My Emperor's New Grove Review
To celebrate 25 years of this classic Disney film —one of my top favourites and always fun to rewatch —The Emperor's New Groove. This movie is so much fun —the animation is excellent, and the characters are fantastic and memorable, like who doesn't love Kronk? Seriously, name someone who doesn't like Kronk because this character has a zero-hate fanbase. He's the Ted Lasso of Disney characters. I love this movie since I was a kid and I still do to this day.
Love this scene, and this is how you do a good break the fourth wall joke. This film has great, break-the-fourth-wall jokes.
Now, a fun fact: the film was originally called Kingdom of the Sun and was going to loosely adapt The Prince and the Pauper. Owen Wilson was going to voice Pacha, except he's a twin of Kuzco, and Laura Prepon, aka Donna, was going to voice his love interest, named Mata, for Kuzco. Also, Yzma was going to be a more sinister witch, and her goal was to block out the sun to bring about eternal darkness and regain her youth. The film was going to be a musical, too, and Yzma's son, Snuff Out the Light, is on the soundtrack album because it's a great soundtrack. I wish we'd get to see this film, but overall, I'm happy with the film we got with Emperor's New Groove. Let's face it, though, none of us wants a Disney live-action remake of Kingdom of the Sun.
The film is about Kuzco, the emperor, who's spoiled and acts like an entitled brat. In the movie's opening, he breaks the fourth wall and tells the audience that he was the nicest guy, only for them to ruin his life. We see the opening and how he has a great life as emperor, but he's a selfish jerk. David Spade nailed it as Kuzco; he had the right voice for it.
We then meet Pacha, voiced by John Goodman, and he's one of the best characters in the film, and we all know that scene where he talks about the sun and the hills sing around his village. It's one of the funniest memes. Kuzco wants to destroy his village and build his own water theme park, not for his people. As well, the village will have no home after this. It's funny how Kuzco comes off as the film's villain, but later we learn he's become a llama and grown into a better person.
Now, Yzma is the villain of the film, and she is so funny, and if you read my top ten best Disney villains, she's on there. Yzma was voiced by the late Eartha Kitten, and she does a great job in this film. Yzma wants to take over the empire and get rid of Kuzco, and by doing so, kill him. Also, we all love this one joke here.
Why do they even have that lever?
Now, Yzma and Kronk have dinner with Kuzco, and they think he's been poisoned, but he's turned into a donkey because Kronk got them mixed up. As he says, Yzma needs better labels on her potions.
Yzma orders Kronk to kill Kuzco, but he can't bring himself to do it. I love the scene with Kronk and his shoulder angel and devil. It's so funny.
Kuzco ends up being Pacha, and he agrees to help him, but only if he builds his summer home somewhere, to which Kuzco says no. Pacha saves Kuzco from some jaguars, and we get that waterfall scene that has so many memes now.
This film has the most memes and gifs of a Disney film.
Later in the film, Kuzco and Pacha get to know each other, and Pacha tells him that one day he will end up alone, with no one to blame but himself.
This is a good scene because it develops Kuzco's character by showing that selfishness is not a good thing, and that if he keeps thinking only of himself, he won't have anyone to help him.
Later in the film, the two of them are on their way back to the palace when Pacha falls from a bridge, but Kuzco doesn't save him. Until he loses, the two fight, and the bridge breaks.
The two of them work together, and Kuzco saves Pacha's life. Later in the film, the two go to a restaurant, where Yzma and Kronk are trying to kill Kuzco. Pacha tries to warn him, but he doesn't listen, and he leaves Pacha, only to realize he was right.
Like he said, he's all alone, and it's his own fault. Kuzco even tells himself that everyone watching knows what happened.
Later, Kronk remembers Pacha and tells Yzma that if they go to his village, they will find Kuzco.
Eventually, Kuzco and Pacha become friends again, and they return to the village, only to find Yzma and Kronk there, in one of the best scenes with Pacha's family. Pacha's family are great in the film and the daughter is the voice of Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender.
The chase scene in the movie was hilarious too, and I love how when they get back to the palace. Yzma and Kronk are already there, and it makes no sense.
LOL.
Also, this scene had me rolling.
Everyone can agree we would rather see a dagger than Yzam's you know what.
Now, of course, they take some potion, and this is also considered one of the saddest moments when Yzma tells Kronk she never liked his spinach puffs.
It's even on the top list of most heartbreaking moments in Disney films. Of course, Kronk switches sides but ends up falling down a trap door. However, the trap door leads up the palace for some reason.
That's for hating Kronk's spinach puffs!
The film ends with Kuzco and Pacha defeating Yzma, and she is turned into a cat. Afterwards, Kuzco apologizes to everyone for how he treated them, and he doesn't build his summer on Pacha's village. Instead, he goes there for the summer. The film ends with them dancing, and Kuzco has a family with Pacha's family. As for Kronk, he becomes a scout master, and Yzma joins the group.
With Us.
Emperor's New Groove is genuinely one of Disney's best films, with a great voice cast and a lot of humor. It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since this film came out, and I still love it to this day.
I give it a 9 out of 10. Emperor's New Groove is one of my favourite Disney films ever made.
Fun fact, I met Patrick Warburton and he's a funny guy.
He read a Kronk meme for me, and it was perfect.
.jpg)
