Reviews for The Emperor's New Groove

"The Emperor's New Groove" is very good and funny for something that was slapped together in merely a year. The storyline is very un-Disney, which is a refreshing change. There is no necessary romantic sideplot, no songs popping up every 5 minutes (not that I dislike Disney songs in general, it's just nice to see a change in the pattern sometimes), there are no overly cute sidekicks (save for Bucky the squirrel, but that was made on purpose ;)), and for the first time in Disney history, we see a PREGNANT woman! Who happens to be one of the important characters, even.:)

The characters are all unique in their own ways, their designs are imaginative and often hilariously overboard. Just take one look at Yzma and you'll see what I mean. The animation is far better than what I expected, no breathtaking special effects, but quality Disney nonetheless. There are only a couple of songs for the film, which are still very good. Especially "My funny friend and me" is very beautiful.

In my opinion, TENG isn't the best from Disney, but certainly not the worst either. It's one of their funniest classics in a while, I hope they will continue making fresh stories like this in the future.

I applaud Disney for trying something new and different from what they're used to and The Emperor's New Groove turned out magnificently. The story is about a snotty young emperor, Kuzco, who wants nothing more than everything to revolve around him. His advisor, Yzma, and her thug, Kronk, try to usurp control by poisoning him. Instead it turns him into a llama and they dispose of him. Kuzco then meets up with Pacha, a villager who he was going to kick out of his home to build a summer house. Eventually, the two must work together to get Kuzco safely back to his kingdom.

This is definitely the best animated comedy I've seen and many parts had me laughing out loud. To name a few good ones were the dotted line, the lever and angel/devil gags. The humor reminded me of old Chuck Jones movies. The four main characters are interesting with very distinct personalities. The animation of course was good and the story is very original with parts I didn't see coming. The only thing that really bugged me about the movie is there wasn't much of a "groove" aspect to it. The opening scene has them doing a Riverdance-like parody complete with song and Tom Jones impersonator. Then there isn't anything mentioned again about music or groove. Maybe if they made the title a little more fitting.

Ah, but who's complaining when Disney's doing something different for a change. It did very respectably at the box office (roughly $85 million) so hopefully we may get more movies like this in the future.

With every Disney movie that comes out, critics always say "Disney's done it again!" But in the case of "The Emperor's New Groove", Disney didn't just "do it again", they did something more. The movie is completely different from any other Disney film you'll watch - and that's what makes it so unique.

The basic story line: An arrogant, vain young king wishes to build his summer dream home on top a hill in the country - which will destroy the village already situated on the hill. His evil advisor wants to take over the throne. And by bizarre, twisted fate, King Kuzco gets turned into a llama. Now, it's up to the most unlikely person in the world to help him out - a villager whose home will be destroyed if Kuzco builds his summer home.

The Characters: Kuzco - perfectly done. He's arragont, vain, a total brat. And he's sarcastically funny.

Pacha - kindly, gentle, and nice. He's determined that there's SOME good in Kuzco...somewhere...maybe, just MAYBE he can find it...

Yzma - Not well drawn at all. Disney could have done a LOT better in the looks department. Kuzco makes a crack about her age - it fits too. In fact, she's the only character I didn't like the looks of (until the end, but I won't give away the spoiler! ;D ) But her personality was done well. She's the typical villian.

Kronk - stupid, big, massive chest, looks like a pro football player. He's not hard to miss. He takes up half the screen.

Bucky - How can I NOT add Bucky?! Bucky adds a good deal of humor to this film. He's a squirrel folks - and a cheeky one at that.

The Emperor's New Groove is a complete satire on every other Disney film ever made. It takes typical, traditional elements and strips them down to what they *really* are. This movie is all about the key parts that MAKE an animated film. The chase scene for instance. How DO the bad guys get to the end first? As Kronk would say, "Beats me. It makes no sense by my calculations!" Are there really lines on the ground that tell everyone where to go? How many times do resturants sing those stupid happy birthday songs anyway? The good guy ALWAYS changes his attitude in the end. The bad guy either repents or dies. Or in this case, becomes a Chickmuck Scout... The sidekicks? Just that - stupid sidekicks. (And when I say stupid, and you see Kronk in action, you'll get the idea!) This movie also tackles real life issues. Such as friendship, villiany, working as a team, and of course, talking to yourself (or to your devil and angel!).

I personally loved The Emperor's New Groove. I wasn't sure about it at first, but after seeing it, it was hysterical! I would defiantly recommend anyone to watch this film. Disney DIDN'T do their usual again. :) And it's nice to have that change!

One of the most underrated animated masterpieces ever made. I don't care what the professional critics said. I don't care what the public said. The Emperor's New Groove is a magnificent and wonderfully made animated movie and family film. Those that got the joke understand. It was smart and hip, but it was more than that. It was also a charming and touching buddy tale, populated with memorable and wacky characters. It was all comedy, but it wasn't just about the comedy, as the movie had a good message for the kids neatly integrated into the story. Unlike many kids movies, The Emperor's New Groove didn't jackhammer the message into my brain or burst into song.

The Emperor's New Groove also stands above Disney's previous works by throwing out most if not all of the formula conventions Disney had been using. Sometimes the movie even makes fun of them, and it makes for great humor. Disney during the 90s made some wonderful movies, but with the exception of Beauty and the Beast, all of Disney's movies during the 90s were guilty of being one thing to varying degrees--pretentious. The Lion King, sadly to say, was the guiltiest of the bunch, with the possible exception of the rather lousy and very pretentious Dinosaur. The Emperor's New Groove quickly turned things around, and the result is one of Disney's cleanest and most enjoyable efforts literally since Lady and the Tramp. The animation is vibrant, smooth, and refined, marking a return to a more traditional style of animation. In this movie, flashy showiness doesn't exist. There's only beautiful scenery and brilliant characters. The story, too, is a charming mix of traditional and savvy contemporary. If Disney just thought about it long and hard enough, they would realize that they don't need stupid sidekicks and overused formulas and cliches to tell a good story. The Emperor's New Groove proves this.

Part of the reason why The Emperor's New Groove works is its unpredictability, but mainly it's due to the charm of the characters. Disney finally got things right and concentrated on character and story. Relying on the charm of the characters instead of cheap tricks and lame lines and jokes has the added benefit of allowing for humor that doesn't age. It's kinda like Genie in Aladdin, but in The Emperor's New Groove, that kind of humor is everywhere and cranked up tenfold.

Unlike what many people seem to think, The Emperor's New Groove is not Disney's latest style fad or Disney trying to be Warner Brothers or Tex Avery. It's not just a bloated cartoon. It's Disney being Disney and being the best Disney they could possibly be. Those that say this movie has no animation or plot need to look a little closer. The Emperor's New Groove is good old fashioned fun and storytelling, just with a modern twist. It has more in common with Dumbo than it does with Aladdin or Hercules. And kudos to Disney for portraying a normal nuclear family and for making a family film that's actually family friendly. Treatment of The Emperor's New Groove feels like how the public treated The Iron Giant, only The Iron Giant had it more rough. Regardless of what the public and critics thought of The Emperor's New Groove, I think it's a gem and a masterpiece, comedic, animated or otherwise. Will Atlantis and Lilo and Stitch continue this trend of unpretentious, formula free, and good old fashioned stories? For the sake of Disney, I hope so!