The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
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A spoiled emperor is transformed into a llama and must team up with a humble peasant to navigate a kingdom where his enemies are closing in.
The story
In an Incan empire, the spoiled and conceited Emperor Kuzco is transformed into a llama after a botched assassination attempt by his treacherous advisor, Yzma, and her bumbling henchman, Kronk. To survive and eventually return to human form, Kuzco must rely on Pacha, a kind and humble village leader. The two must navigate the dangerous wilderness and outsmart Yzma's plot to seize the throne. As they journey toward the palace, Kuzco must confront his own selfishness while Pacha tries to keep them safe from Yzma's looming threat.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the Incan empire, the spoiled Emperor Kuzco is turned into a llama by his advisor Yzma's henchman, Kronk, who used the wrong potion. Kuzco is then escorted by the humble village leader Pacha. During their journey, they face various perils and eventually discover Yzma's true intentions. After a series of mishaps and a confrontation in Yzma's lab, Kuzco and Pacha manage to defeat Yzma (who is turned into a cat) and find the correct potion. Kuzco returns to human form, makes amends with the people he wronged, and builds a modest home. Kronk becomes a scout leader, and Yzma remains a cat in his troop.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 78
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mark Dindal
- Writers
- David Reynolds · screenplay; Chris Williams · story; Mark Dindal · story; Roger Allers · story; Matthew Jacobs · story
- Cast and characters
- David Spade · Kuzco; John Goodman · Pacha; Eartha Kitt · Yzma; Patrick Warburton · Kronk; Wendie Malick · Chicha
- Genres
- animated; comedy
- Tone and mood
- comedy; lighthearted
- Premise and plot tags
- transformation; buddy comedy; fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Kingdom of the Sun
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics but underperformed at the box office compared to 1990s Disney films. It gained a cult following and significant success on home media.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 28; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Song · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled Kingdom of the Sun.; The title is not related to 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.; The film was re-released in theaters in 2021.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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