Hey folks, Harry here... Well, this has been an interesting journey for a Disney film... At first, we learned from Sir Etch-A-Sketch about the horrendous llama fart songs and terrible rip off plotline from PRINCE AND THE PAUPER... but that... that was long long ago... 3 years or so. Then we learned the whole story transformation from that tale... to this one, by Moo Cow, our genius animation analyst. Then we began hearing rumors that this was the film that Michael Eisner personally hated and loathed... that it was the Disney animated film that they were not going to get behind.... And then we began to hear that as the execs laid of... that the animators.. and the directors began to mold the project into something truly special. And now... Well Dr Zoidberg and Ronnie Dobbs just returned from one of those suburban Denver Test Screenings, like the one they had last week for ATLANTIS... and they liked it. They call it the best in recent memory... but really... what is that saying? Best since... LION KING? Wouldn't be hard... HUNCHBACK had moments of genius, and it also had terrible gargoyles... and truly.. how do you mess up gargoyles? Then there was POCAHONTAS and MULAN... both disappointments... HERCULES... ummm no... TARZAN has been the recent Disney film that I've loved... but even there it was tough love... For, while I loved Glen Keane's brilliant... BRILLIANT animation... I was left a bit off by the ROSIE O'DONNELL nonsense crap character and the Elephant too... Now this one... this is just supposed to be fun... let's listen to these two and see how it is coming together...
Harry, you smelly sunofabitch!
We, Dr. Zoidberg and Ronnie Dobbs, just got back from a test screening outside of Denver of The Emperor's New Groove! Wow, man... wow. We're not Disney shills or nothin', but this is the best Disney animated movie in recent memory. Everything seemed in place, the soundtrack final and the credits added, so what we saw should be what everybody sees in the theaters, give or take a few cuts or additions.
As much as we liked this movie, we'll lead off with the negative aspects first. First and foremost, the animation lacked the originality, spark and pizzazz that one would hope to see in every new Disney cartoon. To say that it does not break ground in that respect would be just. The score sounded somewhat lackluster; nothing that you'll be humming on your way out of the theater. The only thing truly musically delicious were the opening and closing songs (sung by the man with a giant wedge in his trousers, Tom Jones). Also, we are hard pressed to say that the audience grows emotionally attatched to the main characters. The movie more than makes up for these setbacks with its irreverent, effective, and quite frankly surprising, humor.
Without a doubt, the stand-out character is Kronk, voiced by Patrick Warburton, (TV's Puddy!)! John Goodman, who we usually love as the nation's favorite fat guy (you come in a far second, Harry), gives a good, but not great performance as Pacha, though it is of no fault of his own as the character was not meant to provide any comic relief. David Spade's performance, while being typical David Spade schtick, carried the movie quite serviceably without being overbearing at any point. What is it with David Spade and fat guys, though? First Chris Farley, then Artie Lang, and now Pacha? Egads, man! Fortunately, there was no fat woman in the movie, namely Rosie O'Donnell.
The songs, co-composed by Sting, gave the audience a gigantic, collective tantric orgasm, something that milquetoast, middle-of-the-road (not to mention balding) pathetic excuse for a musician/composer Phil Collins could never hope to give, even to his third wife.
As a welcome change of pace, this Disney movie was light on the sap, and heavy on the humor. Disney lightened up on the cute, talking animal sidekicks (though they gave us a talking animal lead instead), and got rid of the overpowering maudlin elements that are omnipresent in many Disney animated features. THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE WAS TRULY LAUGHTASTIC! Groove took a modified "road/buddy movie" approach and injected a talking llama and then added a sprinkle of comicality and originality in order to make a movie that truly will appeal to the whole family, no fooling.
I have friends! - Dr. Zoidberg
Y'all brutalizing me! - Ronnie Dobbs
