An entertaining, though weakly plotted sequel
First of all, let me just say that Kronk's New Groove is very, very funny with a good amount of laugh out loud moments. Surely that is all that matters then, eh? Well, no. Compared to the first film, the story is pretty tepid.
All of the previous characters return. Of course there is Kronk himself, along with Kuzco, Pacha and his family, the babbling squirrel and Yzma (who has now turned mostly back into a 'human' but still features a cat's tail and feline abilities). The movie tries to incorporate all of them into the story but nothing really sticks. It all just seems like an excuse for mayhem.
As before, it is told in flashback with Kronk explaining how he ended up in such sorry circumstances. His dad is coming to visit him and he's afraid of the inevitable disapproval he'll get as all he's managed to do with his life is be a Junior Chipmunk Troup Leader and run a restaurant kitchen. His dad thinks that cooking and talking to animals isn't a 'real job' and...
3.5 stars: Not as brilliant as "The Emperor's New Groove" but fun
I have to confess I have minimal hopes (close to none, actually) when it comes down to Disney "Part 2" movies. Almost every single one of them I have seen has dissapointed me. So, in the same way, I had very low hopes for "Kronk's New Groove", very much so, the second part of "The Emperor's New Groove". To beat the first one or be just as good was a tall order: David Spade stole the show on that one, making it a very happy surprise for most movie viewers.
Kronk, indeed being a secondary character in the first one, takes on center stage here. And while his story lacks some of the appeal that made the first one a hit, the directorial duo manages to pull off a pretty funny flick, starring the same cast of voices from the first movie (Spade, Patrick Warburton -Kronk-, John Goodman -Pacha, the Emperor's partner from the first movie- and Eartha Kitt -Yzma, the villain-, among others). The movie is packed with tongue-in-cheek moments that I found amusing and my son laughed to over...
Kronk won't get a "nostril flare of total rejection" from me
For starters, I haven't seen The Emperor's New Groove, so I'm pretty much judging this sequel on its own merits. I liked a lot of things about Kronk's New Groove - maybe I would have enjoyed it less if I could judge it against the first movie, but maybe not. The only real negative about this one is its length - the credits start rolling after a mere 67 minutes, and that qualifies as short in my book. In a way, though, the length speaks to the whole aura of the film. Kronk's New Groove isn't about trying to impress you with the latest supercool animation techniques or framing an epic story that will be talked about for decades to come. I think it's just trying to entertain and, to some extent, deliver a wholesome message, and it does it in a fairly laid-back manner.
Kronk (Patrick Warburton) is now a chef (and, lest we forget, chief delivery boy) at a popular diner, his henchman days all in his past. He's pretty happy with his job and all of his friends there in town...
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