Over the past seven decades, the Disney folks have set such an impossibly high standard for animation quality that sometimes even they have a hard time meeting our expectations.
Consequently, when Disney produces something like "The Emperor's New Groove" — which would probably be a proud achievement coming from any other studio's animated-film division — it comes across as something of a disappointment.
Again, this animated comedy isn't unwatchable. For one thing, it's almost completely free of the overdone Disney musical sequences, which, alone, is cause for celebration. And it's not that either the artwork or voice talent fails to pass muster; both are as good as ever.
But the plot here is so threadbare and the characters so badly developed (or in a couple of cases, completely undeveloped) that both begin to fade from memory as soon as the film is over.
In fact, if not for a scene-stealing turn by comic-actor Patrick Warburton (best known for recurring roles on TV's "Seinfeld" and "Newsradio"), this might be the Mouse Studio's most forgettable animated work in many years.
Part of the problem rests with the film's "original" story, which swipes bits from classic fairy tales and other Disney animated features, including "The Sword in the Stone" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
"The Emperor's New Groove" is set in a mythical mountain kingdom that, by appearances at least, seems to have been inspired by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. It's there that the egotistical Kuzco (voiced by David Spade) rules with an iron fist.
Of late, the young tyrant has been firing anyone who throws off his "groove," including his once-trusted adviser Yzma (Eartha Kitt). Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with the power-hungry sorceress, who's been issuing orders of her own behind his back.
So with help from her dimwitted but brawny manservant Kronk (Warburton), Yzma plans to poison Kuzco and seize the empire for herself. However, Kronk grabs the wrong potion and instead changes Kuzco into a llama.
After Kronk botches another assassination attempt, Kuzco finds himself miles from his kingdom, where he's forced to ask for help from a villager named Pacha (John Goodman). The trouble is, the emperor has already threatened to replace the village with a water park, and needless to say, Pacha's not happy about that.
If that's not bad enough, Yzma has assumed the throne in his absence, and she and Kronk are planning to wipe out anyone standing in their way.
Probably the biggest mistake made by screenwriter David Reynolds (a Disney animation gag writer) is creating a lead character as unlikable as Kuzco, though casting the annoying Spade as his voice certainly doesn't help.
So it's fortunate that director Mark Dindal's pacing is brisk and that several of the gags hit the target more often than not.
As far as the voice cast is concerned, Goodman's role is too nondescript to afford him any real opportunities. But Kitt seems to be relishing her villain role, as does the even better Warburton.
"The Emperor's New Groove" is rated G, though it does contain some animated violence (mostly slapstick) and some mild scenes of menace, as well as a mildly vulgar sight gag. Running time: 78 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com