Disney's cult classic animated movie

Rating: 7/10 (31 December 2016)

"The Emperor's New Groove" was the beginning of the end of an era for Disney's hand-drawn animated features and still, in many ways, represents the tug of war between the studio's past and present.
Once titled "Kingdom of the Sun" and planned as yet another in a long line of Disney musicals (featuring music by Sting and a story along the lines of "The Prince and Pauper") the film underwent a calamitous production. After test audiences responded poorly, it lost a co-director and was eventually overhauled and salvaged into "New Groove." The movie has all the trappings of a classic Disney fairytale, but only one opening song.
The story of selfish young Emperor Kuzco's (David Spade) ego check feels as though it should be a much more dramatic and emotional tale. We only get a brief introduction into how little empathy he has before his spurned adviser, Yzma (Eartha Kitt) and her marble-headed henchman Kronk (Patrick Warburton) accidentally transform him into a llama and send him out into the country. His only source of help is a family man named Pacha (John Goodman), whose village Kuzco said he would bulldoze to make room for his new summer vacation swimming palace.
From there the story follows predictable patterns of friendship and betrayal and friendship before a stirring climax that tests to see whether our hero has turned the corner. That's nothing new, but what does feel a bit new is Disney's carefree attitude.
Perhaps it was out of necessity to turn around a new and better film out of the one they'd already started, but director Mark Dindal keeps things very stripped-down and to the point, with an emphasis on humor above all else (the title is certainly an indication). The movie feels like the shortest of its ilk. In the late '90s, this was a pretty left-field approach for a Disney animated feature, but also a kind of brilliant one. Instead of wasting time on what were — at the time — stale fairytale tropes, the focus shifts to being silly and audacious. Screenwriter David Reynolds undercooks the whole thing and just loads up on all the fun stuff from '90s Disney movies like the references that go over kids' heads.
The finished product comes off as pure fun. Spade is perfect as Kuzco, loading up on catch- phrases and making his character unlikable in a lovable way, while Kitt and Warburton's Yzma and Kronk duo are simply unlike any villainous dynamic seen on screen. They've have a hysterical, almost campy way about them, and they're not menacing or scary at all. They're more like adult Loony Toons characters than anything like the most notable '90s Disney villains. Although the stupid henchman thing had been done countless times, there's a refreshing charm to Kronk.
The best way to phrase it — "The Emperor's New Groove" is like the cult hit of the hand-drawn animated age. Disney essentially released a send up of a Disney movie and at such a vivacious pace, it completely works. The fairytale qualities of the story evoke classic Disney films, but the wit and physical comedy are on a whole other kitschy level, which kind of hinted at the style of future animated family films. Part of the kind in me wants to be swept away by another music- filled magical animated feature, and for that reason the films that preceded it will always be better, but it does something fun and off-beat in a good way.
~Steven C
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