The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Director:

Mark Dindal

Writers:

Chris Williams (story) &
Mark Dindal (story) ...

Release Date:

15 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

It's All About... ME

Plot:

Emperor Kuzco is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma, and must now regain his throne with the help of Pacha, the gentle llama herder.

Plot Keywords:

Llama | Emperor | Octopus | Swimming Pool | Suspension Bridge

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

David Spade	...	Emperor Kuzco / Narrator (voice)
John Goodman	...	Pacha (voice)
Eartha Kitt	...	Yzma (voice)
Patrick Warburton	...	Kronk, Yzma's Sidekick (voice)
Wendie Malick	...	Chicha, Pacha's Wife (voice)
Kellyann Kelso	...	Chaca, Pacha's Daughter (voice)
Stephen J. Anderson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Eli Russell Linnetz	...	Tipo, Pacha's Son (voice)
Bob Bergen	...	Bucky the Squirrel (voice)
Rodger Bumpass	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Tom Jones	...	Theme Song Guy (voice)
Robert Clotworthy	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Jennifer Darling	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Patti Deutsch	...	Waitress (voice)
John Fiedler	...	Old Man (voice)

Also Known As:

Kingdom in the Sun (USA) (working title)
Kingdom of the Sun (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:G (certificate #37796) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Denmark:7 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:G | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:sans limite d'âge (canton of Geneva) | UK:U | South Korea:All | Canada:G | Singapore:G | Greece:K

Company:

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Trivia:

Kuzco was named after the ancient capital of the Incas, Cuzco. (It's still pronounced the same.)

Goofs:

Continuity: After Pacha saves Llama Kuzco from drowning and lays him on the bank, Kuzco's mouth is wide open and his tongue is clearly sticking out. But when Pacha is about to give the kiss of life, he has to open Kuzco's mouth and the tongue pops out again.

Quotes:

Kronk: Oh, look. A golden-throated small-winged warbler. Just one more for exotic bird bingo. I am loving this.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)

Soundtrack:

Girl from Ipanema

Fun with llamas!

Although my affection for other Disney movies of the 1990s has decidedly waned, my love for "The Emperor's New Groove" is still as strong as ever. In fact, I'm now beginning to think it's a work of genius. It's clever, unpretentious, fast-paced, and- like "Lilo and Stitch"- you don't feel that the vision of the film was muddled up by the suits. The characters are not constantly breaking into song, and there is a welcome lack of cloying sentiment. No cutesy talking teacups here! The lightning- fast comic timing, sharp writing and constant loony non sequiturs (i.e. "For the last time, we did not order a giant trampoline!") improves upon each viewing, and the voice work is uniformly excellent, from David Spade's hilariously bratty emperor to Patrick Warburton's dim boy-toy Kronk to Eartha Kitt's Yzma (an over-the-top screeching Erte-style villainess with an alleged "secret lab" who is also "scary beyond all reason"). You get the impression that everyone involved had lots of fun making this. The art direction, with its whirling cartoon Inca motifs, is simultaneously goofy and gorgeous- and it shows what marvels can be done with nary a pixel in sight. I even love all the local L.A. humor, with even Bob's Big Boy making an appearance. Although I was initially dismayed when I heard that the project, originally entitled, "The Kingdom of the the Sun," was to be changed to "The Emperor's New Groove," I think in the end the changes were a good thing. Did the world really need yet another bombastic Disney musical?

No, I didn't think so either.