The Emperor's New Groove

B

Considering that this is a 87-minute cartoon, a B grade says alot. On the surface, The Emperor's New Groove might seem like a direct-to-video or even direct-to-Disney-Channel cartoon. That's very true. The animation is reminiscence of half-hearted, low-budget attempts that Disney seem to be producing with scary effortlessness these days. But if given a smidgen of chance, it doesn't take long that The Emperor's New Groove offers spark, wit and heart underneath the less-than-glossy appearance; and for some strange reason, some might be tempted to believe that its minimalist approach complements the experience that is, well, groovy.

The Emperor's New Groove is about a spoilt emperor Kuzco (voiced by David Spade) whose life is about him and only him. His advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), who I believe is how Maris Crane would look like if she was ever shown, plots to murder his majesty and take the crown, with the help of her dimwitted assistant, Kronk (Patrick Warburton). However, a poison-plot snaffu caused Kuzco to be transformed into a llama, and upon his disposal, he lands on the hands of Pacha (John Goodman), a kindly peasant whose village is going to be torn for Kuzco's palace. And so, Pacha and the talking llama Kuzco came to an agreement that Pacha would take him back to the castle, and Pacha's village would be unharmed. And they had to hurry, because Yzma is also hot on their trail.

The Emperor's New Groove is a surprisingly good movie because it keeps the plot moving quickly. The visuals, although not fancy by any means, knows its limitations and even makes the use of it, as such, the movie has a breezy quality. Neither does it hurt to have a very funny script which offers good portions of tongue-in-cheek sophistication and wit. For instance, when Kuzco had to dress up as Pacha's newly-made bride to enter a restaurant, the indifferent waitress remarked, "Bless you for coming out in public."

I think the protracted running length of the movie risked insufficient character identification, but The Emperor's New Groove managed to sidestep that pitfall. Kuzco does change, and the change is believable. This is as much due to the well-developed script as much as the acting talent. John Goodman and David Spade give Pacha and Kuzco a father-son bond but manage to keep the interaction on an equal footing, without Pacha becoming patronizing, say. Shining as the voice of Yzma is Eartha Kitt, imbuing her on-screen character with crackles of energy crucial in a production that otherwise might seem too laid-back.

As high the regard that I hold for The Emperor's New groove, I still wonder if a cinema audience from 6 years ago would have came out the theater feeling short-charged. I won't be surprised. One can't help to feel that it's actually a bad movie done well; and therein lies my admiration for it. With a few imaginative flourishes, a good script, talented voices, and an unassuming air, The Emperor's New Groove is a good movie that, while definitely not amazing, is always amusing.
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