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Disney's KINGDOM OF THE SUN renamed THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE...
Wow. Rarely in the anal of history, has something been less sense-making. Disney Animation has decided in their corporate sense of genius to take the rather noble and commanding title, KINGDOM OF THE SUN... and turned it into... THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE....
Ahem. Now... wow... That just kinda says it all right there. I know the word GROOVE instantly leaps to mind when thinking of Pre-Columbian Peruvian Civilization. And the play on that classic title... just speaks volumes about ORIGINALITY... Whew... Well, maybe you'll like it... but... ouch. I wonder what Sir Etch-A-Sketch thinks of it?
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Why in GOD'S NAME would they do something as insane as that? It just doesn't make any sense. No matter how crass their animated flicks get, Disney at least tries to give them respectable TITLES. Are they just giving up on this thing and trying to sell it as an out-and-out comedy?
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Leave it to Disney to dumb things down for all us simple folk... Can't wait to hear who the talking animal friends will be either....
Uggg...Can't believe I'm doing this, but...I'm First!!!
Giga-Nerd (Who now feels unclean and must take several showers.) -
Yikes. I guess now that Disney has resolved to pillage the mythology of non-American cultures (Mulan, Hercules, Anastasia, etc.) they also decided to not BOTHER to get any details right. Isn't this movie supposed to be based on actual South American legends? Can we get some protests, some genuine outrage over Mauschwitz twisting facts around Walt's frozen finger? I thought I'd seen the worst when they adapted Victor Hugo's Hunchback without getting A SINGLE DETAIL RiGHT.... but this takes the biscuit. Next I predict a musical version of the slave trade, called SLAVE TO THE RYTHYM, where different slaves on the boat can be portrayed by black film stars, with lots of R&B and hip-hop when they burst into song. Or how about MUSHROOM CLOUD MEMORIES, a fun and romantic musical about life, love in Nagasaki 1946. Hank Azaria can do the voice of Keiko, the cute little boy who's been horribly burned by radiation. And for God's sake I'm joking so don't flame me. Peace.
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Although considering the content of this story, maybe anal is better. Why on earth would they take a title like "Kingdom of the Sun" and change it to something as lame as "The Emporers New Groove?" This title sounds like a hip hop version of "The King and I." I don't know a thing about this film but the first time I heard the old title I thought it was gonna be a remake of the old Yul Brynner- George Chakiris movie "Kings of the Sun." If you haven't seen that you should hunt it down. It's damn good.
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Edgard, when I saw that first "Dinosaur" preview in front of "Toy Story 2", I was positively slack-jawed. "Wow", was all I could think. It just LOOKED so amazing, and what's more I got the impression that Disney might break with tradition here and treat the flick with a modicum of respect and intelligence. I even started to think that THIS might be the film to break my 7 year-long Disney boycott....Later I called up an animator friend of mind, who runs a small production company and keeps up with this shit like nobody's business. I raved on and on about the "Dinosaur" trailer; he agreed that it looked fantastic but that, contrary to what I had thought, it was NOT 100 percent CG. My smile disappeared; I was extremely disappointed to find out that the reason the scenery looked so ground-breakingly, Earth-shatteringly real was because much of it WAS REAL. And then I heard this shit about how the dinosaurs were going to TALK, and that pretty much destroyed my enthusiasm for this picture. Typical Disney. Why go to the trouble of making everything look so REAL, of creating such a BELIEVABLE illusion, when you're going to turn right around and destroy that illusion by having the damn things TALK?! And now this "Emperor's New Groove" insanity... I truly feel for Uncle Walt.
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..I think it's not too bad a title for this movie. Since it's probably going to be a movie purely for the kids, with lots of comic relief, a lame story, and probably one of disney's outputs that they're not that proud of. The title gives away, right from the start, that this is supposed to be one of the "lesser" more childisch disney movies. So, after putting this in the cinemas, they can get back to the ral business, and release some more "adult" movies, like atlantis. Like this, there won't be going any grown-ups into KitS with too high expectations.
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The title sucks ass....not much more you can really say :)
What is this about? The movie i mean? South American legends one post says but what does that mean? -
THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE over KINGDOM OF THE SUN? What marketing genius thought this one up? It conjures up thoughts of Angela Bassett to me. Why not just name it HOW THE EMPEROR GOT HIS GROOVE BACK? Yeah, there ya go...McFly
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....They got George Clinton to do the sound track? *tear the roof off the mutha-tear the roof off the mutha sucka, tear the roof off the sucka* (Cool,I'm going to bed now and I'm going to dream with a funk soundtrack) ZB
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I would laugh my ass off if Disney released an animated feature called "The Emperor's New Groove." Don't worry, they won't.
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I for one totally believe this story, as Disney has always seemed like they're trying to be "HIP" when they're so tragically "UNHIP". Can you imagine how cool the Disney folk think those powder-puff blue sweaters the employees wear at The Disney Store are? I've always said that anything that's cool is the opposite of the image Disney projects. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Disney films (mostly the early ones), but come ON, people... one look at the Mickey Mouse Club and the lame progeny they spawn is not how any self-respecting person wants to be viewed. Radio Disney must be the lamest bunch of music ever put together (barring actual Disney film songs for the most part) and anyone whose song plays on there must be put on anyone's "uncool" list.
I actually, in my poverty, applied to work at The Disney Store once (I thought it would be more amusing than applying at retail places, or, god forbid FOOD SERVICE), and was scared during the "group interview" (where they have all work candidates come in on a Sunday morning before they open and explain the history of the Disney Store, show you around, etc.) when they handed out sheets telling you what you can and can't look like. Now I understand Disney wanting to portray a certain image, but not allowing ladies to wear any nail polish but red, no earrings, hair a certain length and only wedding rings, etc. to be absolutely insane.
I guess what it boils down to is that the Eisner Disney makes the worst decisions known to man and people learn a lot by doing the opposite of whatever it is they do. But, I guess it works, since they're rich and we're not.
And admit it... everyone here considers themselves cooler than Disney. If they don't, they're a scary, scary person! -
From 'Kingdom of the Sun' to 'Kingdom IN the Sun' to... this?! Hopefully the previous poster is right & this report is a put-on or just plain mistaken. ~~~ I may be the only AICN reader to be looking forward to this film, if only because Mark Dindal - Mr.'Cats Don't Dance' is the director, and I've been waiting to see his follow-up to that overlooked masterpiece.
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Why is anyone suprised that the marketing machine that used to be Walt Disney studios would come up with such a title. They have probably been too busy designing happy meal toys, and merchandise to worry about actually making a good movie. Instead look foward to another 80 minute commericial.
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Rarely Do I Speak,
However idiocy of this magnitude must be stopped!
Other than the multitude of joke titles that can be gotten by using the word groove, what the hell are they thinking? That this title will sell more tickets? That more kids will want to see it?
Arrrrrggghhhhhh.....
www.evilgeniuslabs.com -
They tell you it'll suck right there in the title. If only they had called MULAN "CHINA'S A DRAG." Then I wouldn't have had to live with the dissapointment!
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Maybe it's actually a reference to a character called Groove. Groove will probably be a neon orange monkey who cracks lots of jokes and hangs around who ever the hero of the movie is. That would be in keeping with recent Disney tradition.
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February 1st or April 1st?
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I agree this is an insane title change. Are they trying to attract the Austin Powers audience? Is it a line David Spade says in the film? Hopefully common sense will prevail (Disney came somewhat to it's senses when they decided to make FANTASIA 2000 90% new animation). This reminds me of when they made the last-minute change from BASIL OF BAKER STREET to THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, In my opinion the worst titled Disney Animated feature. I still wince when I say the name of that film.
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Is this going to be a music video??? That is one gay title. I guess Will Smith is doing voicework and the title track then eh?
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Sheesh, Harry--this isn't funny! April 1 isn't for another two months! Today is FEBRUARY 1! It's a joke, right?
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You all trying ta get Rapper MC down? I hear dis title, and I like da sound. Kingdom in da sun wuz a bunch a shit. Emperors new groove is gonna be a muthafuckin hit. -- Wid da kiddies anyway. Shit, dis title sucks like a motherfuckin baby on his mommas titty. Dizney be goin down da tubes, you hear dat? The Rapper gots ta be headin elsewhere now.
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Bet he's rolling over in his cryogenic container, don't you? As he watches his once-noble concept turn into the filmic equivalent of pablum. Disney is the Great Satan. I can't wait for six months or so after this movie comes out when they roll out the commercials touting "Disney's New Classic." Only Disney. There's a special place in hell reserved for these cocksuckers.
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This may be the worst decision I've heard in a long time. They've taken a (supposedly) marginal movie and slapped a straight-to-video title on it. Can't wait to read the snappy reviews though. "Disney's Old Bullshit."
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This has to be some kind of sick joke. The name is horrible. As someone who actually enjoys most Disney animation (even if the stories can be weak, and the music forced and cheesey) this is a real disappointment. I wonder if they already think it's going to bomb, and don't wish to dignify it with a serious name for posterity. Come on, 20 yrs from now, do you think anyone will give a movie with a name like that a 2nd look? Oh well. Are Disney suits known to haunt these talk backs? If so, please, don't talk down to kids and the rest of the movie going public.
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That pretty much sums up my reaction. May God have mercy on their paint brushes.
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Feb 01, 2000 12:59:01 PM CST
Final conclusive evidence that the Disney suits are all CRACK SM
by ellie sattler
What the HELL kind of title change is that? It sounds like some trippy urban comedy...something like "Pimps Up, Ho's Down" (available at your nearest Hollywood Video--trust me, I work there). BTW, I saw the production sketches at Walt Disney World, and this movie looks to be a pinnacle of lameness.
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Harry--"never in the ANALS of history"? Get a dictionary, boy!
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It's out today. And the previous summer's video release always has a trailer for the next summer's theatrical release. Shouldn't that be "Empire"? Or am I getting mixed up with "Atlantis"?
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Anyone rememember when the Katzenberg/Eisner regime took over in 1984? Besides chopping out 12 minutes of the BLACK CAULDRON to "relieve the darkness" (and rendering the villain impotent as a narrative force), they also changed the name of BASIL OF BAKER STREET to the generic THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE. Americans is stupid, after all. Its just too bad Walt himself didn't think so. His philosophy was that if you made an most outstanding product, the audience would reward you for it with increased patronage and respect that would bleed over into the merchandising and everything else. He also hated repeating himself - all of his films are unique individuals, whereas the new breed sports an unhealthy narrative genericism, in my opinion, as well as an underlying assumption that you're not too bright. I'm not sure the most direct path to consumer loyalty is marked with signs saying, "You're a dolt with a short attention span."
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First of all, let me say that this title change is, of course, incredibly stupid. However, let me point something out. Everyone, not just fan-boys and fan-girls like ourselves, holds Disney to a different standard than all the other motion picture studios. We all complain that Disney's recent animated features are horrible compared to the classics from the 1940s, and that may be true, but we don't do the same for other studios. Nobody made that comparison when Warner Bros. came out with that horrible version of The King and I a couple years ago: WB made classic Bugs Bunny cartoons. Likewise, nobody complained that Universal put out dreck like Dr. Giggles and Mummy re-makes, definitely not up to the standards of their earlier studio hits, like Frankenstein and the original Mummy. Everyone complains that Disney is now just a corporate machine, out to make money at all costs. This is true of every single studio in the mythical land of "Hollywood." This is actually a backhanded compliment to Disney. Their early animated features are so distinctive and so loved, it is next to impossible to make something which will be perceived to be their equal. On the other hand, their live-action films, for the most part, have improved infinitely over what the studio produced when they started making them. People think that Disney is this magical land of faries and pixie-dust, but it is a studio, just like, WB, Universal, Fox, and Sony.
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Feb 01, 2000 1:39:09 PM CST
It's not as dumb as "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost A
by powerslave
It's dumber. "Kingdom of the Sun" had a more majestic feel to it. Brindleman: shouldn't a boycott of Disney include movies they distribute as well? Rapper MC: Get thee to your local chapter of 'Wiggers Anonymous,' and quick!
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Disney's live action films have always earned a bad rap, even though there are several that are more than excellent. Disney's first all live-action film, TREASURE ISLAND, is a joy. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA has one of the best scripts and best casts of any Disney film. DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE is a marvelous fantasy. Both OLD YELLER and THE THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA tackle serious subject matter and give children a safe context through which to explore some of life's darker issues - specifically Death and Parental Fallibility. Not to mention Disney's marvelous TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURES, his PEOPLE AND PLACES series, MARY POPPINS and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON -- all of these films put any live-action film released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner to shame. Who could ever compare INSPECTOR GADGET, MY FAVORITE MARTIAN, and GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE to THOMASINA? Or even Disney's smaller, more personal films like THOSE CALLOWAYS, A LIGHT IN THE FOREST, and SO DEAR TO MY HEART. As with all things Walt (and Spielberg), there's lots more going on than anyone has ever taken the time to see, and I invite anyone here to take a gander at any of the titles I've mentioned here, especially THOMASINA.
Mouse Ears and Tetsuo,
Ernest Rister -
How about "Mr. Methane's Flatulent Jamboree"? Hey, it'd get my $8.50!
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This absolutely crystallizes EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG WITH DISNEY! Attention shareholders: SELL, SELL, SELL!!!
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Feb 01, 2000 2:37:06 PM CST
If you hitched a motor to Walt Disney's corpse, I think you coul
by the gline
Vrrrm! Vrmmm! Spin, Walt, spin!
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I did not mean to suggest that Disney did not put out quality live action films during the fifties and sixties. As Jumbalya Gumbo pointed out, Treasure Island, 20K, and Mary Poppins are all classics, and the True-Life Adventure series were groundbreaking and kept the studio ripe with cash, enabling them to keep making animated features. But during this period, they also made The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, The Love Bug, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, and other kid-stuff clunkers. They make more live-action films now, and many of them are quite good. Sure you still have duds like Mighty Joe Young, Inspector Gadget and pointless remakes of The Absent Minded Professor and 101 Dalmations, but we also get more adult fare, like Dead Poets Society, Ruthless People, The Sixth Sense, and the terrific Father of the Bride remake. The point of my earlier post was that Disney has been singled out for the declining quality of their films and for being full of money hungry corporate suits. Sure, some of the newer stuff doesn't hold up to the past, but Disney still produces a lot of quality work. Yes, the animated features have become formulamatic and have a manufactured feel to them, but then so do about 80% of the films released by any studio. While we all long for better animated films from Disney, I don't feel it is fair to single Disney out as being a greedy corporate giant. All the Studios are.
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This reminds me of last year's scoops that Star Wars special edition trilogy was going to be rereleased in theaters again before Episode One. Why does it remind me? Because it seems like such an incredibly stupid thing to do, even a studio exec would have the brains not to do it. "The Emperor's New Groove"??? Disney films, as of late have become filled with enough anachronisms, but I dunno......this just sounds like such a bad idea....
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It is not for us mere film buffs to judge the workings of the greatest force in entertainment in the 20th Century. God bless you, Great Disney!
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don't think this is true...
Try typing www.kingdominthesun.com in your browser... you'll get Disney.com. Type Emperorsnewgroove & you'll get nothing. Of course this could be a last minute thing & they haven't unregistered that domain yet... but I really doubt Disney's THAT stupid to make this kind of name change. -
Feb 01, 2000 5:27:59 PM CST
kkrankk asks: How much does Harry check before he posts these "f
by kkrankk
They'd have to be beyond stupid for this to be true.
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Gil Kane is dead. A moment of silence................
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Just kidding. It sucks.
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Feb 01, 2000 5:42:10 PM CST
kkrankk says: Since Harry brought up the "anals of history"...
by kkrankk
I'd like to take a moment to pay my respects to the "anals of history". There've been a lot of them through the ages and I applaud them all. We're in the midst of a worldwide population explosion and I pray for more breeders to have more anals before we're all swimming in a sea of newborns. I've got an electric fence around the ranch and it's hell scraping the little tykes off the wires.
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Feb 01, 2000 5:47:45 PM CST
I don't believe it, but then again they gave David Spade the lea
by cineman
It can't be true. Disney would never do that. Not to give Disney more credit than they sometimes deserve, but they would never do it. This already sounded like the most unappealing Disney animated "classic" ever. With that title it sounds worse.
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I doubt this is true. A few weeks ago came word that the title had been changed to "Kingdom IN the Sun" as opposed to "OF the Sun". I can see why they might be looking for something less generic, and I can imagine an idiot in the Disney ranks might have thrown out this gem of a title. I just don't think Disney is dumb enough to think a movie with GROOVE about South Americans in the title is going to play to the Walmart crowd. Sure, this has been a nightmare production from the start (what with David Spade's participation, how not South American can you get?). The story has been completely overhauled in mid-production, which is never a good sign. HOWEVER, Disney surely has the sense to NOT give it such a ludicrous title as this. Even in Michael Eisner's annual report for stockholders, he made mention of KINGDOM OF THE SUN and not THE EMPORORS NEW GROOVE. Whatever. All hope is lost. NOTE TO DISNEY STOCKHOLDERS: SELL SELL SELL.
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They have Dinosaur for Memorial Day & 102 Dalmations for Thanksgiving. Is this gonna be a regular June release? That's what it sounds where it'd fit, but Disney is usually marketing their June movies by now to some extent... but no one even knows the title yet.
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I used to think that Disney sucked, that they took great concepts and bastardized them beyond all belief. Now, I know that I was wrong. This title change is a great idea. I know, they should retroactively change the titles of some of their older films.
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And I heard that Dinosaur is now being retitled "New Jurassic City."
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Uhuh.....Disney, you are on crack. You didn't cast her in the Lion King, or even the Lion King 2, so now you've done this? You suck so tremendously, I have no words.
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Feb 01, 2000 8:09:17 PM CST
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Scorcese's KUNDUN released b
by stephen dedalus
It shows that there is still a little artistic sense left in the company. I suppose that THE EMPORER'S NEW GROOVE is supposed to sound reminescent of the famous children's story THE EMPORER'S NEW CLOTHES, which I suppose is further proof that Disney is running out of original ideas fast. Hey, maybe they could get Puff Daddy to do the soundtrack. Later.
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So I guess their live-action movies have a tremor of life left in them.
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Whew,how did we get from Kingdom of the Sun to The Emperor's New Groove??Bizzare.I guess now that the season's over I should find something new to say besides Go Rams!!hmm.
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Give the guy some credit,he died for you sins,for cryin in the mud.
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And "Thomasina" was one of my all-time favorite movies as a kid. Thanks Jumbalaya for mentioning it as one of Disney's greats.***Todd not posting an IRON GIANT repsonse on an animation-related Talk Back? That worries me. Maybe he's ill.
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The Emperor's New Groove, ahem ahem, The Emperor's New Clothes. Rack up a point for originality. Then again, Disney has always been known for their stunning originality. Their first 20 or so animated films were all remakes of fairy tales. Now they do a frickin' sequel for every damn animated movie. "Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" "Pocahontas 2" "Beauty and the Beast" A Magical Christmas." What the hell is next? Oh yeah, this idiotic title. Kingdom in the Sun. A classic name. Walt would we proud. I guess Disney's trying to get hip. With Joe Roth gone, they don't have a brain keeping the title. Groove would have been hip, 30 G-d damn years ago! Burn in hell, Schneider.
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Sorry for the unorganized rambling earlier. Just needed to blow off some steam. But, I still say Burn in Hell Schneider (a reference to Peter Schneider, who replaced Roth).
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My lawyers have advised me to say that I do not hope that Peter Schneider burns in hell. I repeat, I do not hope that Peter Schneider burns in hell. He is a smart man, and a good executive. However, I'm not too fond of his track record, and changing the title of what looks to be a good movie (marred with problems) is his first mistake. Oh well. I do not hope he burns in hell. However, whoever produced Gone Fishin'...
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Harry, clearly, has decided to throw us all off the mark by posting his April Fool's day prank reports two months early. Way to go, Harry!
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This Animated Feat. goes too far.
I think that this film is going to cancel to release soon and waiting for "Atlantis" which seems to be more ready than this one.
Like in 1993 that we have no Animated feat. ! -
THE EMPEROR WOULD BE OUTRAGED!
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I can't believe it. The name is true.
Well at least according to variety
http://www.variety.com/article.asp?articleID=1117776655
"He (Eisner) also touted the upcoming holiday film "The Emperor
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