The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

The so-called Disney Renaissance supposedly runs from The Little Mermaid to Tarzan, yet here is a film that turns out to be Disney’s best non-Pixar venture since The Lion King. Perhaps it is because The Emperor’s New Groove was followed by several Disney misfires that was lost in the shuffle. Granted, it spawned a cartoon TV series for the House of Mouse but I don’t hear many people talking about this film like they do the Pixar products of the same general time frame. That, I am afraid, is a shame.

Kuzco (David Spade) is the spoiled, self-absorbed emperor of the Incan Empire. To celebrate his upcoming birthday, he plans to build a huge palace in a nearby village but things go awry when he fires his advisor Yzma (Eartha Kitt) and her lackey Kronk (Patrick Wharburton). The duo attempt to kill the young emperor but only turned him into a llama. Before they can dispatch the transformed Kuzco, they lose him. Kuzco winds up in a village and teams up with Pacha (John Goodman), whose home is threatened by the emperor’s palatial plans, to get him back to the palace. Meanwhile, Yzma and Kronk search desperately for Kuzco to clean up a very wooly loose end.

Maybe the folks at Disney decided to take a page out of the Pixar playbook with this film. That would explain the flurry of wit, references, and even a splash of sarcasm here and there. What is surprising is that Disney takes those tools and runs with them in a way not seen since Aladdin. Nothing is sacred in The Emperor’s New Groove and that is refreshing considering Disney’s recent non-Pixar flicks and their tendency to stay between the lines. This is not safe Disney. I wouldn’t call it edgy Disney either though. This film is more like Disney with its hair let down.

The story is predictable and the foreground animation may not be as lush as Disney’s best, but the characters and background animation really keep this film engaging. Kuzco’s wry narration is a fun take on a Hollywood cliché, especially when he interrupts the flow of the film in an attempt to make sure that we are focused on him and not Pacha, who is a far more worthy of our empathy. David Spade is exactly the right person to bring Kuzco to life. Spade’s tone and timing fit the mindset of our haughty protagonist and John Goodman’s deep, warm voice is perfect for a caring sidekick. The setting for this unlikely buddy flick is the Andes Mountains of South America. Disney’s animators wowed me with the colors and architecture used to bring the Incan Empire to life.

Despite a few structural flaws, The Emperor’s New Groove wins you over with its ability to entertain. Some of the things I can find fault with in this movie I have complained about in other Disney products. So how can I rate this film so much higher than latter-half Renaissance flicks? Unlike Hunchback, Mulan, and Tarzan, this movie never gets boring. After the success of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Disney swung deeper into the dramatic end of the spectrum and it backfired.

Without the formula-friendly musical numbers, the filmmakers have to craft a lean, tight film that stays on target. They pull off this difficult task seemingly with ease, using a brisk pace and snappy rapid-fire dialogue keep you smiling for the duration of the film if not chuckling and laughing hysterically. Its screwball comedy tactics may come off as stale to anyone coming in with specific expectations. If you don’t have expectations (or are quickly able to let go of them) you will find yourself enjoying a funny little film. Its artistic merits may be suspect but Groove stands tall as one of Disney’s most non-stop entertaining films to date.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5