Nicely surprised...

Rating: Null/10 (28 April 2001)

The Emperor's New Groove sees Disney take a very large step away from the tired Hollywood-musical formula. Upon hearing this I was quite eager to see what the studio had up their sleeves, and I'm happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised.
This film is an all-out comedy and it doesn't fail to provide. There were some moments that didn't draw much of a giggle and it was somewhat slow to start off with, but by the film's climax the laughs are coming pretty hard and fast.
Also breaking with tradition, there is nothing ground-breaking or state-of-the-art with the animation. That's not to say that the animation is bad! It's the standard Disney work, beautiful and subtle, just no CG eye-candy trying to make up for a lack-lustre story.
The background music fits in well but there are no show-stopping musical scenes. A welcome change. The tunes are nothing memorable which isn't necessarily a bad thing either.
As for the characters, Yzma and Kronk in my opinion, steal the show! There are some hilarious scenes between these two. I loved Yzma right from the start, and Kronk really does grow on you. I'm not a big fan of David Spade (or his sitcom "Just Shoot Me") and to be honest I walked in feeling a little skeptical about him, but he did a really good job in the role of Kuzco. Thumbs up to John Goodman as Pacha as well.
I can really only sum this film up as "different". But different in a very good way. The Emperor's New Groove is not about the fancy-schmancy animation or the music or the big-name voice actors. It's about the story, and a good one at that. After Tarzan I was beginning to think that Disney had really lost the plot for good but it seems as though they could be back on track, breaking some new ground as well.
As with all Disney animated flicks, this is one aimed at the kiddies but it seems as though the humor has matured just a bit (seems like the current trend), so young people and adults are bound to get a few laughs. Well worth the admission price, definitely worth a rental.