. His humour was definatly evident throughout the entirity. Speaking of the humour... it was funny. Ha, ha. Ain't I a kidder? Seriously though, I have to say that this is the funniest Disney movie that I've ever seen... and it's definaly because of the cast... who were brilliant in all their roles. There was a lot of adult humour in this one though. Nothing gross or sexually oriented or anything, but just grown up... intelligent... making it a fabulous watch.

If you haven't seen this, then I suggest you do... and soon.

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.

It is truly amazing what stemmed from The Emperor's New Groove, which at one point seemed like a doomed project. Originally titled Emperor in the Sun, the film was going to focus on a selfish emperor who optimistically switched positions with a peasant look-a-like who would later become the target of an evil witch's plan. She was going to summon a dark spirit to block out the sun to prevent her from aging, almost like a retelling of Dorian Gray.

The film developed an untold amount of stress for everyone involved. Producer Randy Fullmer was aggravated that production was moving at a snail's pace and was consistently rushing director, at that time, Roger Allers to speed along, offering him no extensions. The project had to be done as fast as possible in order to meet the strict summer 2000 deadline. Out of options, Disney hired the director Mark Dindal, who had worked on the musical Cats Don't Dance, one of the few animated films not to boast the Disney label, and both him and Allers developed very different story lines for the same film, one focusing on comedy (Dindal's) and one heavy drama and morals (Allers).

At the end of the day, Fullmer denied Allers an extension and he abandoned the project, leaving all the weight on Dindal's shoulders. The project did not make the summer 2000 deadline, but went on to be released during the wintertime of that same year, something one must applaud considering the treacherous state it was in for so long. What Dindal managed to do to a project that looked to be a lost cause from there on out is truly astonishing, proving that even the dustiest pieces of work can be polished off to look good. The Emperor's New Groove is a delightful film, occupying a concise runtime, unstoppable action scenes, and fierce and interesting characters rarely striking a wrong note.

The story focuses on Emperor Kuzco (voiced by David Spade), the selfish, manipulating emperor of the Inca Empire. After firing his adviser, Yzma (Kitt), her and her dim-witted assistant Kronk (Patrick Warburton, who also voices Joe Swanson from Family Guy) concoct a scheme to kill the Emperor by making him drink a poisonous potion. During a staged dinner, the potion gets switched and Kuzco is turned into an unattractive llama. Hidden inside the bag of Pacha (Goodman), one of the Emperor's peasants, the two realize they must work together, despite being on opposite ends of the food chain, to try and get Kuzco his position back.

It is pretty clear that the "he was a selfish man" story has been well-played out. It was just six years after this that the Pixar film Cars modified the formula and injected it with a nostalgic rush to put it to use. The story is moved along by its refusal to provide a heavy-handed moral or become bogged down with complications from such a simplistic story. This is a genial exercise in smooth, involving animated filmmaking, moved along by its action and its instantly lovable characters.

Also, there is something nice about returning to the wholesomeness of an animated picture from the early 2000's. Ever since the creation of full length CGI pictures, which all started with Toy Story in 1995, it appears hand drawn animation and claymation have been unfortunately pushed to the side, while the easier way is taken out. I love CGI animated features, especially the ones from Pixar, but really, how much of the candy-coated colors and the overly cheery atmosphere can you healthily stomach? The early 2000's animation is one of the few successful hybrids, perfectly blending the simplicity of animation with the digitized color enhanced textures.

This is also an elegant reminder to parents and teens who enjoy nostalgia that 3D is a tainted gimmick. Here, the characters pretty much gleefully jump off the screen as if boundaries have been shredded, and they are so lively even without the dim colors or the extra dimension. This is the kind of animated feature Disney should be striving for, and they would be much closer to their competition at Pixar.

The Emperor's New Groove is animated slapstick, and functions inside such a rare formula so well. It is elegantly voice acted, expertly animated, and it is nothing but surprising that a picture that one seemed doomed has now gone on to be such a remarkable picture.

Voiced by: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, and Patrick Warburton. Directed by: Mark Dindal.

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.

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 the heartwarming tale of a spoiled brat turned farm animal who learns to... not suck. Disney truly outdid themselves by giving us a protagonist so insufferable, you actively root for the villain-for at least the first half. Kuzco, a narcissistic emperor with the personality of a TikTok influencer, gets turned into a llama (because why not?) by Yzma, a villain who looks like Cruella de Vil's caffeine-deprived sister.

The plot? Kuzco wants to build a water park on some dude's house. The stakes have never been higher. Said dude, Pacha, is the only sane character in this circus and spends the movie dragging Kuzco's furry behind across mountains, cliffs, and what I can only assume is Disney's leftover Tarzan landscapes.

And Kronk. Let's talk about Kronk. The true star of the film. A henchman who's less "evil sidekick" and more "gluten-free pancake enthusiast," Kronk is the golden retriever we don't deserve. His shoulder angel and devil scenes are so philosophical, they make Socrates look like a hack.

The animation? Slick. The humor? A bizarre mix of fourth-wall breaks, slapstick, and Seinfeld-level pettiness. The message? If someone turns you into a llama, maybe it's a sign you need a personality makeover.

Disney really said, "Let's forget our usual 'true love saves the day' formula and throw in a chaotic road trip comedy where the biggest love story is between a llama and his sanity." 10/10 would groove again.

How great is this? A movie about a talking lama. I absolutely love this movie, from beginning to end. I don't know how many times I have watched this movie, but I am guessing in the over 10 area. This is the only movie that I find funnier dubbed in Norwegian than in the original language. It is absolutely hilarious, I don't care what age you are. Although I think adults understands more of the jokes in the movie, but that doesn't mean that kids won't find it funny. The movie is a story of betrayal, friendship, love and lots and lots of humour. It doesn't seem like I can ever get tired of this movie. Why? Because it is absolutely fantastic! I am 24 years old, so there aren't any age boundaries here. I rate this movie 10/10

Disney movies are known for being highly recommended movies for all ages and the original movies(such as Cinderella,The Little Mermaid, Snow White,Aladdin,etc)are enjoyable classics.Unfortunately,Disney has been running out of ideas and fail to recreate the old Disney magic. This movie however,proved me wrong.

This movie is about a self-centered,spoiled and seemingly heartless young Emperor named Kuzco.With the snap of his fingers,he can get anything he wants even if it's a summer home.He only worries about himself and his needs and no one's whatsoever.That all might change with Pacha,a generous,thoughtful,and intelligent everyday peasant.He seems like your average peasant with a middle-class family and some farm animals of his own.He and Kuzco have nothing in common and have a bad start(Kuzco demands that Kuzcotopia,his new summerhouse to be built on top of the hill where Pacha and his family live)but they overcome that throughout the story.Yzma,Kuzco's cunning,stubborn and pessimistic adviser was recently fired and she wants revenge.In return,she decides to poison him with a potion with the help of Kronk,her lovable,dim-witted and humorous right-hand man. Unfortunately,he transforms Kuzco into a llama instead and when he tries to get rid of him,Kronk accidentally drops him on Pacha's cart which Pacha brings all the way to his village without knowing that the emperor is actually in a bag on his cart.With Kuzco far from the palace,leaving Yzma to rule the empire and leaving Kuzco and Pacha to triumph over the obstacles to travel to the palace,what will become of the story?Watch it and view good quality comedy with a pinch of drama and be amazed.

I believe this movie is a Disney classic.The magic of Disney returned in this enjoyable story.The characters are well-developed and all three dimensional.Kuzco begins as the spoiled brat who can literally get anything that he wants and throughout the story,he learns the value of friendship and generosity.At first when he turns into a llama,the teenage audience want Kuzco to stay as a llama because of his bad attitude yet later in the story,they're rooting for him to transform back into a human.Pacha may not be the best character but there's no one who can hate him.Pacha already has compassion and generosity from his family life and may seem speechless in some scenes but most of that changes when he meets Kuzco.Pacha is also the one who gets him and Kuzco out of sticky situations in the jungle.In most Disney movies,the villains are serious and seemingly boring but this movie changed that Disney law.Yzma was hilarious as an old and ugly woman who is almost as spoiled as Kuzco.She has clever lines and has impatience which is what makes her humorous.However,Kronk deserves most of the credit for the humor.Kronk is the most lovable character in the whole movie.He delivered his humor with enthusiasm.The squirrel scene cracked me up.I'll rate this movie a 7.9/10 for memorable quotes and a deep friendship built.

"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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It seems a paradox that one film can be loved by both children and adults, and blend todays culture in an ancient setting, making an all-around phenomenal film.

The movie begins at the halfway point of the story, then rewinds to the begging to show how we got there. The emperor has complete power over his people, but he doesn't use it to wage wars like your average emperor. Oh no, he just eats and dances and parties in the utmost PG way. Except his horrifyingly ugly chief advisor wants the power for herself, so she transforms him into a lama and throws him out of the palace in the most hilarious and contemporary way. He can only find his way back with the help of a peasant who he previously kicked off his land. So they strike a deal and attempt to find their way back to the palace.

The themes are on the surface, a selfish king needs to learn his lesson in caring for his people. We all serve (even kids) in a leadership capacity in some way, so watching something with morals like this is always a good reminder in selflessness and caring for those we are responsible for. Not only that, but we can see what happens when you don't learn from the selfishness and greed of the chief villain. So this movie provides both an example to follow and a stern warning, but it's not in your face. Not necessarily the most complex themes, but it's complex enough for its intended audience. It's good to have a movie that can teach kids good lessons about life, even if they don't realize it. There aren't enough films today that do that.

The animation isn't revolutionary, but checks off everything we need plus more. With a fine plot and good characters, I'd say the filmmakers accomplished everything they needed to and then some.

At the end of the day, this is simply one of the best kids movies ever, and you can't go wrong with it. Hey, even if your an adult and want to watch something fun, this could be for you.

Being in development hell for a very long time and released to not much hype "The Emperor's New Groove" is often, unjustifiably, overlooked as one of the Disney masterpieces. It has fast comedic timing. a sharp script and All Star cast, where Patrick Warburton's performance especially stands out. The animation is top notch, like we expect from Disney, with very colorful and vibrant visuals that leap of the screen. One of those flicks that gets better with each viewing, so a must to check out.

Nostalgia for this one is strong on reddit; with all the praises, I had to watch it again. I liked it enough back then and while it's still good it's really not all that. Sure, it's a bit different from other Disney animated movies in humor and tone but there's still enough there to make it an unmistakable Disney flick. I think the Lego movie for example (I know, not Disney) is a better example of a movie kids can appreciate at face value and parents won't suffer through it (hello Frozen 2) because they'll be able to enjoy the different layers.

This is Disney's 40th full-length animated feature, a story about the cold-hearted Emperor Kuzco who wants to destroy a quiet village in order to built his summer home. After he fires his administrator, Yzma, she uses her magic to turn him into a llama, rendering him powerless so she could rule the kingdom in his place. He needs the help of llama herder Pacha to regain his throne, who is the one with the village he plans to destroy.

This movie is soaked with slapstick comedy and modern-day clichés, from the hip-sounding Kuzco to Pacha's typical Hollywood-acting family, and from David Spade's narration to Kronk's (Yzma's sidekick) big oaf personality. Everywhere you turn, there are gags, modern-day dialog and more humor, which can be distracting in a movie that is supposedly set in ancient times. The plot is simple with few twists and turns, as it mostly concentrates on Pacha trying to help Kuzco get back his throne, with Yzma and Kronk in pursuit. But, I have to say that the film did crack me up a few times, especially during the scenes with the hilarious Yzma. The animation is also very colorful and vibrant.

Overall, it's a very silly movie with overblown jokes, limited character development and plot substance.

Grade D

"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?

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.

The most underrated film of all Disney films. The film was a somewhat flop at the theatre and I can see why, the marketing was bad and the timing was bad too. The story is great the adult jokes are amazing. The characters just about everything on this film is amazing. It's obe if my favourite Disney films.

I remeber watching this as a kid and thinking it was very good, but now it was just ok. I like the fast pase it has, the 4rth wall breaking and the slapstick. But for a comedy it lacked jokes. I liked how it is located in ancient Peru, but has contemporary stuff. I rate this with a 6, I don't think I will recomend this movie nor see it again.

"The Emperor's New Groove" is, simply, one of the most underrated movies in cinema history. It is certainly the most underrated Disney 'toon, and I find that impossible to understand; it's bright, colourful, witty and, most importantly, completely hilarious!

The story is a kind of demented fairytale: spoilt young emperor is accidentally turned into a llama by his bitter advisor and teams up with a local peasant to undo this crime and return him to his human form. What that summary completely fails to convey is the sheer brilliance of this tale; not only is it blessed with simple but great animation, a cracking pace, a witty script, original jokes and quirky asides, but the whole thing seems to be a lot greater than the sum of its parts. The characters are wonderfully drawn and are some of the most memorable in Disney history; Kronk is hilariously naive and simple (Patrick Warburton does a brilliant voice-job here), David Spade is on top form as the cruelly sarcastic Kuzco (Disney's most despicable "hero") and Eartha Kitt's Yzma is a gloriously over-the-top riot - a Disney villainess who tries so hard to be bad and scary that she ends up simply looking a fool who can't even impress a squirrel (if you watch the movie, you'll know what I mean).

While the awful - and, crucially, unfunny - "Shrek" wowed the masses and got labelled one of the best comedies ever made, "The Emperor's New Groove", despite glowing reviews, only has something of a cult following, and anyone who didn't ignore it upon its release is glad of it. If you're looking for something to make you laugh out loud, join that tiny cult now and give "The Emperor's New Groove" the chance it deserves to give you an immensely entertaining night in.

RATING: ***** (out of five)

7.6/10

I honestly totally forgot I ever saw this movie before...damn what a movie honestly it was very good and kinda got me hooked up with Kuzco's personality.

The plot was simple and honestly good and well based for a kids movie released in 2000. Not the best one you can have in a era like this,but if anybody could have the opportunity to see it in the cinemas i would still envy them, because this movie is worth watching it.

The soundtrack as well as the characters of this movie were very good and gunny and funny and laughing tone to it,kinda helped it in many ways to continue the plot and the poor character development the characters had(poor according to many movies I say but a good one in a kid's movie,in which you can't understand many things after watching it for the first time.

I truly enjoyed and had fun watching this and I was honestly expecting this to be true,i mean come on you is impossible to be unsatisfied with a Walt Disney movei based on an arrogant emperor and a fellow villager being chased by a creepy old woman and a comic releaf character, which by the way had a solo film somehow...yeah let's watch this one also.

The animation was well and the environments also, nothing way to impressive and extraordinary to say about them,yeah they were well done nothing more.

In summary,"The emperor's New groove" is the perfect family movie and the best one you can see so you can remember it.

In all of it's 77 minutes this was still worth renting. (and buying in my opinion) Simply the best Disney film in recent memory. And no reason a 25 year old like me shouldn't see it. If you like laughing, this will serve a treat that will last for a very long time. (cute cat....) 10/10

I think the film wasn't initially well received because it is so different from much of the Disney canon. It's much closer to the classic Looney Toons in its zaniness than say Sleepy Beauty. It is very bright and kooky in its animation style; it's a comedy in which the plot is basically incidental to the proceedings. Films like this live and die on their performances; the four principals of Goodman, Spade, Kitt, Warburton are all *perfect* in this film. Every time I watch it it is just as engaging and delightful as the first time I saw it. The film ended up being the first in a series of animated films-the Shrek films, others come to mind-making meta-jokes or commentary on their forms to produce much more comedic offerings. Returning to it after 20 years or so just makes it stand out as the trend setter it ended up being.

Not at the top of my watchlist obviously after almost 25 years, but it was worth watching if not in the upper tier of animated Disney films.

Definitely stands out for its setting of the Incan Empire, though it represents the look and design much more than it does the culture. The plot is pretty lightweight as well and again doesn't seem to reflect the locale.

Seems to have much in common with Loony Tunes in action/violence scenes which was unusual.

Casting was also unusual in my mind with my favorites being Eartha Kitt and John Fiedler. I wasn't as convinced that others like David Spade, Wendie Malick and Patrick Warburton while distinctive fit the story/setting.

Seemed quite short at just 78 minutes.

This movie was a big disappointment. From the choice of David Spade as the starring voice to the cliche-ridden, anachronistic dialogue, I found myself groaning at every turn and was grateful when the final credits rolled. Some have likened the film to Aladdin, but I saw very little resemblance between these two movies.

I have to say up front that I can't stand David Spade, so the movie got off to a very bad start for me. His narration in a whiny voice didn't interest me in his character, and I found myself wishing that Yzma and Kronk would succeed in finishing him off--not the kind of ending one wants for a children's movie. Spade's failure was reinforced by the worst screenplay I've seen in a very long time. Tired cliches stood in for good dialogue, modern-day speech and expressions simply have no place in a movie set during the Inca heyday in South America, and the sight gags were nothing more than recycled vaudeville routines that work well in live-action, but fall flat here.

While I was glad that Disney got away from the usual song-and-dance routine as well as the stupid comic-relief characters that are stock features of its animated films, I wouldn't recommend the direction that 'New Groove' took. The storyline had great promise, and the voices of John Goodman and Eartha Kitt worked very well, but David Spade and the writing team combined to ruin a good idea. Disney wanted to make a slap-stick comedy, but I fear all the studio really succeeded in doing was making itself a laughing-stock.