{"id":36106,"date":"2015-01-13T09:03:31","date_gmt":"2015-01-13T14:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=36106"},"modified":"2022-02-05T23:54:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T04:54:32","slug":"movie-review-emperors-new-groove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-emperors-new-groove\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: The Emperor’s New Groove"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"DVD<\/a>
DVD Cover \u00a9Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> was released on December 15, 2000 as the fortieth full-length animated feature in Disney history. It is seventy-eight minutes in length.<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ah, politics. Some leaders are likeable; some are not. Some are mean yet competent, while others are kindhearted but clueless. Unfortunately for the Inca people, their emperor, Kuzko, is an ego-maniacal buffoon. The next time this seventeen-year-old monarch commits a kind deed will be the first.<\/p>\n

Kuzko may be ten times more arrogant than the most self-centered person you have ever met, yet he is somehow not even the cruelest person in his own palace! That\u2019s right; Yzma, Kuzko\u2019s power-hungry advisor, is heartless and out to dominate. Upon being fired by Kuzko, she orders her right-hand man, Kronk, to help her trick the emperor into drinking a poisonous solution.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one problem: Kronk accidentally serves the emperor a llama potion, and Kuzko, though now on four legs instead of two, lives on.<\/p>\n

Still, Kuzko finds himself far from home, and he treats the only person who can help him, the peasant village leader Pacha, like dirt. The emperor seems incapable of showing any humility. Can he find it in himself to change?<\/p>\n

Humor<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are looking for a comedy, you have come to the right flick. With numerous jokes, both verbal and physical, The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> is perhaps the funniest animated movie in Disney history. If not consistently hysterical, the gags will at least keep you grinning.<\/p>\n

The title character is comically arrogant, and sarcastic.<\/p>\n

Despite being less than bright, Kronk is a renaissance man. Yzma\u2019s assistant can cook, jump rope, defy geographical limits, and talk to squirrels! Yzma, too, is at the center of the comedy. This antagonist concocts family lineage, plays music with her broccoli, and impersonates pi\u00f1atas.<\/p>\n

As for Pacha, the peasant awkwardly commences CPR and un-birthday celebrations, and impersonates Tarzan. Now, let\u2019s swing into the next section.<\/p>\n

Changing Clothes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> hardly resembles Disney\u2019s original intentions for the flick. When work on the movie, originally titled \u201cKingdom of the Sun,\u201d began in 1994, it was supposed to be a musical drama akin to the masterpieces of the Disney Renaissance, such as Beauty and the Beast <\/em>(1991), Aladdin<\/em> (1992), and The Lion King<\/em> (1994). By 1998, however, Disney sensed problems with the concept\u2019s development and dramatically altered the drama into the eventual comedy.<\/p>\n

Regarding the film\u2019s rocky road, no ice cream pun intended, Producer Randy Fullmer said, \u201cWe wanted to set it in the 1400s before the Spanish came [to South America]. The Spanish brought the wheel, but we had to have a cart on the storyboard. We debated for three hours whether to have a wheel on the cart. At the end of the day, it hit several of us. We are really on the wrong track. We are not trying to make a documentary on the Incas. We are just trying to have fun.\u201d (1)<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s plot may be flawed, but the movie is indeed fun.<\/p>\n

Villains<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the antagonists in most Disney films are clear-cut, the \u201cvillains\u201d in The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> are more ambiguous in nature. Yzma is obviously evil, but I was more infuriated by Kuzko\u2019s obnoxious attitude throughout much of the movie.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Kronk comes across well despite his association with Yzma. His conscience may be conflicted, but he seems like a decent guy.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This is actually Universal Studios Hollywood on an April day in 2009<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pacha<\/strong><\/p>\n

A husband and father of two young children, Pacha is a kindhearted man. Pacha is continuously degraded by Kuzko, both in human and llama form, but he never abandons the emperor in his time of need. Frankly, I found Pacha\u2019s unwillingness to strand the emperor annoying after a while\u2014enough is enough\u2014but Pacha did what he thought was right.<\/p>\n

Gym Class<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Emperor\u2019s New Groove <\/em>incorporates numerous physical activities, including running, swimming, rugby scrumming, weight lifting, and bungee jumping. Trust-building exercises are especially emphasized. It should be noted, however, that these endeavors are undertaken in unorthodox ways and should not be replicated at home.<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cKingdom of the Sun\u201d was to feature numerous songs written by British rock and roll star Sting. The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> retained two of these numbers, \u201cPerfect World\u201d and \u201cMy Funny Friend and Me,\u201d but Sting\u2019s influence was significantly mitigated. \u201cMy Funny Friend and Me\u201d is only heard during the end credits. On his role in The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em>, Sting said, \u201cI tried to resign about three times. This was a difficult process. But in the end, I\u2019m really happy we stayed the course and stuck with it. I\u2019m not really a quitter.\u201d (2)<\/p>\n

After the catchy \u201cPerfect World,\u201d performed by Tom Jones, successfully sets the story, music is relegated to well-utilized background tunes. For example, a smooth jazz tune creates a mysterious vibe at what is supposed to be Kuzko\u2019s last dinner.<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

A South American setting including llamas was also featured in Saludos Amigos<\/em> (1942).<\/p>\n

In both appearance and personality, Pacha strikes me as almost identical to Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame <\/em>(1996). Yzma reminds me of Megara from Hercules <\/em>(1997) in appearance, though the latter is much younger and nicer.<\/p>\n

In discussing the movie with me after I watched it, my friend Amy said she thought the old man who Kuzko threw out the window sounded like Piglet from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh<\/em> (1977). In fact, both characters were voiced by the late John Fiedler. I thought the old man sounded like Sterling Holloway; Roquefort the mouse from The Aristocats<\/em> (1970) popped into my head when I heard the voice.<\/p>\n

In the Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n

The protagonists of The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> enjoyed a roller coaster ride, and you can too at many of the Disney parks around the world: \u201cSpace Mountain\u201d at Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom and the Disneyland Parks in Anaheim, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong; \u201cMatterhorn Bobsleds\u201d at California\u2019s Disneyland Park; \u201cBig Thunder Mountain Railroad\u201d at Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom and the Disneyland Parks in Anaheim, Paris, and Tokyo; \u201cBig Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars\u201d at Hong Kong Disneyland; \u201cRock ‘n’ Roller Coaster\u00ae Starring Aerosmith\u201d at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios and Walt Disney Studios Paris; \u201cCrush’s Coaster\u201d at Walt Disney Studios Paris; \u201cCalifornia Screamin’\u201d at Disney\u2019s California Adventure; \u201cExpedition Everest\u201d at Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom; \u201cPrimeval Whirl\u201d at Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom; \u201cGoofy’s Sky School\u201d at Disney\u2019s California Adventure; \u201cIndiana Jones et le Temple du P\u00e9ril\u201d at Disneyland Park Paris; \u201cRaging Spirits\u201d at Tokyo DisneySea; \u201cGadget’s Go Coaster\u201d at the Disneyland Parks in Anaheim and Tokyo; and \u201cThe Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini\u201d at Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n

The plot of The Emperor\u2019s New Groove<\/em> lacks direction, sometimes literally, but the onslaught of jokes will keep you engaged. It is definitely worth watching.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Welkos, R. (2001, January 4). Disney’s Groove \/ The studio shakes things up with a hip new flick. Newsday<\/em>, p. B03. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http:\/\/0-search.proquest.com.alpha1.suffolk.lib.ny.us\/docview\/279373791?accountid=35174<\/a><\/p>\n

2) Graff, G. (2000, December 14). Sting’s New Groove Struggle. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Entertainment\/story?id=112044<\/a><\/p>\n

What do you think of The Emperor\u2019s New Groove? Let me know in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

Incoming search terms:<\/h4>
  • https:\/\/www themouseforless com\/blog_world\/movie-review-emperors-new-groove\/<\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Emperor\u2019s New Groove was released on December 15, 2000 as the fortieth full-length animated feature in Disney history. It is seventy-eight minutes in length. Plot Summary Ah, politics. Some leaders are likeable; some are not. Some are mean yet competent, while others are kindhearted but clueless. Unfortunately for the Inca people, their emperor, Kuzko,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":36107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disney-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36106"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82602,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36106\/revisions\/82602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}