Not being a really big fan of Disney's marketing approach to release fairly cheaply made direct-to-video sequels of some of their biggest animated hits I can't say I was surprised to see Kronk's New Groove show-up on the store shelves. While the first movie didn't post the box office numbers of some of Disney's efforts, it still did fairly well and was surprisingly fun and witty to boot. It brought a smart-assed attitude to their fare and it had more humour aimed at the older audience than expected. However, Disney being Disney, they've decided it warrants this sequel, which feels like two episodes of a planned television series loosely strung together and has humour that oftentimes feels like the makers were "playing it safe".

Surprisingly enough they did manage to bring back all the major voice talent from the original film only this time the focus is more on dopey-sidekick-turned-friendly-chef Kronk (Patrick Warburton) rather than the evil Yzma (Eartha Kitt, who brings class to the proceedings with her unique singing voice) or the egotistical emperor Kuzco (David Spade). The decision to focus on Kronk isn't a bad one since he was so engaging in the original but tossing Spade's character and Pacha (John Goodman) to nary ten minutes of screen time was a bit disappointing since their camaraderie was what made the first movie work so well.

After the events of The Emperor's New Groove, Kronk is now the chef at the local diner and is enjoying preparing food for and being friends with the residents of the village. Things are pretty good for him only things soon get into quite a tizzy when it turns out Kronk's father is going to visit. This doesn't bode well for Kronk who's always wanted to prove his worth to his dad by having a big house on a hill, a beautiful wife, and some kids.

For the first half of the movie it follows Kronk as he falls back under the spell of the nasty Yzma who's decided to dupe him into going along with a plan that involves an "elixir of life" serum that promises to make the drinker younger looking and feeling. It's up to Kronk to try and sell the potion which only causes him to betray his friends at the old folk's home and cause all sorts of problems when it turns out Yzma's concoction is quite addictive.

While this first bit does stay true to the tone of the original with some smart alecky humour and lots of popular culture references (including a funny Lord Of The Rings moment) it just feels like things are too rushed. Just as we're getting into the story and enjoying the return of the dastardly Yzma, screenwriter Tom Rogers decides to switch gears and trot out another story to fill up the second half.

And what a bore of a story it is, as it takes any good-will built-up in the viewer and drags them down with its more "kiddie" slant that's not only a mite too sappy but also has too preachy a "be good" moral to mesh well with the first half's tone. It basically follows Kronk through some summer camp hi-jinks as he gets into a competition with fellow scout leader Ms. Birdwell (Tracey Ullman) to prove who's the better campers only for it to backfire as they find themselves falling for each other.

Of course, it all ends with the expected arrival of Kronk's Papi (John Mahoney) as Rogers tries to tie the two separate halves together and give the movie some semblance of continuity.

Kronk's New Groove isn't a bad DTV effort as it benefits from a strong voice cast and has animation that is generally okay for this type of movie. However, at the same time, it only manages to be a mildly enjoyable diversion that can't capture the spirit and good-natured tomfoolery of the first movie. Let's just say that if you enjoyed the first due to its more adult humoured slant you're not due to get the same treatment from this kid friendly sequel. (Chris Hartley, 9/24/07)

Directed By: Elliott M. Bour, Saul Andrew Blinkoff.
Written By: Tom Rogers.

Voices: Patrick Warburton, Tracey Ullman, Eartha Kitt, David Spade.