The Emperor's New Groove: Critic Reviews

94%

MovieWeb: 2 reviews

85%

RottenTomatoes: 50 reviews

« previous
1
2
next »
«
»

Lisa Alspector Chicago Reader (Top Critic)

Ingenious action sequences driven by surprisingly little plot lead to a climax full of the transmogrification animation was invented for.
Full Review » 3 years ago
Susan Stark Detroit News (Top Critic)

50

An audience dominated by young children was disconcertingly quiet during a preview screening.
Full Review » 11 years ago
Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel (Top Critic)

I admit I feel a little guilty to be praising a production whose aims are so thoroughly modest, but I laughed all the way through this movie.
Full Review » 11 years ago
Geoff Pevere Toronto Star (Top Critic)

Funky, funny and free of ersatz Broadway cheese.
Full Review » 11 years ago
Liam Lacey Globe and Mail (Top Critic)

75

Will the kids buy it? You bet they will.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Richard Corliss TIME Magazine (Top Critic)

Emperor doesn't aim too high or strain too hard; it is at ease inhabiting its pretty, miniature realm.
Full Review » 4 years ago
Nell Minow Common Sense Media

80

More fun, goofy cartoon antics than Disney polish.
Full Review » 2 years ago
Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy

80

[The] lightest and wackiest of all Disney features.
Full Review » 2 years ago
Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed

50

At times it was too fluffy, especially the ending.
Full Review » 3 years ago
Daniel Etherington Film4

Groove boasts some innovative tricks and sharp performances. Oh, and not too many songs. Phew.
Full Review » 4 years ago
Bob Grimm Sacramento News & Review

80

The arc of the story may be predictable, but it's balanced out by some marvelously unpredictable flashes of visual comedy, all very much in the style of Chuck Jones in his prime.
Full Review » 4 years ago
David Ansen Newsweek

The unfussy, tossed-off quality actually helps give this original story zippy irreverence some of Disney's plusher cartoons lack.
Full Review » 4 years ago
Wally Hammond Time Out

This Disney comedy makes a self-conscious and largely successful attempt to modernise the studio's format with a jive-ass sensibility.
Full Review » 6 years ago
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews

75

...a surprisingly entertaining and awfully funny piece of work.
Full Review » 6 years ago
Chris Gore Film Threat

80

At its heart, this is a buddy comedy that works on all levels.
Full Review » 6 years ago
Christopher Smith Bangor Daily News (Maine)

84

The film ranks among the studio's fresher undertakings.
Full Review » 7 years ago
Jeffrey Overstreet Looking Closer

75

Lickety-split banter between brilliantly conceived characters, chase scenes that leave you breathless with laughter and surprise ... this is a whole new ballgame for Disney.
Full Review » 7 years ago
Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid

88

It looks like director Mark Dindal has been watching a lot of Chuck Jones lately.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Guide

84

The Emperor’s New Groove is really about another new groove — Disney animation's… Not a success at the box office, it deserves to be a family hit on VHS and DVD.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Susan Tavernetti Palo Alto Weekly

38

A forgettable movie as flat as its cartoon-like characters.
Full Review » 9 years ago
John R. McEwen Film Quips Online

80

For some reason, this film feels rushed through, like the conventional animation pictures are becoming a kind of filler between the computer-animated Pixar releases.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Matthew Turner ViewLondon

80

A treat for kids and adults alike.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Jean Lowerison San Diego Metropolitan

It may not be Dickens, but it's vintage Disney.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Margaret A. McGurk Cincinnati Enquirer

75

It delivers engaging, high-spirited adventure that parents can appreciate alongside their young offspring.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Joshua Tyler CinemaBlend.com

When did Disney start making good films again? Was Eisner taken out in a senseless anvil accident?
Full Review » 10 years ago