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The Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Mark Dindal and produced by Randy Fullmer, from a screenplay by David Reynolds, and a story by Dindal and Chris Williams. The voice cast features David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, and Wendie Malick. Inspired by ancient Peruvian culture and set in an Incan empire, The Emperor's New Groove follows young and self-centered Emperor Kuzco (voiced by Spade), who is accidentally transformed into a llama by his ex-advisor, Yzma (Kitt), and her dim-witted but affable henchman, Kronk (Warburton). For the emperor to change back into a human, he entrusts a village leader, Pacha (Goodman), to escort him back to the palace before Yzma can track them down and finish him off.

Development of The Emperor's New Groove began in 1994 when the film was conceived as a musical epic titled Kingdom of the Sun. Following his directorial debut with The Lion King (1994), Roger Allers recruited English musician Sting to compose several songs for the film. Because of the underwhelming box-office performances of Pocahontas (1995) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Dindal was brought in as co-director to make the film more comedic. Because of poor test screenings, creative differences with Dindal, and production falling behind schedule, Allers departed, and the film became a lighthearted comedy in the vein of a Chuck Jones cartoon instead of a dramatic musical. A documentary, The Sweatbox (2002), details the production troubles that The Emperor's New Groove endured during its six years of development.

The Emperor's New Groove premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on December 10, 2000, and was released to theaters on December 15, 2000. It performed disappointingly at the box office compared to Disney films released in the 1990s, grossing $169.5 million on a $100-million budget. However, the film found larger success when it was released for home media,and became the best-selling DVD of 2001. In the years since its release, The Emperor's New Groove garnered a cult following among fans. It received generally favorable reviews from critics. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the song "My Funny Friend and Me", performed by Sting; that award went to "Things Have Changed" by Bob Dylan from Wonder Boys. A direct-to-video sequel, Kronk's New Groove, was released in 2005, and an animated spin-off, The Emperor's New School, aired on the Disney Channel from 2006 to 2008.

Plot[]

Incan emperor Kuzco has been spoiled his entire life and has become incredibly conceited, but believes he is a benevolent leader. On the day before his 18th birthday, Kuzco announces his plan to destroy a nearby village and replace it with "Kuzcotopia", a lavish summer home, despite the objections of kindly village leader Pacha. Kuzco also discovers his elderly advisor and alchemist Yzma usurping his duties, and quietly fires her. That evening, Yzma and her bumbling henchman Kronk plan to poison Kuzco's wine and take over the empire before the news of Yzma's firing becomes public. However, Kronk takes the wrong chemical vial from Yzma's lab, accidentally turning Kuzco into a llama.

Yzma orders Kronk to knock Kuzco out, take him outside the city, and kill him. An attack of conscience and a series of mishaps causes Kronk to drop the sack containing the unconscious Kuzco; the sack lands on the back of Pacha's cart, and Pacha leaves the city before Kronk can catch up to him. Kuzco awakens in Pacha's backyard, having lost some of his memory. Believing Pacha transformed and kidnapped him, Kuzco orders Pacha to take him home. However, Pacha refuses to help unless Kuzco promises not to destroy the village.

Kuzco rejects Pacha's proposition and ventures into the jungle alone, despite Pacha's objections. In the jungle, Kuzco is chased by jaguars; Pacha saves him at the last minute. Kuzco insincerely agrees to Pacha's terms; later, on the way to the palace, Pacha falls through a collapsing bridge. Kuzco immediately tries to renege on his promise, but falls through the bridge himself. He and Pacha fight, before being forced to work together to overcome deadly obstacles. With the bridge destroyed, Pacha and Kuzco face a four-day journey to the palace. Meanwhile, as Yzma prepares to take over the empire, Kronk accidentally reveals to her that Kuzco is alive. Yzma, furious, ventures into the jungle with Kronk to find Kuzco and kill him personally.

At a roadside diner, Pacha and Kuzco arrive at the same time as Yzma and Kronk, but neither party initially notices the other. However, Kronk nearly recognizes Pacha, and Pacha overhears Yzma's plans to kill Kuzco. He sneaks Kuzco out of the diner, but Kuzco thinks Pacha is trying to trick him; he and Pacha fight again, parting ways.

As Kuzco tries to catch up to Yzma and Kronk, he overhears them discussing his assassination and also learns that no one in the empire misses him. Horrified, Kuzco rushes off to apologize to Pacha, but cannot find him. Kronk later remembers where he saw Pacha before, and tells Yzma.

The next morning, Kuzco finds Pacha, and the two reconcile. They return to Pacha's village briefly to get supplies before traveling back to the palace, only to discover Yzma and Kronk in Pacha's house, posing as distant relatives. Pacha explains the situation to his family, who then distract Yzma to give Pacha and Kuzco a head start. Pacha and Kuzco make it to Yzma's lab, but discover Yzma and Kronk got there first. Yzma orders Kronk to kill Pacha and Kuzco, but after another attack of conscience and some insults from Yzma, he tries to kill her instead, causing her to drop him through a trapdoor.

As Pacha and Kuzco flee Yzma and her guards, Kuzco tries several different potions, without success. Finally figuring out which vial is the "human" potion, Kuzco, Pacha, and Yzma fight over it; Yzma is accidentally turned into a small kitten by one of the other potions, and Pacha nearly falls off the side of the palace. Kuzco rescues Pacha, causing Yzma to claim the vial; however, the two eventually recover the potion, which Kuzco then drinks.

After becoming human again, a reformed Kuzco makes amends with the people he hurt, and builds a much smaller summer home on an uninhabited hill near Pacha's village, sharing a swimming pool with Pacha and his family. Meanwhile, Kronk goes on to become the leader of a scout troop; Yzma, who is still a cat, is a reluctant member of it.

Voice cast[]

Main article: List of The Emperor's New Groove characters

  • David Spade as Emperor Kuzco, the entitled, pampered, and arrogant 18-year-old emperor of the Inca Empire who has no patience for the needs of others and has a lack of compassion.
  • John Goodman as Pacha, a brave, loving, and respected village leader.
  • Eartha Kitt as Yzma, Kuzco's elderly and untrustworthy advisor who seeks Kuzco's throne for herself.
  • Patrick Warburton as Kronk, Yzma's friendly but slow-witted muscular henchman and sidekick.
  • Wendie Malick as Chicha, Pacha's supportive, pregnant wife.
  • Kellyann Kelso and Eli Russell Linnetz as Chaca and Tipo respectively, Pacha and Chicha's two young, mischievous children.
  • Bob Bergen as Bucky the Squirrel, Kronk's companion, who hates Yzma, and has an unpleasant encounter with Kuzco; and as Fly stuck in a web.
  • Tom Jones as the Theme Song Guy, Kuzco's personal theme song conductor.
  • Patti Deutsch as Mata, a waitress at Mudka's Meat Hut.
  • John Fiedler as Rudy, a well-meaning old man who is first thrown out a window by Kuzco's guards, then later befriends him.
  • Joe Whyte as the Royal Recordkeeper.
  • Jack Angel, Danny Mann, Rodger Bumpass, Paul Eiding, and Patrick Pinney as Male Villagers/Additional Voices.
  • Sherry Lynn, Jennifer Darling, and Mickie McGowan as Female Villagers/Additional Voices.
  • Jess Harnell as the Guard who throws Rudy out the window and Additional Voices.
  • Rodger Bumpass as one of the Guards who got turned into a cow.
  • Steve Susskind as an Irate Chef, a former chef at Mudka's Meat Hut who quits due to Kuzco and Kronk.
  • Miriam Flynn as the Piñata Lady.
  • Jim Cummings and Kath Soucie as Birthday Singers.
  • Andre Stojka and Robert Clotworthy as Topo and Ipi, two of Pacha's villagers.
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