Kronk's New Groove [DVD]

Kronk (Patrick Warburton) is now a chef (and, lest we forget, chief delivery boy) at a popular diner, his henchman days all in his past. He's pretty happy with his job and all of his friends there in town. Then, from out of the blue, he learns that his Papi is coming for a visit. Kronk has always dreamed of the day when his father would tell him he's proud of him - but Papi's hopes for his son involve a wife and kids and a big house on the hill (and no cooking). The kicker is the fact that Kronk actually had a house and a girl - sort of - for a while. Cue the flashbacks. First, we see Kronk get the big house on the hill after naively helping that dastardly Yzma (the still-meowlicious Eartha Kitt) with another one of her schemes. Then we watch what happens when he meets the woman of his dreams, Ms. Birdwell (Tracey Ullman) at Camp Chippamuka. Doing the right thing in the end, though, costs him both the house and the girl. So what happens when Papi finally arrives? What doesn't happen, as comic mischief ensues? If you're wondering about Emperor Kuzco, he does manage to insert himself into the film every so often - even though this movie really isn't about him at all.

There are some funny bits in this film. There's a good helping of your basic, physical humor that youngsters will like, but the jokes I enjoyed the most were ones that a lot of youngsters probably won't "get." In the case of one joke, the writer went way, way, way out of his way to deliver a grimace-worthy play on words that most folks under twenty probably won't even notice. Then there's the big dance scene with Kronk and his girl grooving to some vintage Earth, Wind, and Fire - it's just one pop culture reference after another. I loved it, but kids will probably just react to all the funny dancing going on.

Kronk's New Groove isn't going to set a new bar for animated movies, but it's a good, funny film that entertained this adult and will surely entertain the youngsters it's basically aimed at. The special features are fairly good, as well. The behind-the-scenes featurette is child-oriented, and it's pretty funny in its own right. Meanwhile, the two games, one of which puts you inside Kronk's mind, are decent and easy enough for a kid to understand and enjoy. The DVD also comes with a plethora of sneak peeks at upcoming Disney movies. Disney may not have hit a home run this time around, but Kronk's New Groove is certainly a solid double into the gap.

All of the previous characters return. Of course there is Kronk himself, along with Kuzco, Pacha and his family, the babbling squirrel and Yzma (who has now turned mostly back into a 'human' but still features a cat's tail and feline abilities. The movie tries to incorporate all of them into the story but nothing really sticks. It all just seems like an excuse for mayhem.

As before, it is told in flashback with Kronk explaining how he ended up in such sorry circumstances. His dad is coming to visit him and he's afraid of the inevitable disapproval he'll get as all he's managed to do with his life is be a Junior Chipmunk Troup Leader and run a restaurant kitchen. His dad thinks that cooking and talking to animals isn't a 'real job' and won't give Kronk the big thumbs up until he's got his own house on a hill with loads of money.

From this thin idea comes loads of deception, scheming and hijinks. And that's basically the movie. It IS packed full of hilarious moments and wonderful Looney Tunes-inspired humor like the first, but it just lacks that overall high-quality. Still, it's loads of fun and any fan of The Emperor's New Groove must give it a rent.

The DVD is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks. The extras are minimal and aimed at kids.