Played Strictly for Laughs, and It Works

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2004)

It is a treat to watch a movie that does not take itself at all seriously and works. In The Emperor's New Groove, Disney goes for laughs pretty much on every frame and achieves its goal. This is a fast paced and funny film with a unique animation style and lots and lots of laughs.
David Spade pays Kuzco, a bratty spoiled Emperor who thinks he is beloved, but is hated by just about everyone. John Goodman co-stars as Pacha, the lovable peasant who discovers that the Emperor is plotting to destroy his home to build a summer Villa. Kzco is being plotted against by Izma (Eartha Kitt is a bit of genius casting) and her dim-witted sidekick Gronk, whose attempt to poison him turns the Emperor into a Llama.
From there, the movie is a buddy adventure as the unlikely pair of Pacha and Kuzco try to find there way back to the palace and restore Kuzco to the throne.
The laughs abound. In the movie's best scene, the four leads are all in a restaurant ordering lunch and going unnoticed to eachother. It displays perfect comic timing, and even a very subtle tribute to Five Easy Pieces.

The best thing about this movie is the voice-over work of Patrick Warburton as Gronk. As the loyal and dense side-kick, he plays that standard Disney role of the villain with a conscience, this time, quite literally. Gronk wants to be a servant and a chef, but we also find out he can dance, clean and speak fluent squirrel.
This is not Disney's most artistic accomplishment, nor its greatest feat of creativity. But it is a thoroughly entertaining, funny, light-hearted film. ***1/2 out of ****.