Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
- "[There's] poetry in the way he tortures women." – Kirsten Dunst on Lars...
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Director: Mark Dindal
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This Disney comedy makes a self-conscious and largely successful attempt to modernise the studio's format with a jive-ass sensibility. Not that the customary caution has been jettisoned wholesale. The tradition of appropriating as backdrop either a 'classic' children's text or a classical culture - here the arrogant young Emperor reigns over a pre-Columbian culture comprising three parts Inca, two parts Aztec and one part Disney- is naturally upheld. Musically, although efforts have been made to give the production contemporary snap, rhythm and soul, enlisting Tom Jones to sing the theme tune and Sting to write the songs ensures the groove is cheekily adaptive rather than threatening. Nasty imperial advisor Yzma turns newly enthroned emperor Kuzco into a helpless talking llama, who's befriended and aided in retaking his throne by herdsman Pacha in return for promises not to redevelop the latter's idyllic mountain village. But knowing anachronisms, witticisms and one-liners, allied with a tongue in cheek attitude to storytelling convention and Dindal's easygoing direction, make for an entertaining change of tone.Author: WH
Cast & crew
Director: Mark Dindal
Producer: Randy Fullmer
Cast: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick, Eli Russell Linnetz full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Duration: 78 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Cinema food: the ultimate survey
Find out everything you always wanted to know about cinema food, but were afraid to ask.
The week's new films reviewed and rated
Two '80s re-imaginings are this week's big cinema releases, but don't miss Gruff Rhys's travels in Patagonia
Gruff Rhys on Penguins, Patagonia and Folk Rock
The lead singer of Welsh indie band Super Furry Animals discusses his debut film feature, ‘Separado!’
Cinema's 50 greatest flops, follies and failures
Time Out presents our list of cinema's most spectacular follies, most saddening flops and most unbearable failures
The Illusionist: trailer preview
Watch the trailer for Sylvain Chomet's long-awaited follow-up to 'Belleville Rendez-vouz'
Why make a film about Serge Gainsbourg?
Nina Caplan remembers the bawdy life and times of France's great pop icon and human chimney, Serge Gainsbourg, ahead of new biopic 'Gainsbourg'
Hard talk with Oliver Stone
The director of 'JFK' and 'Wall Street' talks to Wally Hammond about the US elite, Chávez, Bush and Nixon
Why Christopher Nolan is not the new Stanley Kubrick
Tom Huddleston explains why the director of 'Inception' hasn't yet scaled the great heights of Kubrick










What do you think?
Post your review now