Emperor's New Groove

David Spade, best known as Dennis Finch from television's Just Shoot Me, lends his vocal talents to the role of Kuzco, the arrogant and nasty ruler of a mythical South American Empire. The story begins with Kuzco deciding to build an enormous swimming pool on top of a nearby mountain as a birthday present to himself.

Unfortunately for the local villagers, including Pacha (John Goodman), this decision means their homes are now destined for 'Bulldozerville' and there's nothing they can do but plead their case to the Emperor.

Before construction can begin, Kuzco is accidentally transformed into a llama, ejected from his palace and left to fend for himself in the jungle. Alone and friendless, his only hope is Pacha, the local villager whose home he had planned to demolish. The movie follows the two as they make their way back to the palace, battling the rigours of the wilderness and relying on each other for survival.

Karen says: Even though Kuzco has the lead role, and you know that everything has to turn out well for him, it is still the supporting characters that have more appeal. click for more

Spade is great as Kuzco, but the character is fairly unpleasant - even as a llama, and it is hard to find sympathy for him. Yzma and Kronk have good banter, reminiscent of many evil duos of late, and steal the show.

The animation is a step back from the smooth style we have become accustomed to from Disney in recent years, with pointy jagged characters and sharp edged scenery. Also, Kuzco narrates the story maintaining his nasty demeanor throughout.

The story is fun, Tom Jones' theme song and dance routine is great, and kids will no doubt enjoy the llama with his witty dialogue. Adults however, may find him marginally obnoxious and feel that a good slappin' is in order. I enjoyed the film and at the end I was left thinking 'bad llama, BAD LLAMA'.