Jim on Film
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Yzma, The Emperor’s New Groove—For me, Yzma always stole the show. All the characters in The Emperor’s New Groove are a load of fun, from Kuzco all the way down to the little squirrel. But Yzma was just too much fun. First of all, she’s one of the studio’s funniest looking characters. Not many human characters can pull off purple skin, but Yzma does it with all the class she can muster (which isn’t much). A high fashion model eighty years past her prime, Yzma doesn’t seem to notice her breasts sagging to her stomach or her skin clinging to her bones. Lead animator Dale Baer blessed Yzma with gestures of greatness despite this ancient exterior, and Eartha Kitt bestows Yzma with a delightful blend of murderous intent and cutesy malice. Topping it off is a great story with some awesome dialogue that is both modest in scope but grand in outcome. You just gotta love a villain who ends the eulogy for her victim with, “Well, he ain’t getting any deader.�?

The Emperor’s New Groove was Feature Animation’s Monster’s Inc. in its appeal. Sadly, the studio neglected the film in marketing. Instead of producing millions upon millions at the box office like it had the potential, the film became a word-of-mouth hit on video, with kids, teens, and adults circulating their DVDs to allow others to experience the fun. This, however, has not equated into any lasting appeal for Yzma and friends because the studio doesn’t fully understand what they missed out on.

Gurgi, The Black Cauldron—As a film, The Black Cauldron isn’t in the same league as the films mentioned above. Gurgi, as a character, is forgotten as a result of a film that is certainly enjoyable but, when compared to the other films in the canon, pales. Not every film out of the ballpark is going to be a homerun, and The Black Cauldron more than holds its own against most other hit live-action films. But in a genre where the measuring line is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and Dumbo, The Black Cauldron isn’t given much slack, particularly from Daddy Disney.

Gurgi isn’t the only fun character in the movie. Fflewddur Fflam and Eilonwy, for example, are also rich characters who get some of the spotlight, but it is Gurgi and his munchings and crunchings (and smackings and whackings) that wins the most memorable award from The Black Cauldron. Looking like a fluffy, little old man, Gurgi is really a little child in a furry body. Hardly able to look beyond his own welfare, it is Gurgi’s need for friendship that spurs him to stick with Taran. But even if he is a little self-centered, he redeems himself by sacrificing his own life to stop the black cauldron so that Taran doesn’t have to. He’s a little guy with a lot of moxie, just not a lot of public attention.

When Walt Disney was alive, he never fully understood the potential of Alice in Wonderland or Sleeping Beauty to appeal to audiences. He saw the critical reviews and the lack of funds they deposited into his studio’s coffers as measurements of their artistic worth. As years passed, along with Fantasia and Bambi, these two films found their way into the hearts of the American public. Now, however, we live in a time when hundreds of movies are released for home viewing every year. Movies like The Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, and Brother Bear will definitely see the light of day again in multiple DVD releases as the years pass (or whatever formats replace DVDs in the future). What is sad is that video releases never garner the attention that a smash in theaters does. Even as critics and audiences come to appreciate these vastly under-appreciated masterpieces, it is not likely the hard work of their creators will ever fully get their due.

 

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-- Jim Miles

-- Posted February 4, 2005