The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Mark Dindal

Writers:

Chris Williams (story) &
Mark Dindal (story) ...

Release Date:

15 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

It's All About... ME

Plot:

Emperor Kuzco is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma, and must now regain his throne with the help of Pacha, the gentle llama herder.

Plot Keywords:

Llama | Emperor | Octopus | Swimming Pool | Suspension Bridge

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

David Spade	...	Emperor Kuzco / Narrator (voice)
John Goodman	...	Pacha (voice)
Eartha Kitt	...	Yzma (voice)
Patrick Warburton	...	Kronk, Yzma's Sidekick (voice)
Wendie Malick	...	Chicha, Pacha's Wife (voice)
Kellyann Kelso	...	Chaca, Pacha's Daughter (voice)
Stephen J. Anderson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Eli Russell Linnetz	...	Tipo, Pacha's Son (voice)
Bob Bergen	...	Bucky the Squirrel (voice)
Rodger Bumpass	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Tom Jones	...	Theme Song Guy (voice)
Robert Clotworthy	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jennifer Darling	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Patti Deutsch	...	Waitress (voice)
John Fiedler	...	Old Man (voice)

Also Known As:

Kingdom in the Sun (USA) (working title)
Kingdom of the Sun (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:G (certificate #37796) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Denmark:7 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:G | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:sans limite d'âge (canton of Geneva) | UK:U | South Korea:All | Canada:G | Singapore:G | Greece:K

Company:

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Trivia:

This film was originally planned to have been a dramatic, sweeping Disney musical named "Kingdom of the Sun", to be directed by The Lion King (1994) director Roger Allers and Mark Dindal, director of Turner's Cats Don't Dance (1997), with six original songs written by Sting, that was essentially an Incan re-telling of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper." David Spade was the voice of the young emperor Manco, Owen Wilson was Pacha, a young peasant with a striking resemblance to the emperor, and Eartha Kitt was Yzma, the aged royal sorceress. The film involved Manco and Pacha switching places, except that Yzma finds out, turns Manco into a (non-speaking) llama, and makes Pacha do her bidding. Pacha also eventually was to fall in love with Nina (voice of Carla Gugino), the emperor's betrothed. The resulting film tested very poorly, and the production was suspended, even though the film was 50% complete. Allers and Yzma supervising animator Andreas Deja both left the project and moved to Orlando, Florida to work on _Lilo and Stitch (2002)_. During the production hiatus, Dindal, producer Randy Fullmer, story man Chris Williams, and screenwriter David Reynolds completely overhauled the film, eventually throwing out Wilson, the "Prince and the Pauper" angle, the completed footage, and all but one of Sting's songs. The story was rebuilt from the ground up, retaining Spade's and Kitt's characters and creating a new, wackier film that centered around Spade's (talking) llama, Yzma, and two new characters: Pacha, now a middle aged man played by John Goodman and Patrick Warburton's character Kronk.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Yzma and Kronk are visiting Pacha's house, his wife's headband is blue. When Kronk is leaving the house, it is green.

Quotes:

Tipo: Dad! I ate a bug today!
Pacha: Oh! Was Mom baking again? Heh. Don't tell her I said that.
ChiCha: I heard that!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "House of Mouse: House of Scrooge (#3.5)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Perfect World / Perfect World Reprise

Boom, baby!

"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