Outline for First Term Paper

Laws of Physics in "The Emperor's New Groove"

I. Introduction

   a. Synopsis of the film

   b. In a similar tradition to the Looney Tunes cartoon

   c. Hypothesis: The Emperor's New Groove does not follow the laws of physics due to the film's exaggerated universe. The gravity, improbable arcs and squash and stretch in the film all help complement the comedic tone of the film and its characters.
 
II. Gravity or Lack Thereof

   a. When Kronk is about to fall into Yzma's deathtrap near the end of the film, he stays in the air for a few seconds before dropping into the deathtrap right below him.

   b. During the bridge scene, Kuzco and Pacha are able to step on the flying bats to run up the side of the mountain and onto its ledge.

   c. A very subtle example of this is when Yzma hands Kronk the vial that will poison Kuzco so that he can  "feel the power". Kronk lets go of the vial and the vial stays in place.

 
   III. Improbable Arcs

   a. After Yzma is launched from a wagon and takes the place of a piñata by Pacha's kids, she abruptly stops any movement and is stuck on the string that attaches to the real piñata. The arc stops in the dead center.

   b. When Pacha shoves down a new vial for Kuzco to drink to transform him back into a human, Kuzco turns into a very small bird and is able to carry a much larger Pacha for a few seconds before falling straight down onto a statue.

   c. During the very last fight scene between Kuzco and Yzma (after she has been transformed into a cat), Yzma tries to dive for the potion that will change her back into "her beautiful self" without realizing that the dive is several hundred stories downwards. At the apex of her dive she exclaims "uh oh" and falls straight down without completing the arc she started.

   d. As Yzma and Kronk chase after Kuzco and Pacha with a flying vehicle, a sudden bolt of lightning strikes  and stops them dead on their tracks.
 

IV. Squash and Stretch

   a. Yzma's eye can stretch into and out of a peephole to see what is on the other side.

   b. The bats that fly into Kuzco stretches his mouth to an extremely exaggerated degree.

   c. In the first scene where Kronk meets the squirrel, Yzma slips and falls into what looks like a swamp. As she tries to pull her head out from the said swamp, her neck is stretched out to the point of it acting like latex.

   d. The cat that Yzma turns into squashes onto the palace structure and stays stuck there in the squashed position.

 

V. Conclusion

   a. The Emperor's New Groove is a hilarious film. Although it doesn't always adhere to the laws of physics, the film puts comedy in front of physical plausibility to great effect. The audience won't notice the physics because they will be so invested in the comedy.