Boom, baby. WRONG LEVER! The poison. The poison. The poison for Kuzco, the poison chosen especially to kill Kuzco, Kuzco’s poison. Llama face! Why do we even *have* that lever? Beware the Groove…Squeaker, squeak, squeak, squeakin’.
These are just a select few of the many (and I do mean many) quotable lines in the cult classic The Emperor’s New Groove, the impossibly made animated comedic adventure starring the voice talents of David Spade (Joe Dirt), John Goodman (The Flintstones), Eartha Kitt (Earnest Scared Stupid), Patrick Warburton (Sky High), and Wendie Malick (Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Scarecrow) that’s celebrating 25 years of hilarity. In honor of this momentous anniversary for a film whose production is famously complicated and, by all accounts, should’ve led to a complete disaster/forgotten title, Walt Disney Home Entertainment is releasing the Mark Dindal-directed title on 4K UHD Blu-ray and digital for the first-time. While it is completely absent supplemental materials, the new format allows an entire generation to experience the film in a new way or, for those of us who saw it in theaters, an excuse to revisit an old friend.
Emperor Kuzco voiced by David Spade in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
Emperor Kuzco (Spade) is the Alpha and Omega to his people (as far as he’s concerned), ruling with an unaware selfish cruelty which comes to a head when he fires his advisor Yzma (Kitt), whom he rightly believes wants the throne for herself. Unable to stand such an insult, she conspires to poison Kuzco and take over, but, due to a mistake by her right-hand, Kronk (Warburton), Kuzco is, instead, transformed in a llama and dumped onto the trailer of humble citizen Pacha (Goodman) who is headed back to his home after a terrible meeting with Kuzco. Upon the discovery of the talking llama, Pacha agrees to help Kuzco get back to the palace and Yzma’s lab to find an antidote, but setting everything right is going to be easier said than done.
The following review is based on a digital edition provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
L-R: Emperor Kuzco voiced by David Spade, Kronk voiced by Patrick Warburton, and Yzma voiced by Eartha Kitt in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
As this is a digital release review, there will be no discussion of the technical aspects (re: bitrate) as there’s no way for us to currently check that via Apple TV or MoviesAnywhere digital stream. Additionally, there are no bonus features with the digital edition of the release. As a first-time 4K UHD and 25th anniversary edition, this feels incredibly strange and empty for a digital edition and appears to be confirmed by checking images of the reverse pack shot which denotes no bonus features of any kind. Unfortunately, this appears to be carried over from the previous Blu-ray release, a choice, admittedly, that is extra strange when the 2000 DVD includes deleted scenes, three featurettes, audio commentary with the filmmakers, a set-top game, and more. One can understand why the set-top game may not be included on later releases (an element of the DVD-ROM era of home releases), but the lack of preservation on the other materials is especially egregious. To that end, keep in mind that the 25th anniversary edition is, essentially, just a 4K UHD upgrade that includes a Dolby Atmos soundtrack on a 66 GB disc packaged with the previously available Blu-ray.
L-R: Emperor Kuzco voiced by David Spade and Pacha voiced by John Goodman in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
To that end, this is a difficult title to recommend because the 4K UHD component of the video presentation is extremely subtle and the audio component is largely untested. To the first point, the animation is sharper, the details more refined, and the colors (at times) richer and more nuanced. This is most noticeable in sequences with deeper colors (blacks are inky, reds are rich) whereas the more common blue (sky), green (nature), and purple (Yzma’s outfit) aspects are muted, though not unrefined. With the exception of few moments, typically involving Yzma’s lab, New Groove isn’t exactly briming with color and life, opting instead for a more understated look. Skin tones are natural (except for Yzma’s pale affectation, which contains shades of blue), people and their costumes are modest in color saturation, and even moments of Kuzco’s opulence, such as the opening sequence and dance number, don’t come off as particularly rich, just yellow.
Emperor Kuzco voiced by David Spade in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
As the EoM office is not outfit for Dolby Atmos, I cannot speak to the new audio track, but it does come through without issue in a 5.1 system. The film is, itself, not dynamic, but audio cues are an integral part of the comedy bits throughout the road trip elements, so their fidelity is as critical as the performances and animation on display. To that end, the audio for this edition is certainly a vast improvement over the DVD edition and will no doubt make fans happy — Atmos or no Atmos.
L-R Yzma voiced by Eartha Kitt and Kronk voiced by Patrick Warburton in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
The whole of New Groove can truly be summed up by a sequence late in the film in which Yzma and Kronk, engaged in a footrace with Kuzco and Pacha, look down and notice the tracks they are both following (drawn in red) and are leaving behind (purple), only to look at each other and shrug. This film is absolute chaos, pure Looney Tunes in terms of comedic setups and delivery, joyously pivoting from one bit of madness to another. Instead of getting tired of it, audiences have been reveling in it for 25 years, finding something new to cherish or something old to brandish (typically a quote or several in regular conversation). Sure, it’s a rote story of redemption, a mix of every protagonist-is-transformed-and-goes-on-a-journey-of-self-discovery tale told before and since, *and yet* no one cares because it’s truly jubilant from start to finish. What film in Disney history has such a mixture of primary, secondary, and even tertiary characters whose lines get quoted as frequently? That contains a villain we’re truly not sad remains alive and well (even if in need of a kitty litter box) by the end? Even when things look their most dire for our heroes, the film never loses its whimsy, thereby beguiling audiences over and over for 25 years. Even the most risk-averse, anxiety-possessing children can look at this film and giggle because the film takes Kuzco’s evolution seriously and nothing else, making all the dangerous obstacles and deadly plots farcical and hilarious.
L-R: Pacha voiced by John Goodman and Emperor Kuzco voiced by David Spade in THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
In the end, I cannot, in good conscious, recommend the 4K UHD edition, mostly due to the lack of bonus features. Walt Disney Home Entertainment has proven with past 4K UHD editions this year that they can put together outstanding 4K UHD remasters with director-approved restorations and copious bonus features (even if carried over). The absence of features and the barest improvement of the visual presentation don’t make sense for the upgrade in cost unless one has never upgraded and could use the Blu-ray that’s included with the edition. Otherwise, if you’ve got the DVD or Disney+, you may as well stick with those until a future edition that might actually demonstrate the respect this title deserves. Until then, we can enjoy the singing hills we already have.
No bonus features are included with this digital release.
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray and digital December 9th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Walt Disney Studios The Emperor’s New Groove webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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