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THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE
Review by Michael Jacobson
Voices:
David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton
Director: Mark Dindal
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1
Studio: Walt Disney
Features: See Review
Length: 78 Minutes
Release Date: October 18, 2005
"You're
doing something nice for someone else."
"I
know."
"And
you're...okay with that?"
The
Emperor's New Groove might be the most unusual traditionally animated feature to come from
the Disney studios since Fantasia, and just as different as it could be.
While Fantasia pushed the artistic boundaries in exploring light,
color and music as ideas made tangible, The Emperor's New Groove is a
crudely animated, zany slice of pure slapstick.
And
kudos to them for rolling the dice and making this kind of picture.
It may never stand alongside the glorious classics like Sleeping
Beauty or Cinderella, it may not have the majesty of The Lion King
or Beauty and the Beast, but what it offers is a mindless thrill ride
of laughs and characterizations.
The
voice talents are perfect, and so is the unbridled wackiness of the animation
that goes with them. David Spade
stars as Kuzco, the Emperor of the title, in a role that was made for him.
Shallow, self centered and kind of bratty, Kuzco frequently causes misery
for others through his selfishness. It
doesn't help his image that he plans to tear down a peasant village headed by
Pacha (Goodman) in order to build a pleasure palace (actually more like a modern
theme park than the pleasure palaces of old Mesopotamia, but hey, this is
Disney), or that he's fired his long time assistant Yzma (Kitt).
The
wicked Yzma, along with her unfocused big lunk of a sidekick Kronk (Warburton),
seeks revenge. Planning to kill
Kuzco, she accidentally turns him into a llama, and he gets freed in the jungles
of the kingdom. But she intends to
finish the job. Can the shallow
Kuzco, with the help of the big hearted Pacha, make it back to his palace,
reverse the spell, and maybe learn a lesson or two about what it means to be a
kind leader in the process?
Well,
come on...what do you expect? There's
nothing in this story that falls out of the range of prediction, including the
close calls, final showdown, and ultimate resolution. The joy of this picture is that it's like taking the scenic
route...it's not where you're going that's the fun, it's the getting there.
Considering
the beauty and splendor of many of Disney's animated offerings of the early 90s,
The Emperor's New Groove is quite surprising.
It hearkens back to the days when cartoons were really wild and crazy.
Think Looney Toons or Tex Avery, and you'll get an idea of what to
expect. This is a world of
pratfalls, crude jokes and defiance of every physical law known to man. But that was always the wonderful thing about animation:
normal rules go out the window.
On
one hand, I can't equate it with the truly great films of Disney's library.
But neither can I dismiss it. There
are many films we watch to broaden our minds and enlighten our beings, and there
are films we watch just for sheer abandonment and entertainment value.
I have many favorites that fall squarely into the second category.
Who ever said one of them couldn't be a cartoon?
Video
***1/2
Loving
it...as always, Disney offers a top notch transfer for their animated titles,
proving once again how well animation and DVD go together.
This is a bright, colorful jaunt that comes across with beauty and
integrity. It lacks some of the 3D
quality of Disney's best offerings, but no matter...it's still a lovely
presentation.
Audio
***1/2
The
Emperor can definitely get his groove back with this audio offering, featuring
both Dolby Digital and DTS surround tracks.
The music is happenin', especially the opening song by Tom Jones.
The constant action and comedy keeps all channels engaged and the dynamic
range strong. Voices sound great;
listen for some clever off-camera effects here and there.
Very well done.
Features
***
The
extras are groovin'...for starters, you get a commentary with director Mark
Dindal and some of the producers and artists...an enjoyable listen with some
good stories. There are three
behind-the-scenes featurettes, including one focusing on the great voice
talents, one on the research, and one on the computer effects.
Rounding out are three deleted scenes, an interactive game with voices by
Patrick Warburton and Eartha Kitt, and music videos from Sting and Rascal Flatts.
Summary:
