Renting this movie, I had my doubts (MANY doubts) about Disney's animated feature The Emperor's New Groove. And as I watched kids tugging their parents' arms -- parents whose attitudes seemed not too detache

Rating: 8/10 (20 June 2002)

Another Disney movie, another cartoon... just how good was this going to be? While I enjoyed The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, the idea of a completely made-up story starring a hit-or-miss David Spade didn't appeal too much to me. But as it turns out -- and MUCH to my delight -- I think I may have found, if nothing else, one of the single funniest movies out there -- no joke! Read ahead, and I'll explain the method to my madness. Emperor Kuzco (Spade) is a spoiled-rotten, overgrown brat of a dictator who has everything he could ever want and everyone at his beck and call. But there are those bent on thwarting his lap-o'-luxury lifestyle -- in particular, Yzma and her no-brain-all-brawn servant, Kronk. Yzma and Kronk conspire to poison Kuzco and take over the empire, but their plan slightly backfires when the diluted poison merely changes Kuzco into a llama (not exactly "dead", but then I don't know how being a llama feels). Kuzco is thrown out of the city, befriends a not-too-trusting peasant named Pacha (John Goodman) -- himself a victim of the former Emperor Kuzco's plans for a summer house (complete with waterslide) where Pacha's home stands -- and with a little help, attempts to change himself back into human form and regain his throne. New Groove, I'm convinced, is only a Disney movie in name. It comes off, more times than not, like an extended episode of the WB's Animaniacs -- but this is a good thing. Spade, drenched with sarcasm, delivers an oft-times hysterical performance; Kitt should have done this voice-over gig a long, long time ago in a role that I doubt few could have fulfilled as perfectly as she did; Goodman is much more subdued as Pacha, but it makes for a nice balance with Spade; even Wendie Malick as Pacha's wife, Chicha, gets into the fun with a few zingers herself. But... the real star here, in a part absolutely tailor-made for him, is Warburton. In a role that could have been just another henchman, Warburton transforms Kronk into the ultimate object of clueless likeability (a la David Puddy -- Elaine's on-again-off-again boyfriend on Seinfeld). Some of the funniest scenes -- and I was practically doubled-over at times -- are Kronk's arguments with his alter egos, the classic angel/devil shoulder buddies. Warburton puts a whole new spin on the "act". And this is not a plug for Disney, but please do make the effort to see this movie. While it probably won't go down as a "classic", it's sure to tickle even the most hard to find funny bones. Oh... and did I mention that the kids will have a lot of fun, too?