My daughters have always had a great affinity for Disney. Disney provided them with their earliest movie experiences, and they couldn’t wait to embrace new discoveries both in theatres or at home.

Over the years, even as the family has grown older, the love of Disney movies remains. Sure, tastes have changed, but the fondness for all things Disney is still there, and some films have become institutions in our household.

One such movie is The Emperor’s New Groove. You know a movie is a hit in our family when the kids either play out scenes from the film or quote lines again and again. The Emperor’s New Groove provided many opportunities for us all to share great lines – often quoted on road trips or over dinner.

We first became aware of the movie before it was released. We moved to California from the UK to work for Disney and were lucky enough to befriend a group of animators visiting from around the world. One was Colin, who was working as Art Director on The Emperor’s New Groove at the time. Colin would amuse the kids on weekends away drawing characters from the movie and enchanting them with stories of a movie soon to be released.

Watching the movie proved a real delight – both in theatres and at home where we discovered jokes that get funnier with each viewing. Eartha Kitt’s character of Izma, alone, provided us with enough quotable lines to keep us laughing for weeks. This is truly an under-rated comedy classic full of hilarious characters, great humor and a beautiful animation style. If you haven’t had a chance to see this movie for yourself, check it out. It may just become one of your family favorites, too.

— Mike Ridgewell