Day Two Hundred and Seventy-two - The Emperor's New Groove, "Kronk, your antics make life worth living sometimes."

When The Emperor's New Groove came out, I remember a lot of folks lambasting it as just another example of the decline of Disney's animation studio from its heyday in the late 80's/early 90's after the Second Renaissance that included The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. Maybe it was a hostility towards all the fourth wall breaking, or just David Spade in particular... or, perhaps, it was just the general lack of awe-inspiring visuals or catchy musical sequences.

In any case, The Emperor's New Groove was a break from Disney's typical routine and, for that, got a lot of criticism. Personally, though, while I can see the validity of their complaints, there's just this bouncy humor that pervades the entirety of the film that really, really makes me happy... mostly coming at the hands of Chaotic Neutral henchmen, Kronk (Patrick Warburton).

That's not to say that David Spade, the intended star of the show as the Emperor Kuzco, isn't funny... but there are times that his self-absorbed sarcasm rubs the wrong way, whereas pretty much everything that comes out of Kronk's mouth (or, from his kitchen) is delicious.

While co-star John Goodman never really distinguishes himself as a voice actor here, playing the goody two-shoes Pacha (I think Wendi Malick does a much more interesting turn as his wife, Chicha), Eartha Kitt actually does a bangup job as the villainous Yzma, a wretched crone of an enchantress with eyes on the throne. It's actually rather sad that they didn't have her do a musical number as her voice just screams sultry and wicked.

As far as the story goes, it's just your typical buddy/chase flick as Kuzco and Pacha try and get back to civilization whilst bonding with each other and trying to avoid/thwart Yzma and Kronk. No real big surprise there. I was actually hoping that, in the absence of BOTH Kuzco and Yzma, that the people of the empire would attempt some sort of "majority rule" collective, but nope... civilization operates normally while the dueling heads of state, well, duel.

It's weird, The Emperor's New Groove really doesn't have your standard Disney polish and signaled a temporary halt to the trope of every entry being a romantic musical (a halt which led directly to the pulp adventure Atlantis: The Lost Empire), but it also wasn't "nails on the chalkboard" bad like the straight-to-DVD features that Disney was pumping out in the 90's, either. It's quaint and mostly fun... just not a grand Disney Epic, like most folks were used to back then.

I particularly loved (along with Kronk) all the tiny jokes like the Jaguar cub, the rollercoaster voice over, and the map lines... but really, the star of the show was Kronk. I don't think that the movie would've survived without his offbeat humor (and metahumor). Whether it was his obsessive homemaking, arguing with his dueling consciences, or squirrel translation, Patrick Warburton created a character that transcending the possible mediocrity of the film.

The main draw was him... everything else was just a supporting bonus. I mean, they turned Earth Kitt into a freaking cat and didn't even have her purr! Sacrilege!

I can definitely recommend The Emperor's New Groove, just be advised that it's all about the humor... the story, art, and music are all just meh.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Seventeen - Paranorman, "Laika, you rock... HARD."

Made by the same crew who brought Neil Gaiman's Coraline to the big screen, ParaNorman tells the tale of a young boy who is a reluctant medium in an old New England town where no one, not even his family, understands his gift/curse for speaking to the dead.

Unfortunately for Norman, that means that he is the only one who can save the town when the curse of a witch who was hanged back in pilgrim times falls upon the town, threatening to drive everyone mad with mass hysteria.

Alright, I think it's pretty safe to say that Laika and its artists are pretty awesome. What they manage to do with wire frames and latex is awe-inspiring. Overall, their art direction is stupendous. I really love how everything is askew, from the character design to the architecture and props, there are bent angles everywhere and a general lack symmetry that serves to enhance the eerie mood of the picture.

Then there's the story... a simple ghost tale that follows a natural progression, I could definitely see it getting lost in someone else's hands (like, say, Dreamworks or Fox), but Laika and company use their character cliches and idiosyncrasies to drive things smoothly instead of relying on pop culture to connect superfluous scenes together (like Shrek or Ice Age).

ParaNorman is great family fare, but it doesn't dumb things down. It will be scary for kids, but the good kind of scary that inspires wonder and creativity as opposed to most horror films that are just out for shock factor. There's something in the story for everyone and plenty of interesting background noise to make the town and its citizens feel real and fully fleshed out... even the zombies.

That's not to say that there aren't a few silly jokes meant to pull people in (like the Halloween reference), but there are many more references and gags meant to satisfy film lovers (like the opening zombie movie) without being heavy handed.

I think my main complaint with the movie is that all of the ghosts that we're introduced to in the first act disappear until the denouement. Be it Grandma or Neil's dog or any of the plethora of spirits that Norman meets on his way to school, they all seem to disappear when they could've been used to greater effect during the crisis. This is especially disappointing in the case of Grandma who says, herself, that she's only there to look after Norman.

Well, where WERE you Grandma, when zombie pilgrims were chasing down your grandson? Hmm?

It's a valid issue/plothole, but doesn't really detract from the quality of the film as a whole. It's got great style, animation, story, and voice acting (mmm, Anna Kendrick... you're so dreamy~). I'm really happy to have this in my queue and recommend it to pretty much everybody.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~