The Emperor's New Groove 720p - (2000 Lang: English)

Hurrah! Perfection.

Hard to see why it wasn't a wildly popular mega-hit - I have two theories, one charitable, one not. The charitable theory is that people were put off by the title. MY heart certainly sank when I heard it. I mean, just say it out loud - "The Emperor's New Groove" - now how could a good movie POSSIBLY have a title like that?

Yet now, I rather like the title. It fits the story; it doesn't care if it's fashionable or not; it's just so pleasingly RIGHT - but in an almost indescribable way you'll have to watch the film to find out. Maybe it WAS a marketing mistake. Who cares? I never took seriously the charge that Disney's artistic decisions were made by its marketing department, anyway.

That was the charitable explanation for why it made considerably less, inflation adjusted, than every other one of Disney's animated features from "Beauty and the Beast" on, and failed to even get nominated for a "Best Picture" Oscar in a year in which they had difficulty coming up with half-plausible candidates. The uncharitable explanation is probably closer to the truth. People are idiots. This is a classic - but it's also animated - by pencil on paper rather than finger on keyboard - so who will ever notice?

Doubt me? You won't once you've seen it. Everyone to speak of who did reports that it's very, very funny, and they're right - and trust me, nothing is ever THIS funny unless it's clever and witty as well. It goes without saying that their character animation is unmatched in its brilliance and ... I've already used the words "humour" and "wit"? Well, I'll use them again. In addition there's a charming dottiness that a merely hip film could never quite capture. Art direction is perfectly judged and consistent throughout, with a pleasing absence of because-we-can computer effects.

Here's just ONE example of what I'm talking about. One side of the emperor's palace consists of this HUGE golden face, and we find out in a funny scene (but they're all funny) that all excess water is drained out through the nostrils. But that's not all we see. We see characters crawling out of the nostrils, we see someone dangling like a big booger on a rope out of one of the nostrils - one snot gag after another - yet no explicit camerawork ever draws our attention to them. Not only do the characters deliver their lines perfectly deadpan, the camera delivers its images perfectly deadpan. It's just perfect.

Two more things I should mention. Unlike Disney's other recent features, it never, not even for a second, feels as though the story has been unduly compressed - and at 78 minutes it's a trifle shorter than most.

Also, despite the constant hilarity, it's rather touching.

No movie I've seen in the past six months has filled me with such joy. Well, perhaps there have been a few others, but they were all made long ago.

The Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated buddy comedy film created by Walt Disney Feature Animation. It is the 40th film in Disney's animated features canon. It was directed by Mark Dindal, produced by Randy Fullmer, written by David Reynolds, and stars David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton and Wendie Malick.

The film follows a teenage emperor named Kuzco who is transformed into a llama by his ex-advisor and henchwoman, Yzma. In order for the emperor to change back into a human, he trusts a village leader named Pacha who escorts him back to the palace. It was altered significantly over its six years of development and production.

It began as a musical epic titled Kingdom of the Sun, to have been directed by Dindal and Roger Allers (co-director of The Lion King), and was changed by Disney executives into a light-hearted buddy comedy. The documentary The Sweatbox details the production troubles that the film endured. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "My Funny Friend and Me" performed by Sting, but lost to "Things Have Changed" by Bob Dylan from Wonder Boys. The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel Kronk's New Groove (2005), and an animated television series The Emperor's New School (2006–2008).

Kuzco, a young selfish Inca emperor, rejects the appearances of potential brides and throws an elderly man out the window for "throwing off his groove." After Kuzco fires his conniving advisor, Yzma, for abusing her power, she comes up with a scheme to take the throne with the help of Kronk, her dim-witted but jovial henchman. Later, Kuzco meets with Pacha, a kind peasant and village leader, and tells him that he plans to demolish his hilltop family home to build himself a lavish summer home called "Kuzcotopia". Pacha protests, but is dismissed.

Yzma and Kronk make a plan to get rid of Kuzco by tricking him into drinking poison at dinner, but end up giving him the wrong potion that instead transforms him into a llama. After knocking Kuzco out, Yzma orders Kronk to dispose of him and hide the body, but Kronk has a stroke of conscience and saves him. He accidentally drops him on the back of Pacha's cart as he's leaving the city. Pacha returns home, but does not tell his family about Kuzco's decision. After awakening from the bag on the cart, scaring Pacha, Kuzco orders Pacha to take him back to the palace. Pacha uses this leverage to attempt to make Kuzco promise not to demolish the village. Kuzco haughtily sets off into the jungle alone, only to be chased by jaguars. After Pacha rescues Kuzco and they survive a waterfall, Kuzco agrees to spare the village, and Pacha agrees to help Kuzco return to the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Yzma takes the throne, eulogizing Kuzco, but Kronk reveals that he had lost Kuzco rather than killing him. The two set off to find him. Kuzco and Pacha fail to return to the palace, when they fall through a bridge into a chasm full of alligators. They manage to use teamwork to climb back up the chasm, avoiding the alligators, and Kuzco manages to save Pacha's life once, proving Pacha's point that Kuzco has a good conscience. Though Kuzco admits that he wasn't going to respect their promise, Pacha continues to help Kuzco home as according to his promise. They stop at a jungle restaurant at the same time Kronk and Yzma do. Neither party realizes the other is there, until Pacha overhears Yzma and Kronk discussing their plot. Kuzco refuses to believe Pacha's warning and leaves him, but overhears Kronk and Yzma shortly after proving Pacha right. Kuzco realizes that the kingdom does not even miss him and begins to repent his way of life. He searches for Pacha and eventually finds him and attempts to apologize. Pacha quickly forgives him. Meanwhile Kronk remembers recognizing Pacha and realizes that Kuzco is likely with him.

The pair rush back to Pacha's house for supplies, only to find that Kronk and Yzma are visiting Pacha's family, posing as distant relatives. Pacha enlists the help of his family to stall Yzma and Kronk, as they get a head start. The race to the palace seems to end with Yzma and Kronk falling off a cliff, but they still inexplicably reach the palace first. Yzma orders Kronk to kill them both, but Kronk cannot bring himself to commit murder, leading Yzma to insult and reprimand Kronk and resign to killing them herself. Yzma summons the guards (who do not recognize Kuzco), while Pacha and Kuzco escape with all the potions in hopes of turning Kuzco back to a human. After several guards are transformed into animals while testing potions and Yzma is transformed into a kitten, one vial remains as the trio fight over it on the outer face of the palace. Pacha and Kuzco utilize the same teamwork as they did in the chasm, and Kuzco even actively chooses to save Pacha's life over retrieving the vial in one instance. Yzma manages to get the vial, but is then inadvertently defeated by Kronk, leaving the vial for Kuzco.

Now human again and a more selfless ruler, Kuzco decides to build his summer home elsewhere, and Pacha suggests a neighboring hilltop. In the end, Kuzco is shown living next door to Pacha's in a modest cabin, sharing a swimming pool with Pacha and his family. Yzma, still a kitten, grudgingly joins Kronk's Junior Chipmunk troop.

"The Emperor's New Groove" is a rare hilarious Disney movie.

It's very different from any other Disney movie so this movie might also be very watchable to you Disney haters out there. The movie pace is incredibly high and the music by John Debney and Sting are a real surprise. The movie really is a non-stop hilarious comedy with some unique humor. Also the style, both visual and story-wise is different from any other previous Disney movie, which in this case is a positive thing.

The characters are great. Kuzco and Pacha are a perfect team. Yzma is a remarkable villain and her sidekick Kronk is hilarious. Yep, Laughs are guaranteed in this very hip and hilarious movie!

The story really is of no importance and most of it never makes sense but that's also why this movie is both unique and hilarious to watch over and over again.

Highly recommendable to everyone!

Boom, baby!