Saturday Evening Cartoons: The Emperor's New Groove

     The Emperor's New Groove was released in 2000. It is directed by Mark Dindal and written by David Reynolds. It tells the story of Kuzco (David Spade), an Inca Emperor, who is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma (Eartha Kitt). With the help of a llama herder named Pacha (John Goodman) he must regain his human form and his throne, and along the way learn a valuable lesson about kindness.

     This film surprised me in more ways than one. For one thing the protagonist is a singularly unlikable, self-absorbed character. At the beginning of the story there really isn't much, if anything, to separate him from the main villain. Indeed the Yzma's grievance against Kuzco fairly legitimate even though we never sympathetize with her. It's Kuzco's ability to grow as a character, past his self-centeredness, that ultimately gives him the moral high ground by the end of the story. Another thing that surprised me was Pacha's occasional selfishness. He refuses to help him the emperor unless he agrees not to tear down his village. This is completely understandable and relatable yet the fact remains that his motives are not completely altruistic. Yet he decides to help Kuzco more than once, despite the fact that he will gain nothing from it. Kuzco himself must learn from Pacha's example and, ultimately, has to choose between saving him or saving his antidote from being destroyed.

     First and foremost, The Emperor's New Groove is a comedy, and it's a hilarious one. The animation is filled with manic energy and there's a clear Chuck Jones/Looney Tunes influence here. The cast are all in top form. David Spade and John Goodman have great chemistry as the buddy duo of Kuzco and Pacha. Spade can get a little irritating but that's kind of the point and while I found Goodman's voice a little distracting at first (I kept imagining Sully saying his lines) he quickly grew into the likable, everyday guy role. However it's Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton who steal the show as Yzma and her dimwitted henchman Kronk. Warburton's childish, uncomprehending demeanor contrasts perfectly with Kitt's hysteria.

     The Emperor's New Groove may be a minor entry in the Disney animated canon, but nonetheless it's an eminently entertaining and well written one.

Score: 9/10