Released in 2000 to very little fan fair at the time, The Emperor’s New Groove was one of those movies that really found its audience when it was released on DVD the following year. I think that this is a very fun and silly movie and unlike most of the other movies that Disney was doing at the time.
How to Download The Emperor’s New Groove
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like classic Disney animated films, check out also our reviews of Mulan (1998), The Princess and the Frog (2009), or The Lion King (1994).
The Movie Review
Before we dive into the actual movie, I have to tell you that The Emperor’s New Groove has one of the best main voice casts of any Disney movie! We have David Spade as Emperor Kuzco, John Goodman as the good-natured llama herder Pacha, Eartha Kitt as the villain Yzma, and Patrick Warburton as Kronk, Yzma’s goon! It is a tremendous cast and I am smiling just thinking about how good they all are.
I do not think that the movie is going to win any awards for its plot as it is a story, we have all heard a million times before and it is quite predictable. However, the execution of the story is a lot of fun and this is one of those movies that is perfect to put on if you just want to have a good time.
Our main character is Emperor Kuzco. Kuzco is a bit of a screw-up and is more interested in having a good time than truly looking out for his people. Kuzco wants to build a huge summer party mansion just for himself, but the land he wants to build it on is occupied by a peaceful village. Not that this is going to stop him from building his mansion!
Kuzco’s Groove – Clip – The Emperor’s New Groove
His advisor, Yzma is sick of working for this idiot and has her eyes on the throne. Yzma puts together an assassination plan and sends her number one goon, Kronk to do the job. Kronk messes up the assassination attempt and instead of killing Emperor Kuzco, he ends up turning him into a llama!
This leads Kuzco to run away. For a movie that is quite silly and all about the gags, Kuzco actually has a lot of character growth. He realizes that he has been selfish and just when he is about to come to terms with life as a llama, good-natured Pacha comes to save the day!
Pacha tells Kuzco that he can help him get back to his home and also change him back as he knows what Yzma and Kronk’s plan was! In order for his help, Pacha asks Kuzco not to destroy his land and build his summer mansion somewhere else. We basically have a fun and silly movie where Pacha and Kuzco are trying to stay one step ahead of Yzma and Kronk.
I know on paper or even when you see the trailer that The Emperor’s New Groove does not look like a great movie. The marketing when this was released flat-out sucked which I am sure is part of the reason it did not light up the box office. However, this is a real “word of mouth” movie as people who watch it tend to like it and they tell others who then give it a chance and who they themselves usually like it. I highly recommend you give this a chance if you are in the mood for a fun Disney movie.
