If it doesn’t fully succeed in its goal, it still produces enough witty narration and snappy repartee to keep audiences comfortably occupied.
Don´t expect a lot of originality in the film, though. It´s mainly derivative of previous Disney efforts. I already mentioned Robin Williams´ genie. Then there´s Yzma, a combination of the wicked stepmother in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and Cruella DeVil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians." That Kronk doesn´t actually kill Kuzco in the first place is also from "Snow White." The turning-into-a-llama bit comes to us courtesy of the donkeys in "Pinocchio." Several of Pacha´s rescues are straight from "Tarzan." You get the point.
Finally, don´t expect much in the way of music from this one, something I think I missed more than anything else. Disney cartoons are the only bastions left of the Hollywood movie musical, and when you get one that has little or nothing in the way of songs in it, well, it´s a little disappointing.
"The Emperor´s New Groove" does sport a brief opening song by Tom Jones and a closing-credits song, "My Funny Friend and Me," by Sting that got an Oscar nomination, but neither is anything you come away remembering especially.
Video:
You´ll remember the THX-certified image, however. The picture quality is excellent. Near-perfect colors, delineation and contrast, a near-perfect transfer; or as close to a near-perfect transfer as today´s non high-definition technology can come. The box says the screen size is 1.66:1, enhanced for 16x9 televisions, but on my set the screen size measured closer to 1.74:1, even more impressive than they admit. I suspect someone erred on Disney´s part.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 (or DTS 5.1) sound is quite good, too, although I was so impressed by the movie´s visual characteristics I probably didn´t notice the audio as much. I thought the sound setup could have delivered more information to the rear channels, but it´s sufficient to make a small impact.
Extras:
Now, to add to one´s pleasure, the Disney Home Entertainment corps of engineers have appended a whole countryside of special features to their special "Ultimate Groove, Two-Disc Collector´s Edition." Disc One contains an audio commentary with the producer, Randy Fullmer, the director, Mark Dindal, and just about every other filmmaker they could find who worked on the production. It also contains a music-video dance called "Walk the Llama," an animated adventure-trivia game with an extra-long introduction, some DVD-ROM material, and twenty-eight scene selections. English and French are the spoken languages, with English captions for the hearing impaired. Disc Two contains the bulk of the bonus items, most prominently a behind-the-scenes tour of the making of "The Emperor´s New Groove" with the producer and director, who clown and joke and get a little silly in their commentary. Here we learn more than we could ever want to know about the story´s creation, layout, backgrounds, music, sound, etc. I don´t know how well this second disc will go over with kids. It gets a bit too detailed and involved and may only appeal to curious adults. We´re told, for instance, that the film required the talents of over 600 artists, over 1,000,000 drawings, and over four years to make. Would younger kids really care? Several deleted and unused scenes are included, either in full animation or storyboard. Lastly, there are two theatrical trailers, three TV spots, advertising posters, and a music video of Sting´s making "My Funny Friend and Me."
Parting Thoughts:
"The Emperor´s New Groove" is lovely to look at and provides a few good laughs. It is not vintage Disney, to be sure, but it beats most anything on the "Cartoon Channel." Cute animated menus tie everything together and a handy booklet insert guides one through the intricacies of disc two. The package has a little something for everyone.
Finally, don´t expect much in the way of music from this one, something I think I missed more than anything else. Disney cartoons are the only bastions left of the Hollywood movie musical, and when you get one that has little or nothing in the way of songs in it, well, it´s a little disappointing.
"The Emperor´s New Groove" does sport a brief opening song by Tom Jones and a closing-credits song, "My Funny Friend and Me," by Sting that got an Oscar nomination, but neither is anything you come away remembering especially.
Video:
You´ll remember the THX-certified image, however. The picture quality is excellent. Near-perfect colors, delineation and contrast, a near-perfect transfer; or as close to a near-perfect transfer as today´s non high-definition technology can come. The box says the screen size is 1.66:1, enhanced for 16x9 televisions, but on my set the screen size measured closer to 1.74:1, even more impressive than they admit. I suspect someone erred on Disney´s part.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 (or DTS 5.1) sound is quite good, too, although I was so impressed by the movie´s visual characteristics I probably didn´t notice the audio as much. I thought the sound setup could have delivered more information to the rear channels, but it´s sufficient to make a small impact.
Extras:
Now, to add to one´s pleasure, the Disney Home Entertainment corps of engineers have appended a whole countryside of special features to their special "Ultimate Groove, Two-Disc Collector´s Edition." Disc One contains an audio commentary with the producer, Randy Fullmer, the director, Mark Dindal, and just about every other filmmaker they could find who worked on the production. It also contains a music-video dance called "Walk the Llama," an animated adventure-trivia game with an extra-long introduction, some DVD-ROM material, and twenty-eight scene selections. English and French are the spoken languages, with English captions for the hearing impaired. Disc Two contains the bulk of the bonus items, most prominently a behind-the-scenes tour of the making of "The Emperor´s New Groove" with the producer and director, who clown and joke and get a little silly in their commentary. Here we learn more than we could ever want to know about the story´s creation, layout, backgrounds, music, sound, etc. I don´t know how well this second disc will go over with kids. It gets a bit too detailed and involved and may only appeal to curious adults. We´re told, for instance, that the film required the talents of over 600 artists, over 1,000,000 drawings, and over four years to make. Would younger kids really care? Several deleted and unused scenes are included, either in full animation or storyboard. Lastly, there are two theatrical trailers, three TV spots, advertising posters, and a music video of Sting´s making "My Funny Friend and Me."
Parting Thoughts:
"The Emperor´s New Groove" is lovely to look at and provides a few good laughs. It is not vintage Disney, to be sure, but it beats most anything on the "Cartoon Channel." Cute animated menus tie everything together and a handy booklet insert guides one through the intricacies of disc two. The package has a little something for everyone.
![Lost [TV Series]](/images/displaymedia.php?id=23770&sizew=70&cat=3)
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]6962[/release]