The Emperor's New Groove [The New Groove Edition]

Overview

A ruler learns how the other half lives -- the animal half, that is -- in this animated comedy-adventure from the Walt Disney Studios. Kuzco (voice of David Spade) is the young emperor of an Inca nation who takes a self-centered joy in the troubles of others. Not surprisingly, Kuzco's attitudes have earned the enmity of many of his subjects, including Yzma (voice of Eartha Kitt), a sorceress who wants to seize power away from the emperor after he relieved her of her royal duties, declaring she was too old and unattractive to do the job. Yzma and her musclebound assistant Kronk (voice of Patrick Warburton) hatch a plan to poison Kuzco and take the throne, but thanks to a mistake on Kronk's part, Kuzco isn't killed -- he's instead turned into a talking llama. Kronk can't bring himself to kill the llama, and instead sends the former emperor into the jungle to fend for himself. Kuzco doesn't do too well as a llama until he runs into Pacha (voice of John Goodman), a poor farmer whose property Kuzco once planned to take over for a vacation home. Soft-hearted Pacha agrees to help the emperor-turned-llama find his way back home where, hopefully, another sorcerer can reverse the spell, but once they hit the road, they discover Yzma and Kronk are looking for them, with Yzma determined to finish the assassination she started. Pop star Sting composed several original songs for The Emperor's New Groove, which during its long and troubled production had previously been announced as Kingdom in the Sun and Kingdom of the Sun.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/18/2005
UPC:	0786936688368
Original Release:	2000
Rating:	G
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:18:00
Sales rank:	1,672

Special Features

Deleted scenes; The Emperor's Got Game: Help Kuzco get from Pacha's house back to the castle; Rascal Flatts Music Video: Learn to "Walk the Llama Llama," as featured on The Emperor's New Groove soundtrack; Sting's Making the Music Video: Featuring the Academy Award-nominated song "My Funny Friend and Me"; Behind the Scenes: A fast-paced tour of how the film was made; Audio commentary with the filmmakers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

David Spade	Kuzco
John Goodman	Pacha
Eartha Kitt	Yzma
Patrick Warburton	Kronk
Wendie Malick	ChiCha
Eli Russell Linnetz	Tipo
Kellyann Kelso	Chaca
Bob Bergen	Bucky,Voices
Patti Deutsch	Waitress
John Fiedler	Old Man
Joe Whyte	Official
Tom Jones	Theme Song Singer,Theme Song Guy
Stephen J. Anderson	Actor
Rodger Bumpass	Actor
Robert Clotworthy	Guards
Danny Mann	Actor
June Foray	Various
Scott Menville	Various
Rob Paulsen	Various
Alice Playten	Various
Joe Ranft	Various
Kath Soucie	Various
Michael Herbig	Voices
Reinhard Brock	Voices
Elke Sommer	Voices
Marietta Meade	Voices
Lara Wurmer	Voices
Tim Schwarzmaier	Voices
Sting	Composer
David Hartley	Composer
John Debney	Composer
Marc Shaiman	Composer

Technical Credits

David Reynolds

Jonathan Roberts

Mark Dindal	Director
Randy Fullmer	Producer
Don Hahn	Executive Producer
Mauro Maressa	Special Effects
David Reynolds	Screenwriter
Ruth Lambert	Casting
Dean Zupancic	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Mixer
Mel Metcalfe	Sound Mixer,Sound/Sound Designer
Terry Porter	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Mixer
Tim Chau	Sound/Sound Designer
Jonathan Roberts	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The Emperor's New Groove was a curious anomaly for Disney; released in December, outside of the studio's regular blockbuster-per-summer schedule, without much fanfare or marketing muscle. It wasn't a very kid-friendly sell, almost totally lacking in cute animals and songs, and it stars a supercilious, bratty emperor (voiced by David Spade, natch) who repents his awful behavior far more gradually than your average reformed cartoon character. These characteristics undoubtedly contribute to its refreshing, adult-oriented charm, but what really distinguishes the film is not its story or dialogue, which are only mid-level clever. The grooviest thing is its angular, impressionistic animation, which is reminiscent of the studio's version of Hercules, but on acid. From the bat-like sorceress cackled by Eartha Kitt to the square-jawed numbskull voiced innocently by square-jawed Patrick Warburton, the animators delve deeply into their twisted side, using wild brush strokes to match drawings to character traits. The never-named setting and its landscapes are also replete with gnarled, jutting beauty. The film moves along quickly on a loopy succession of set pieces more than a developing story, and it doesn't need songs to bridge them, although Sting had written some that were mostly scrapped to his great displeasure when Disney decided to take the film in another direction. Despite a troubled production that featured periods when it might have been given a hip-hop edge, The Emperor's New Groove emerges as a sophisticated achievement in animation and one of Disney's more original films.