🧀 Kronk’s New Groove (2005) – Review

🎥 Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

Official Trailer – Kronk’s New Groove (2005)

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🐿️ Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Kronk is living his best life as a chef, delivery guy, and all-around musclebound cinnamon roll when he gets word that his Papi is coming to visit. But Papi’s big expectation? A family, a house on a hill, and a respectable lifestyle. So now Kronk has to lie, scheme, and flashback his way through a series of ridiculous misadventures to convince his dad he’s made it. What follows is less of a sequel and more of an episodic retelling of Kronk’s greatest “oops” moments—featuring cheese, chipmunks, and an uncomfortable amount of Yzma’s new… “schtick.”


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👥 Character Rundown

Kronk (Patrick Warburton) – Still lovable. Still dumb. Still voice-acted to perfection. But now he’s… main character material? Maybe a stretch.

Yzma (Eartha Kitt) – Now with… cat ears? This film does her dirty. Feels like a bad parody of her former self.

Papi (John Mahoney) – Kronk’s judgmental father. Here to dish out disappointment.

Miss Birdwell (Tracey Ullman) – Kronk’s love interest and camp counselor. Strict, but softens for romance because… reasons.

Bucky the Squirrel – MVP chipmunk, no notes.



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⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow

This movie is basically two extended flashbacks slapped together with a “meet the parents” framework. It’s not really a sequel—it’s a spin-off sitcom episode that overstayed its welcome. First half is a camp story. Second half is a pyramid scheme with Yzma. The transitions are abrupt, and it lacks the sharp pacing of the original. Feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon special that somehow got greenlit for DVD.


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✅ Pros

Kronk still has comedic timing thanks to Patrick Warburton’s perfect delivery.

A few genuinely funny lines (e.g., “This one’s for Papi!”) and visual gags that harken back to the original.

The return of minor characters like Bucky adds some fun continuity.

The message about being true to yourself isn’t bad… just handled a little clumsily.



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❌ Cons

Yzma is completely wasted and turned into a cartoon villain with cat puns. It’s just… oof.

Plot is a mess. It’s episodic, forgettable, and very “tell, don’t show.”

The humor tries way too hard. Meta jokes that feel like they were written by someone who remembered the original vaguely while on sugar.

Papi’s “disappointed father” arc never lands emotionally. Mostly feels forced.

The animation took a step back—lower budget is painfully obvious.

This didn’t need to be a movie. A 22-minute special would’ve sufficed.



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🧠 Final Thoughts

Kronk’s New Groove feels like Disney saying “people like Kronk, right? Let’s just… give him a movie.” But instead of leaning into the weird, zany energy that made The Emperor’s New Groove iconic, this tries to stretch a sidekick into a leading man without giving him the emotional or narrative depth to carry it. It’s not the worst Disney sequel, but it’s far from the best. A few funny gags and the lovable performance by Patrick Warburton aren’t enough to save this from being a hollow, unnecessary sequel that forgets what made its predecessor great.


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🎯 Rating: 5/10

Watch it once, chuckle mildly, and then pretend it never happened.


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🚨 Spoiler Warning! Spoilers Ahead 🚨


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🧀 Spoilers

Kronk’s first flashback revolves around a kids’ summer camp where he falls for Miss Birdwell. They break up after a food fight scandal (yes, really), but she comes back at the end after realizing she’s in love with a man who lies to his father and throws cheese.

Second flashback? Yzma runs a scam selling fake youth potions and tricks Kronk into helping. Then she literally turns into a catwoman and gets defeated in a bakery… by old ladies.

Kronk’s big lie involves pretending random characters are his wife and kids. The joke barely lands.

Papi ends up proud of Kronk not because of any real success but because he helped people and found happiness. It’s a sweet message, but the road there is rocky.

The film ends with dancing, wrap-up narration, and the audience questioning their life choices.