The Emperor's New Groove

I don't remember being particularly fond of this one, thinking it a little silly back when I first saw it.  However, Jason said it was one that he really liked, so I added it to the "must watch" list, even though it doesn't have much of a presence in Disney World.  I am glad we decided to watch it again.  I did like it better this time around, though I still wouldn't say it's one of my favorites.

The plot was very interesting.  In some ways it was typical and predictable (at least the basic plot), but I kind of like that about a Disney film.  And not all of it is predictable.  There were a few times where you really thought Kuzco was going to turn around and change, and then he didn't.  There are also a lot of other good characters in this film - Pacha, who is amazingly good, Chicha, his fun and feisty wife, and Kronk, who is hilariously stupid.

One thing that this film does really well is how it uses its main character.  Kuzco is extremely unlikeable from the beginning, and when that's true of your main character it can be difficult to get people to like the movie.  However, the movie itself is still entertaining, and it actually gets you to like and appreciate Kuzco by the end.  They portrayed his change as a person pretty well, in a fairly believable way.

One of the only negatives I would really have about this film is that the character of Pacha is maybe a little too good to be true.  He really sees the good in everyone, to the point of being so selfless it is almost unbelievable.  On the other hand, it's hopeful to think that maybe there really are people like that in the world! It's also not amazingly new or novel in any way, so it's not like it's doing something amazing.  But it's a good, entertaining movie.

Jason says:  this is a silly movie.  Watch it when you're in a silly mood.

The Music
Oh, this made me think that it was going to be a musical when it started things off with a guy singing.  But that was really the only song.  It seemed like a film that really could have lent itself well to the musical style, but it chose not to.  Again, perhaps that's why it isn't as loved as some of the other Disney films have been.

The Villain
Yzma is a pretty interesting villain.  She is certainly frightening looking, and has that evil villain vibe to her.  She's got magical powers, and she devises a plan to kill Kuzco.  Of course, it backfires and turns him into a llama instead, but the malicious intent was still there.  However, she often comes off as more comical than scary or evil.  She doesn't quite meet a deserving end, as all that happens to her is that she gets turned into a cat.  Given the life of my cat, I'm not so sure that's really a bad fate!

The WDW Connection
Again, really nothing that I know of here.

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  7.5 out of 10