The Emperor’s New Groove is one of my favourite Disney films, definitely on my Top Ten list! I probably could have gotten away without watching the film and still have written out so many details for The Story section because I have seen it so many times. But it still makes me laugh and I am glad I watched it!
Premiered on: December 10, 2000 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Directed by: Mark Dindal
Produced by: Randy Fullmer
Based on: Original Story (See Trivia)
Sequels: Kronk’s New Groove (2005)
Cast:
David Spade – Kuzco
John Goodman – Pacha
Eartha Kitt – Yzma
Patrick Warburton – Kronk
Wendie Malick – Chicha
Kellyann Kelso – Chaca
Eli Russell Linnetz – Tipo
Bob Bergen – Bucky the Squirrel
Tom Jones – Theme Song Guy
Patti Deutsch – Waitress
John Fiedler – Rudy
Supervising Animators:
Dale Baer
Tony Bancroft
Dominique Monfery
Nik Ranieri
Bruce W. Smith
Music by:
Sting
David Hartley
John Debney
Songs:
“Perfect World”
“My Funny Friend & Me”
Academy Awards: Best Song – “My Funny Friend & Me” (nomination)
The Story:
The Emperor’s New Groove begins with the text “Long ago, somewhere deep in the jungle…” A very sad and scared llama is then shown in the middle of a rainy and dark jungle. A narrator calls the llama pathetic and says that he was once a human, an emperor even. The narrator then says that he is that llama and is Emperor Kuzco. He was the nicest guy but then they ruined his life for nothing. Kuzco wants to go back a ways to begin the story.
The scene then shows Kuzco as a baby. He is playing with a toy which breaks and then suddenly dozens of other toys appear from servants. Kuzco says that is too far and to move ahead.
Kuzco is brushing his hair with a gold llama comb and then the title card appears. The song “Perfect World” is playing and then Kuzco dramatically puts on his crown. He goes about his emperor duties with lots of help from his servants. He basically just sits on his throne and has his servants bring his tasks to him. The scene switches back and forth between Kuzco on the throne and Kuzco the llama and he says that the first him is a winner and the second is a looser. Back at the palace, Kuzco brags that everyone is at his command and he demonstrates by summoning the butler, chef, and theme song guy. Kuzco is dancing around and bumps in an old man named Rudy. The emperor is so upset with Rudy for throwing off his groove that a guard tosses the old man out of a window. Kuzco then returns to dancing and the guards all dance with him.
Kuzco is then told by a servant that it is time for him to choose his bride but he does not like any of the ladies and ends up insulting all of them. He is then listening to the servant babble on and on and asks if the audience is still wondering about the llama. He is going to show who the people are that ruined his life.
Outside of the palace, Pacha is walking up the steps. He asks guard for directions to see the Emperor because he got a summons. Along the way, Pacha finds Rudy all tangled up in a banner. Rudy warns Pacha about Kuzco’s groove. Kuzco narrates that this guy is trouble but he is nothing compared to who is next.
Yzma is sitting on Kuzco’s throne and is dealing with a peasant. Kuzco narrates that she is the Emperor’s advisor and that Kronk is her henchman. She gets a new one every decade or so. Kronk demonstrates is lack of intelligence by knocking himself out why trying to catch a fly that landed on his forehead. Kuzco continues to say that Yzma has a bad habit of trying to run the country behind his back. She tells the peasant that she does not care that he does not have any food and that he should have thought about that before becoming a peasant. Kuzco then appears and Yzma jumps out of the throne. Kuzco can’t believe how wrinkly and old she is as she babbles on and on as well. He then fires Yzma, who is very distraught about it.
A servant announces that the village leader is there to see Kuzco and Pacha comes in. Kuzco tells him that the word on the street is that Pacha can fix his problem. Pacha is very confused and says that he will try. Kuzco asks him if he knows just how important his village is to the Emperor and Pacha responds that they grow crops and herd llamas. Kuzco then reveals a model of the village and asks Pacha where they get the best sunlight. Pacha shows him the side of the hilltop where he thinks that the hills just sing. Kuzco is pleased and says that his problem is solved and that Pacha can go home now. Pacha is even more confused and Kuzco says that he needed an insider’s opinion before okaying his pool. He slams down a model of his “Kuzcotopia” which is complete with a waterslide. He then tells Pacha to pick up some change of address forms on his way home. Pacha wants to know where they will live but Kuzco tells him that he doesn’t know nor does he care. He just tells Pacha “bye-bye” and the village leader is dragged out by the guards.
Yzma is smashes busts of Kuzco in her anger over being fired. Kronk comments that it is a good thing that she is taking it out on the busts and not the real Kuzco. This gives Yzma an idea to get rid of the real Kuzco because, with no heir, she can take over the throne. They head off to their secret lab.
At the door to the secret lab, Yzma tells Kronk to pull the lever. He does, but it is the wrong lever and she goes flying down into a crocodile pool. Yzma comes back to the door and asks why they even have that lever. Yzma and Kronk ride a roller coaster down to their secret lab and end up in lab coats at the bottom. Yzma wonders how she should kill off Kuzco. Her first thought is to turn him into a flea, and put that flea in a box, then to put that box into a bigger box and to mail it to herself. Once that box arrives, she will smash it with a hammer! She thinks it is brilliant but then she accidently knocks over a vial of poison and decided to just save on postage and poison Kuzco instead. They plan to invite Kuzco for dinner.
Kronk is lighting candles and getting ready for dinner. He wants to starts off with soup and a light salad but Yzma is only concerned about the poison. She thinks he will be dead before desert! Kuzco then appears and asks Yxma is there is any hard feelings about being let go and she says, through clenched teeth, that there are none whatsoever. Kronk gets the drinks ready and pours the poison into one of the cups. He is about to hand it to Kuzco when the Emperor asks if something is burning. Kronk runs out of the room because he is worried about his spinach puffs. While Kronk is gone, Kuzco and Yzma awkwardly talking about Kronk until he gets back. Kronk is very happy that he saved his spinach puffs. Yzma reminds him to give the Emperor his drink but now Kronk cannot remember which cup had the poison in it. He mixes them all together in a vase and pours the drinks back into the cups. He gives one to Kuzco and motions to Yzma not to drink. Yzma tosses the drink into a cactus behind her. Kuzco is immediately knocked out and Yzma tells Kronk to get rid of the body. But then Kuzco is awaken again and he slowly changes into a llama right before their eyes. Yzma motions to Kronk to hit him on the head to knock him out but Kronk just thinks she wants more broccoli. Once he finally figures it out and does, Yzma cries out that Kronk was suppose to be dead and not a llama! She grabs the vial from Kronk and realizes that it is not poison but extract of llama. She tells Kronk to finishes off the job but Kronk wants to have dessert and a quick cup of coffee first and Yzma lets him have his way.
Kronk is sneaking around the palace with llama Kuzco in a sack. He is singing to himself his own theme song as Kuzco narrates that he is very glad he was unconscious during all of this. Kronk tosses the sack into a canal that flows out of the palace and down a waterfall. He starts to have second thoughts when his shoulder angel and devil show up. The devil says that he has three good reasons that Kronk should listen to him. The first is because the angel is playing some sissy, stringy instrument and is wearing a dress. The second is because he can do a handstand with one hand. Kronk asks what that has to do with anything and the angel interrupts and says that he devil has a point. Kronk asks them both to leave because they are confusing him. He then runs and grabs the sack just before it is about to go over the waterfall. The shot dramatically zooms so far out that the palace is far off in the distance and the focus is on a chimp and a bug. Kuzco says to get back to him.
Kronk is freaking out because he does not know what to do. Pacha is nearby and getting ready to leave the city by loading up his cart with supplies. Kronk steps on a cat and trips and the sack flies onto Pacha’s cart. Kronk tries to find Pacha in the crowd but loses him.
Pacha sadly walks home through the mountains and over a long rope bridge. He reaches his village at night where is family is waiting. Tipo wants his mom to measure him again but Chaca says that it is impossible that he has grown in the last five minutes. Chicha pretends that he has and so Chaca wants to be measures as well. Suddenly the children see Pacha and go flying into his arms. Tipo is very excited that he ate a bug and that he has grown so much. Chaca thinks that is not as impressive as her loose tooth. Chicha says that it is time to go to sleep because their deal was that they could stay up until Pacha gets home. But the children beg to stay up and give Pacha puppy-dog eyes. He says that they can stay up but he and Chicha will only be telling each other how much they love each other. They children think that is gross and they go to bed.
Chicha wants to know what the Emperor wanted and Pacha lies and says that he could not see him. This makes Chicha very mad and thinks that the Emperor has no common courtesy. She goes off to wash something to calm down. Pacha looks sadly at their home. He says that he is going to but their llama Misty away.
Outside, Pacha sits down on the bench. The scene pauses and Kuzco appears from the side. He wants to remind the audience that this story is about him. He circles the sack with a red marker and crosses off Pacha. Kuzco ducks out.
Pacha opens up the sack to find the other llama. He asks where the llama came from and Kuzco responds with “no touchie.” Pacha starts to yell “demon llama!” and Kuzco thinks that Misty is the demon llama and starts to freak out as well. He tries to run away but is very awkward with his new legs. Pacha realizes that the llama is Emperor Kuzco but Kuzco can’t figure out why Pacha is so confused. Pacha wiggles his own fingers and asks Kuzco to do the same. He does and realizes that his hands are actually llama hooves. He runs to some nearby water to look at his reflection and starts to sob over his llama face. Kuzco realizes that they last thing he remembers is Pacha being mad at him because of Kuzcotopia. He then concludes that Pacha must have turned him into a llama and calls him a criminal mastermind. Pacha thinks this is all ridiculous. Kuzco remembers that Yzma has a secret lab so he will just go back home and snap his fingers and demand she turn him back. He shakily starts to walk away and demands that Pacha go with him. Pacha refuses unless Kuzco builds his summer house somewhere else. Kuzco claims that he does not make deals with peasants and decides to make it back on his own. Pacha tries to convince him not to because the jungle is very dangerous. Kuzco doesn’t listen and leaves.
In the jungle, Kuzco is pretending to be very scared of the trees and leaves. He tells himself that as the Emperor, he was born with a great sense of direction, but then realizes he is lost. He hears a bug crying for help because it is devoured by a spider and then he hears a rustling in the bushes and prepares for something scary. The noise turns out to be a squirrel who offers Kuzco an acorn. Kuzco throws the acorn at the squirrel’s head. The llama then trips and lands in the middle of a group of sleeping jaguars. The squirrel appears and blows up a balloon shaped like a llama. He threatens to pop the balloon with a thorn and Kuzco begs him not to. The squirrel does pop the balloon but the loud ‘pop’ does not wake the sleeping jaguars. However, Kuzco’s loud “Ha!” does and the jaguars chase the llama. Kuzco gets cornered next to a cliff and suddenly, Pacha swings out of nowhere on a vine and sweeps up the Emperor. They then get wrapped around a large tree branch by the vine and Kuzco comments that this seems like a step backwards.
The tree branch then breaks and they fall into the rushing river below, still tied to the branch. They then approach a large waterfall and go flying down below. This crash breaks apart the branch and Pacha pulls an unconscious Kuzco out of the water. Pacha slaps the llama to try and wake him but he doesn’t. Pacha then leans down to give him mouth to mouth and Kuzco wakes up right then. They both start screaming.
Kuzco is gurgling soapy water and complaining about Pacha’s attempt at a ‘kiss of life.’ Pacha is trying to get a fire going but every time he does, Kuzco puts it out one way or the other. Kuzco then talks about his summer home again and Pacha tries to nicely reason with him about how the Emperor is displacing families. But Kuzco still does not care and Pacha warns him that one day he will be all alone with no one to blame but himself. Kuzco just orders him to bring him back to the palace and Pacha still refuses.
At nighttime, Kuzco is trying to sleep but can’t because he is freezing cold. Pacha comes over and wraps his poncho around him.
At the palace, Yzma is holding a funeral for Kuzco. Afterwards, she gets all of the staff to place her face and image all over the palace to replace Kuzco’s. She tells Kronk that he had her worried when he mixed up the poisons but now that Kuzco is dead, all is forgiven. Kronk is acting very awkward about it and tries to use the royal dresser as an excuse not to talk about it. Yzma figures it out that Kronk did not actually kill Kuzco. She says that they need to find him and kill him.
Tipo suddenly bolts up in bed and starts screaming for his dad to look out. Chicha comes upstairs and asks what is wrong. Tipo says that he had a dream that Pacha was tied to a log and going down a raging river. Chicha says to relax and that his dad is fine; he just went back to see the Emperor. Tipo comments that Pacha went because Chicha told him to because she is always right. Chaca wakes up and says that in her dream, Pacha had to kiss a llama. The children argue over that would ever happen or not.
In the morning in the jungle, Kuzco gives Pacha back his poncho and they make awkward small talk. He then agrees to build his summer house someplace out and so Pacha says that he will take him back to the palace, if they shake on it. They do and Pacha thanks Kuzco. When Pacha is out of earshot, Kuzco slyly says “no, thank you.”
The palace is shown and the shot zooms down to a rope bridge in the nearby hills. Pacha and Kuzco start to cross the bridge but suddenly it breaks and Pacha falls down. He gets tangled up in the ropes below and asks Kuzco for help. Kuzco refuses and admits that he was going to have Pacha thrown into the prison for life but he likes this better. Pacha is very mad that Kuzco lied to him and Kuzco points out that in order to shake hands, he needs hands. Kuzco then falls down himself and gets tangled up as well. Pacha asks if he is okay and when Kuzco says that he is, Pacha punches him. They start to fight and argue. The bridge then completely breaks and falls down. Pacha and Kuzco start to fall as well but then get wedged together in a narrow part of the canyon. There is a river filled with crocodiles down below. They climb back up the cliff back to back until Pacha is able to reach a rope from the broken bridge. The rope is stuck in a tree and when Pacha pulls on it, scorpions fall down onto Kuzco. Kuzco starts to freak out and he ends up shoving his snout into a hole in the cliff. Pacha grabs onto his tail but keeps pulling on the rope. More scorpions fall, and this time, down Pacha’s poncho. He starts to slam his back against the cliff to kill the scorpions. This wakes up bats in the hole where Kuzco’s snout is stuck and the bats fill up his mouth. Kuzco goes flying out of the hole, runs up the side of the canyon and lands right back on the ground where they started, pulling Pacha with him. They laugh in disbelief at what just happened but suddenly the side of the canyon starts to shake and Pacha almost falls back down. Kuzco saves him right in time. Pacha is very surprised at what has just happened and says that he knew there was some good in Kuzco. Kuzco tries to brush it off and says that it was a one time thing. Pacha says that they better get going because it is a four day walk to the palace with that bridge out. Kuzco is shocked that Pacha is still going to take him and Pacha says that he shook hands on it. Kuzco says that this doesn’t change anything and he is still going to build Kuzcotopia. Pacha points out that four days is a long time to change his mind and Kuzco asks what are the chances of Pacha carrying him. Pacha responds that they aren’t good.
Yzma is angrily crossing off villages on a map because they can’t find Kuzco. She then speaks into a pipe and tells Kronk to pull over. Kronk is running through the jungle and carrying Yzma in a tent on his back. Yzma steps out into the mud and loses her best shoes. Yzma declares that she hates the jungle. Kronk is loving it because he is playing exotic bird bingo. Yzma trips into the mud and the squirrel appears and tries to talk to her. Yzma just starts yelling at the squirrel and the squirrel runs away to Kronk. Kronk explains to the squirrel that Yzma is not the easiest person to get to know and she is confused that he is talking to a squirrel. Kronk tells Yzma that he was a Junior Chipmunk and therefore is fluent in all of the woodland creatures. He tells Yzma that the poor squirrel has had it rough because a talking llama gave him a hard time the other day. Yzma perks up at this and tries to get the squirrel to tell her where the talking llama went. The squirrel won’t talk to her so she asks Kronk to ask the squirrel. The squirrel starts to tell his story and Yzma slowly sneaks towards them. The squirrel stops and Kronk asks her to back away so the squirrel continue. Once she is across the way, the squirrel points in the direction that the talking llama went.
Pacha is carrying Kuzco because Kuzco is complaining that he has low blood sugar. Pacha tells the llama that once they get something to eat, he is walking. They come up to a restaurant and notice a sign above the door that reads “no llamas.” No matter, they dress Kuzco up like a woman and they pretend that they are a couple on their honeymoon. Pacha admits that Kuzco had a good idea after they have ordered and Kuzco says that all of his ideas are good ones. Pacha then points out all of his bad ideas, such as wandering into the jungle alone and lying to him. Kuzco says that anything is bad when he says it like that. Their lunch of giant pill bug comes and Pacha is quite excited about it. Kuzco thinks it is disgusting and goes to talk to the chef about it.
Yzma and Kronk sit at the table directly behind Pacha. Yzma makes a comment that she should have done away with Kuzco when she had the chance. Pacha starts to choke on his pill bug at hearing this. Yzma bends a fork in her frustration and Kronk says that he will get her a new one. He turns to Pacha to borrow a fork and says that Pacha looks very familiar. Kronk is unable to place him and Pacha says that he has to go.
Kuzco is in the kitchen arguing with the chef when Pacha tries to get his attention. Yzma complains that everything on the menu is covered in gravy and Kronk tells her that he will go talk to the chef. Pacha grabs Kuzco and tries to bring him outside but he sees Kronk approaching and he runs back into the kitchen with him. They hide in a closet. Kronk asks the chef what the policy is for special orders and the chef very angrily quits. Kronk is now in charge of the kitchen.
The waitress calls out a long, complicated order and Kronk repeats it back to her, except that he gets everything mixed up. In the closet, Kuzco asks what is going on and Pacha tells him that they need to get going. Yzma wonders what is taking Kronk so long and heads to the kitchen. Kuzco is still hungry and he tells Kronk his new order. Kronk doesn’t see Kuzco and Kuzco doesn’t notice that it is a new chef. He leaves. Yzma comes in and sees Kronk cooking. At first she is annoyed but then asks him to make her the special. Kuzco comes back in and confuses Kronk by changing his order again. Yzma does the same and they both keep confusing Kronk and just missing each other.
Pacha comes out of the kitchen and whispers something to the waitress. She tells him that they do it all the time and the staff start to surround Yzma and sing their Happy Birthday song to her. Pacha uses this distraction to grab Kuzco and drag him out of the restaurant.
Kuzco wants to know what is going on and Pacha tells him that there is a big guy and a scary old woman looking for him. Kuzco realizes that it is Yzma and Kronk and thinks that he is saved. Pacha tries to convince him that they are going to kill Kuzco but the llama doesn’t believe him. He thinks that Pacha is wanting to keep Kuzco stranded in the jungle. They argue and go their separate ways.
Kuzco catches up to Yzma and Kronk and he overhears that they are actually trying to kill him. Kuzco then tries to find Pacha again but can’t. He is all alone in the jungle and it becomes nighttime and starts to rain. This is where the movie started and Kuzco continues his narration. The Kuzco on screen argues with the narrator Kuzco to give it a rest.
Kronk is sleeping in a tiny tent. He wakes up with a start and remembers that the peasant at the diner didn’t pay his bill. He falls asleep again and then wakes up again and remembers who that peasant actually is. He thinks that if they find him, they can find Kuzco. He wakes up Yzma, who is even scarier looking in her sleep. She tells him that this has better be good!
In the morning, Kuzco is still wandering around alone. He finds other llamas who are grazing and he joins in. The llamas then all leave him. He tries to eat grass but thinks it is gross. Kuzco then overhears Pacha telling their story to the llamas. Kuzco walks over and apologizes to him. Pacha asks if he is tired of being a llama and Kuzco cries “yes!”
They run back to the village to grab some supplies and on the way to Pacha’s house, they pass two old men playing checkers. They tell Pacha that he just missed their relatives and describe the relatives as a big guy and a scary old woman. In the house, Chicha is asking Yzma how she is related to Pacha again. Yzma responds by saying that she is his third cousin’s brother’s wife’s dead niece’s great aunt, twice removed.
Kronk is playing jump rope with the children. Chicha is reminding Yzma that Pacha is not there so she will just tell him that they stopped by, in an attempt to get them to leave. But Yzma drops her teacup as a distraction and goes to speak to Kronk. She tells him that when she gives the word, they will search the house. When Yzma returns to the kitchen, Chicha once again tries to get her to leave. She then sees Pacha motioning to her from outside and she goes out to see him. Yzma gives the word but instead of searching the house, Kronk changes positions in Double Dutch. Pacha is explaining what has happened to Chicha, when she accidently hits the Emperor with a frying pan.
Yzma has started to search the house and Tipo comments that he doesn’t think that she is his great aunt, more of a great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great aunt. Chicha tells Pacha that she will stall and offers to give Yzma a tour of the house. Kuzco and Pacha leave and Kuzco asks if it is a good idea to leave his family with those two. Pacha assures him that they will be ok.
Chicha and the children have Yzma and Kronk locked in a closet and Yzma is very angry about it. Chicha suggests to just jiggle the handle but Yzma protests that there is no handle, as Chicha is actually holding it. Yzma threatens to burn their house down. Chicha tells the children to get ready and then as Yzma counts to three, Chicha opens the closet door. Yzma goes flying out, slips on a freshly waxed floor, gets covered in honey and feathers, and becomes a piñata, all thanks to Chaca and Tipo.
Yzma sees the footprints of Pacha and Kuzco and yells at Kronk that they are getting away. Kronk tells Chicha that he had a great time and that they shouldn’t wait until the next family reunion to get together.
The chase is on. A map shows the two parties racing towards the palace with their tracks being marked. Pacha and Kuzco are parked by orange dashes and Yzma and Kronk by purple arrows. Pacha and Kuzco fly across the canyon by a rope and Yzma and Kronk try to glide across by using their tent. A lightning bolt strikes them while they are in the air.
Pacha and Kronk reach the palace as it is nighttime and it starts to rain. They are at the door to the secret lab and Kuzco has fallen down to the crocodiles. They then pull the right lever and go down the roller coast to the lab. Pacha and Kuzco are looking for the vial that will turn Kuzco back to a human and they find lions, tigers, and bears.
Yzma calls out “oh my,” and she is holding the human vial. Kuzco is confused how they got back before them and Kronk pulls down the map. They don’t know either but Yzma doesn’t care. She tosses Kronk a dagger and says to finish the job.
Kronk’s shoulder devil and angel appear and he discusses the matter with them. No one else can see them and Yzma thinks that he is crazy. She calls him a big, stupid monkey named Kronk and tells him that she has never liked his spinach puffs. Kronk starts to cry. The angel says that she will get her just reward from above and they all look up at a chandelier hanging above her. Kronk says that will work and he cuts down the chandelier. It crashes down but doesn’t hurt Yzma. She then pulls a lever and Kronk falls out of the secret lab.
Pacha grabs the vial and they fight over it. Yzma knocks over a bunch of vials to the floor and calls the guards. She tells the guards that Pacha and Kuzco were the ones who killed the Emperor. Pacha just grabs all of the vials and they make a run for it, but not before knocking over more potions and changing all of the guards into different animals. Kuzco tries different potions and turns into a turtle, a bird, a whale, and back into a llama. They fall into the canals and Yzma tells the guards to drain the water. The water all drains out of the nostrils of the giant face of the palace and the guards jump down into the empty canals but go falling out the drain.
Yzma grabs onto some fabric and jumps down to follow Pacha and Kuzco. There are only two vials left and they fight over them. Yzma gets turned into a kitty cat in the process. Pacha falls and is holding onto a ledge of the giant face. Kuzco has the correct vial but can’t get it open. Yzma attacks him but falls as well. The vial then flies out of Kuzco’s hooves as he tries to open it and is balancing on a ledge. Pacha is about to fall and Kuzco chooses to save him over saving the vial. The vial falls as well.
A giant trampoline has been set up on the ground below and Yzma bounces off of it and goes flying back up. She catches the vial in the process. She smacks into the top of a ledge and the vial is up for grabs again. Pacha and Kuzco climb up the face, back to back like in the canyon and reach the vial. Yzma grabs it first but Kronk opens a nearby window and smashes her. Pacha gets the vial and he and Kuzco awkwardly hug. He then opens it and gives it to Kuzco who drinks the potion.
Kuzco is apologizing to Rudy inside the palace. He then sees Pacha sadly looking at the model of his village. Kuzco goes over and tells Pacha that he lied to him; he was all over those hilltops but heard no singing. He tells Pacha that he is going to move his summer home to a more magical hill and Pacha tells him that there is singing on the hill next to them.
Kuzcotopia is open and Kuzco and Pacha and his family are all enjoying the summer house. There is a reprise of “Perfect World.” Chicha has had her baby and gives Kuzco a poncho with a llama on it.
Kronk is now the leader of the Junior Chipmunks and Tipo and Chaca are part of the troop. Kronk and the squirrel are teaching them how to speak squirrel and Yzma the kitty cat reluctantly participates.
The end credits roll to the song “My Funny Friend & Me.”
Trivia:
- Originally, this film was called Kingdom of the Sun and was going to be a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. The film went through many new changes and leaders to become what it ending up being.
- The production of the film was such a disaster that Sting’s wife, Trudie Styler, made a documentary about the journey. This documentary is called The Sweatbox and focuses on the tension between creatives and executives.
- The bird that Kronk is so excited about is a golden-throated small-winged warbler.
- Pacha and Kuzco order two house specials and an onion log to split at Mudka’s Meat Hut.
- After Yzma pours out her poisoned drink behind her into a cactus, the cactus also turns into a llama.
- The joke about Kuzco having low blood sugar is a reference to David Spade being hypoglycemic.
- Kronk’s last name is Pepikrankenitz.
- Yzma turning into a kitty cat is a reference to Eartha Kitt’s role as Catwoman in the 1960s.
- There were many songs that Sting and David Hartley wrote which were deleted including: “Snuff out the Light,” “Walk the Llama Llama,” and “One Day She’ll Love Me.”
- This film is not based on nor inspired by Han Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes. They only share a similar name.
Representation in the Disney Parks:
There is currently no representation of The Emperor’s New Groove in the Disney Parks. Though, I think they should build the roller coaster that leads to the secret lab!
Check out the other films of Disney’s Post-Renaissance Era:
Yes! I completely agree that Disney needs an Emperor’s New Groove roller coaster!!