The Emperor's Not Too Groovy

When Disney released The Emperor's New Groove in 2000, I thought, "Disney made a David Spade vehicle?!?" I didn't bother to watch it, just as I had passed on the similarly inane-looking Hercules. Then, last month, our nanny gave a DVD of the movie to the girls. She said, "This is the Disney movie I used to watch over and over again with my Dad when I was a kid." Oh my God, I am so old.
So the girls watched it with their nanny during the week while I was at work. Recently Wonder Red told a friend of mine, "You haven't seen it?! Oh you must watch it, it is so good." Then we watched it as a family for our Friday movie, and I thought, "Disney made a David Spade vehicle?!?"

Not my idea of a Disney hero.

It just didn't seem like they were trying very hard. I quite frequently find myself at odds with Disney. Bad messages, cheesy music, shiny happy endings to tragic stories - all of these things have come between us in the past. But I have never been disappointed in production quality. I never doubted their ability to create a world in a story. I never felt like I could have done it better myself. Until now.
I looked up the movie on Wikipedia, and sure enough, there were production problems. The creator of The Lion King got fed up and quit. So did people involved in Lilo & Stitch. So did Sting! Then, in order to meet deadline obligations to Coke and McDonalds, whoever was left threw something together. They made it, according to Wikipedia, a lot like Hercules, but with fewer characters so it would be easier to follow. And it shows. What a shame. Shame, shame and more shame on you evil Disney empire. Shame for meddling in the creation of what promised to be a really good movie. Shame for hastily throwing something together and slapping a Disney label on it. Shame for valuing McDonalds marketing dollars over your own product and creative staff.

Not a bad Disney mama.

The movie was a gift to our family, and my daughters love it. So I try to look on the bright side. It has John Goodman in it, and he is wonderful as always. The portrayal of his peasant family is wholesome and satisfying. The main character improves gradually throughout the movie instead of falling victim to my favorite pet peeve of only getting a clue in the last five minutes after my kids have thoroughly absorbed his bad behavior. And, as I watched it, I have to admit, I did sometimes laugh. Not as often as my kids, but I did laugh.
Then I reminded myself, "Hey, I watch Jack Black. A movie doesn't have to be good to entertain."

 I shouldn't complain about my kids' choices.