REVIEW: My take on “Emporer’s New Groove”
Bryce Casselman, Staff Writer
With the “Emperor’s New Groove,” Disney’s latest animated film, the movie company did something a little unexpected; it found a new groove. What is meant by this is simply that Disney broke from a format they have stood by from their phoenix with “The Little Mermaid” in 1989 of using a larger-than-life character put in a larger than life situation, against a larger-than-life opponent. This time, they simply had fun. The story is simple, an extremely vain and selfish emperor named Kusco (David Spade) is busy satisfying his own interests while his evil adviser Yzma (Eartha Kill) and her muscle-bound but lovable assistant Kronk (Patrick Warburton of “Sienfeld”) are plotting to kill his majesty and take over the empire. In the mix of this, Pacha (John Goodman) is summoned to the palace by the emperor to learn that the house his family has lived in for generations is to be replaced by the Emperor’s new summer play-pad. Needless to say, Yzma attempts to poison the Emperor, accidentally turns him into a llama and sends him away with Kronk to be permanently disposed of his life. Kronk looses the royal llama that ends up depending on Pacha to gain back all that he’s lost. The real appeal of this movie, though, is more of what it doesn’t have, rather than what it does. It doesn’t have a pretty girl the emperor wins at the end of the movie and not a single character sings during the movie. The soundtrack is a finely balanced combination of score and songs including Sting’s “My Funny Friend and Me” and “One Day She’ll Love Me” by Sting and Shawn Colvin. The voice of David Spade was the perfect choice for the sarcastic, egoistic, young emperor, but even more fluid was the performance of Patrick Warburton as Kronk. Throughout the show, I found myself constantly laughing at Kronk’s lines and comedic timing as he bounded through the show like a big, loveable, stupid dog who’s heart is much bigger than his brain. Just as in the classic tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as Kusco travels back to reclaim his kingdom, he must learn that the cost of vanity is ultimately the loss of one’s dignity. I think Disney needs to take off its Sunday shoes every once in a while and frolic through the fresh meadows of a pure comedy. Although to pattern its next movies after “The Emperor’s New Groove” would be more disastrous for Disney than the company trying to put together an environmentally, politically correct movie about British colonists arriving in the New World where Native American’s learn to speak English instantaneously and the characters in the film were based on historical figures but completely fictional otherwise. Oh, forgive me, they already have. For any person who hates Disney Movies, I recommend they don’t miss this one. For any person who loves Disney movies, I recommend they don’t miss this one. And to any person who would rather stay home and watch cable television, I recommend you find yourself a new groove and go see this film.