Kronk's New Groove (also known as The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove) is a 2005 direct-to-video animated film released by The Walt Disney Company on December 13, 2005. The film is the sequel to the 2000 Disney animated feature film The Emperor's New Groove and features reprises of the roles of David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, and Wendie Malick from the original film, with new voices by John Mahoney and Tracey Ullman. This was also the last film to feature the voice of John Fiedler, who died six months before the film was released.
Plot[]
This film begins near the end, just like the first film. The film begins with Mudka's Meat Hut exploding into a giant mess of cheese, and Kronk (Patrick Warburton) narrates the story explaining how he had recently lost everything. Then the film rewinds to "earlier that same day" with an opening theme recapping how Kronk gave up being Yzma's (Eartha Kitt) evil henchman.
After this, Emperor Kuzco (David Spade) quickly explains how Kronk's New Groove is Kronk's movie, not Kuzco's. Kronk is shown to now be a chef and Head Delivery Boy of Mudka's Meat Hut. Pacha visits the restaurant with his wife Chicha and their kids, Chaca, Tipo and Yupi, for some food. Then a man in a robe comes in delivering a "llamagram" to Kronk from his father, Papi. Papi always disapproved of young Kronk's culinary interests as well as his ability of talking to squirrels and wished that Kronk instead would settle down with a wife, kids and a large house on a hill. Because of the llamagram, Kronk is doomed, and explains to Mata the Waitress how he used to have what Papi wanted him to have in two flashbacks.
In the first flashback, Kronk delivers food to old people at the Flickering Embers Home for Seniors. On the way out, he follows a coin on a string to Yzma's (who is now human again, despite still having a cat tail) new home. In her new secret lab, Yzma shows Kronk her vault of bottles of what she claims is youth potion, and tells Kronk to sell it to the old people to make enough money to buy a house on a hill to get a thumbs up from Papi. Kuzco interrupts the film to briefly explain that the youth potion was fake in case any viewers didn't notice.
Rudy, one of the old people and a friend of Kronk's, offers to sell the senior home to Kronk to make money. So, Kronk buys the senior home from the old folks and puts his large new home in its place. After Kronk finishes writing his letter to Papi about his new house, Rudy comes in and is naked because he sold his clothes to make money. Rudy explains to Kronk that he is now broke, but then Kronk suddenly realizes that Yzma scammed the old people with a fraud potion, so they inform the others before they elect Yzma emperor.
The old people chase Yzma all the way to a bridge and Yzma eventually drinks a potion to transform herself into a rabbit, but she gets snatched up by a condor. Then Rudy reveals that he and the other old people are living in an alley. Because Kronk cheated Rudy thanks to Yzma, he generously gives his house to the old people as a senior center.
In the second flashback, Kronk is shown as a troop leader of his Junior Chipmunks at Camp Chippamunka where his troop has won the Chipmunk Challenge for two years in a row. He receives word from Bucky the Squirrel that a new troop leader named Birdwell (Tracey Ullman) seeks to win the trophy. During the aquatic competition, Birdwell's troop wins the point just because Kronk went first when the troops had to compete in alphabetical order. After succeeding in the other competitions, the troops are tied. Because of this, the Chipmunk Cheer-off is needed to decide the winning troop. Birdwell instructs her Little Chippers to practice while Kronk tells his Little Chippers to do whatever it takes to win, and Tipo has to think of a way to win the trophy for his troop leader. Tipo's shoulder devil advises him to cheat, but his shoulder angel tells him not to. Tipo listens to his shoulder devil's reminder of Kronk saying "do whatever it takes to win" and it gives him an idea—to cheat.
The following night, both troops practice their routines under their leaders' orders. Birdwell's troop ends up falling asleep at the same time Kronk's troop becomes dismayed by the competitiveness between the troop leaders. Kronk and Birdwell separately make raisin bread to cheer up their Little Chippers, but then they realize that Kronk has Birdwell's raisins and Birdwell has Kronk's eggs. They eventually agree to make raisin bread together and fall in love. Afterwards, Kronk writes a letter to Papi about his new girlfriend. The next morning, the two troop leaders pass out the raisin bread to their Little Chippers and declare a truce. Their troops find out that Kronk and Birdwell are now in love, but Tipo is not there to notice it because he is preparing a trick where he will sneak itching powder into Troop Birdwell's hand chalk during the Chipmunk Cheer-off.
Despite the truce, they still do the Chipmunk Cheer-off because the Little Chippers had been tiringly working on their training for a whole year. Kronk's troop goes first and Tipo steps aside for a minute to proceed with his trick. He goes back in time to finish the routine with the rest of his troop. While Birdwell and her troop do their routine next, Tipo tells Kronk about the trick he pulled. Birdwell's troop gets ruined by it and ends up losing the Chipmunk Cheer-off unfairly. Birdwell discovers what Tipo had done and confronts him, which makes him become guilty of his actions. Kronk admits that he told Tipo to do whatever it takes to win at the cost of alienating Birdwell, who ends her relationship with Kronk for what he did and leaves Camp Chippamunka with her troop.
After both flashbacks, Papi (John Mahoney) is about to arrive at Mudka's Meat Hut and Kronk realizes that Pacha has what Kronk needs to get him a thumbs up: A wife, kids and a house on a hill. When Papi arrives, Kronk tells him that Chicha is his wife, that Pacha's kids are Kronk's kids except for Tipo after he left to do something about Papi, that Pacha's house is Kronk's house, and that Pacha (whom he calls Pachita) is his mother-in-law. Tipo tells Rudy about Kronk's situation with Papi and eventually, confusion ensues from some of Kronk's friends that all pretend to be his wife and kids.
While Kronk is preparing food, the oven continually gets hotter until it explodes in a giant mess of cheese, exactly where the film started. Then, Kronk admits to Papi that he lied, about his careers at Mudka's Meat Hut and who his "wives" and "kids" really are, but Chaca comforts Kronk by reminding him that he has his friends. They explain to Papi about how Kronk used to have a house on a hill and a girlfriend until he gave them up for his friends' protection. In the end, Kronk realizes that his wealth is in his friendships and this finally wins his father's thumbs up. Papi tells Kronk he is proud of him, finally accepting his son for who he is. To Kronk's surprise, Tipo returns with Miss Birdwell and this allows her and Kronk to get back together. Everyone celebrates by dancing and Papi hugs Kronk and Birdwell.
Meanwhile, just outside Mudka's Meat Hut, Yzma is in the condor's nest with two eggs, which hatch into chicks and presumably attack her before the credits roll.
In the credits, there are photos shown, consisting of Kronk and Birdwell's wedding, their time together with Papi, Pacha and his family during their honeymoon, including in Paris, Pisa, and Venice, and the couple buying Pacha's house as their new home.
Cast[]
- Patrick Warburton as Kronk, Angel Kronk, Devil Kronk
- Tracey Ullman as Ms. Birdwell
- Eartha Kitt as Yzma
- David Spade as Emperor Kuzco
- John Goodman as Pacha
- Wendie Malick as Chicha
- John Mahoney as Papi
- John Fiedler as Rudy
Additional Voices[]
- Jeff Bennett as Skinny Old Man, Stout Old Man (Burt), Gollum-Rudy
- Bob Bergen as Bucky
- Brian Cummings
- Lori Alan
- Jack Angel
- Corey Burton
- John Cygan
- Jeannie Elias
- Teresa Ganzel
- Raquel Lee
- Rachael MacFarlane
- Mona Marshall
- Mickie McGowan
- Scott Menville
- Paige Pollack
- Kerry Shale
- Russi Taylor
- Emily Anderson
- Bob Bergen
- Jim Cummings
- Jennifer Darling
- Bill Farmer
- Ashley Gardner
- Sherry Lynn
- Anndi McAfee
- Julia McIlvaine
- Rob Pederson
- Jan Rabson
- Mindy Sterling
- Lauren Tom
- Kari Wahlgren
- Patti Deutsch as Mata the Waitress
- Jessie Flower as Chaca
- Anthony Ghannam as Huayna
- Gatlin Green
- Eli Russell Linnetz as Tipo, Angel Tipo, Devil Tipo
- Tress MacNeille
- Travis Oates
- Ross Simanteris
- Kath Soucie
- April Winchell as Hildy, Marge, Tina
Reception[]
The film received negative reviews and currently holds a 0% approval rating by the critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 55% approval rating by the audience. Many film critics have stated that the film "has great voice talents, but weak storylines and not much groove." Others have stated that the film shows that Kronk "works best in small doses" and it should not have centered around this character.
Songs[]
- Be True to Your Groove
- Camp Chippamunka
- Feel Like a Million by Yzma
- Let's Groove by Earth, Wind & Fire
Trivia[]
- "Long ago, somewhere deep in the jungle" is in a different font than in the first film.
- Kuzco and Yzma have very minor roles in the film (almost like cameo appearances).
- Rudy, Chicha, and Chaca aren't referred to by name in the previous movie but are christened as such in this movie.
- When Kronk's father is about to give his thumbs-up, music reminiscent of Lion King's "King of Pride Rock" score can be heard.
- This was the last film to feature the voice of John Fiedler, who died six months before the film's release.
- The only direct-to-video Disney Film where all the voice actors from the first film reprise their roles.
- Like Previous Film Wich was Used CAPS to digitally ink and paint. This Film Was Used Toon Boom Animation's digital ink and paint software to digitally ink and paint. Marks Kronk's New Groove the first installment in The Emperor's New Groove Franchise to use Toon Boom Animation's digital ink and paint software to digitally ink and paint the Drawings and Characters with Color Lines. Similarly to CAPS Wich Was Used in 2000's Original First Film. used the Style. Design and Art Style More Similar to 2000's Original First Film.
- The toy train Kronk rides on is designed after Casey Junior from Dumbo (1941).
- The film was nominated in 2006 for the following Annie Awards:
- Best Home Entertainment Production
- Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
- Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production
- During the second flashback, Kronk and Birdwell reference the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp and Tarzan swinging.
Gallery[]
