Napoleon Dynamite

This is the epitome of quotable movies. It's random absurdity on a level only matched by the genius of Monty Python. What is it about? Honestly, nothing. Are there any morals to be learned? Not really. Is it relatable? Most likely, not in the slightest.

But damn if it isn't one of the most hysterical, comedic masterpieces of all time. This is what movies are all about, it's about something that brings people together. And when you get a Napoleon Dynamite fan, and introduce them to another fan, what you'll get is a back-and-forth barrage of quotes and laughs and bonding that could last for hours, or even a lifetime.

I personally have made a trek to Preston, Idaho where this movie was filmed, and visited all the locations in the film, including the park and the very spot where LaFawnduh played footsie with Kip. And even the locals get in on it. The way my group was dressed (we all had different shirts referencing the movie, and all of us wore the patriotic "Rex Kwon Do" pants), there was no doubt we were fans of the movie, and we even had a local driving by and stop to give us a map of the filming locations. Many people honked at us. And we even visited the very Deseret Industries thrift store in which Napoleon famously bought his groovy mix tape and sai, and I kid you not, we found a plastic toy sai for sale. Naturally we bought it and I sheathed it in my belt loop. We are still in awe that it was even there to begin with, and we have a theory that they have a bag full of toy sais in the back, in order to keep at least one in stock on the shelves, for obvious reasons if you've seen the movie.

But all that is to show the affect this movie has on people. It has developed a massive cult following for a good reason. It's absolutely brilliant. Every scene generates genuine laughter. Every scene contains at least one classic quote that everybody uses when interacting in society. Every. Single. Scene. Is. GOLD. Except maybe the creepy scene with Uncle Rico in the photo shop. Other than that awkwardness, every scene is a comedic gold mine, and that is NO exaggeration.

This is a movie to be passionate about. And if you didn't get it, if you hated it, it's ok. It's not for everybody, for sure. Don't feel bad, don't feel like you're missing out. But if you haven't yet seen it, you are obligated now to find out which side of the severely polarized audience of the film you are on: Are you on the side that thought it was the stupidest thing you've ever watched, or are you voting for Pedro and part of the nunchuck-wielding fans who can quote practically the whole movie? I promise, if you watch this movie, at the very least, all of your wildest dreams will come true.

Regardless if you enjoyed it or not, unless you are in complete denial, you would have to admit the influence it had on society when it came out, and the power it still holds. Haters gonna hate, lovers gonna love.

OK, I have seen a lot of negative reviews on this movie. It made me leery of even seeing it. I work at a video store so I get to see movies before their street release date. There were a few naysayers at work, but I rented it anyway. This was a rental well spent. This is the first movie I have seen in some time that doesn't have swear words or sex in any form so it is OK for any age. If you are or ever were just a little bit geeky, Napoleon is the hero for you. This movie is much funnier to a gen-x'er. There are a lot of things that you won't "get" if you weren't a part of the 80's. All in all, I think that it is a great way to spend an evening. I am looking forward to seeing more from this writer/director.

Napoleon Dynamite (yes, that's his real name) is an outcast student in Preston, Idaho. But he befriends some other outcasts and in their own strange way they may just make themselves known. There may not be a definite plot, but it would be something like that.

I am calling this film "the smartest dumb comedy ever made" because the humor is all really stupid -- one-liners, absurd events and situations... with characters that really are not your typical movie heroes. But it's clear the people behind the film are not dumb at all. There's a hidden gem in this film.

The problem may be that the smartness is not on the surface. The first time I saw the film, I thought it was lame. The second time, I loved it. The third time, loved it more. I showed it to a friend once, who disliked it, but I wonder if she tried it again... and saw the genius. (Some might argue that "Freddy Got Fingered" is similar... I'm not going to try that here.)

Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is the typical sad-sack, luckless loser that has permeated high schools for seemingly centuries. He has no friends, he's picked on by bullies, he has a somewhat-odd home life ... but through it all, he's sure things will be just plain okay in the end.

Napoleon and his older brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) live with their grandmother, but at the beginning of the film she tells them she needs to take off for a couple days. Enter their Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), a self-starter who's living in 1982 (when the coach of his high school football team declined to put him in as quarterback, thus altering Rico's life forever). Some of the funniest scenes in the film involve Napoleon's often-combative relationship with Uncle Rico; Rico is also bound and determined to return to those halcyon days of his youth via a time machine he's seen advertised on the Internet, and he enlists Kip to help him raise the funds.

Napoleon befriends the new kid in school, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), who has a sweet bike, can talk to girls, and has an actual mustache. But like Napoleon, Pedro is a misfit. Both sometimes hang out with yet another taciturn student, Deb (Tina Majorino, all grown up from Waterworld), who secretly (it seems) likes Napoleon. But there isn't a lot of focus on their relationship, because Napoleon himself is fairly oblivious to how people perceive him. This isn't a story about young love or lust, it's a story about a misfit refusing to fit - while fitting in with others like him.

Jon Heder is perfectly cast as the gawky, dorky Napoleon; he resembles Butt-Head in countenance, although certainly not in temperament or intelligence. Mouth agape and with an awkward gait, Napoleon is about as odd a duck as you'd find in high school, and yet he still manages to survive with his dignity intact. He's a good egg, although he seems to overreact at times: "What are you gonna do today, Napoleon? Napoleon: Whatever I feel like I wanna do.....GOSH!" Still, his delivery is perfect. You can readily picture a Napoleon in any high school.

I think where the film ultimately succeeds, aside from the casting of Heder, is that it doesn't fall into the traps of predictability and stereotyping. Sure, it's a high school movie, and there are snobby pretty girls and arrogant jocks, but not much time is devoted to them. Sure, there's a big dance, but it doesn't necessarily turn out the way you'd expect it to. What you're left with, then, isn't a typical coming-of-age story, but rather a unique take on a rather mundane - albeit life-altering - time in a boy's life.

This movie is a genx love fest and it made me feel better than any movie I have ever seen. Essentially, this movie is a remake of "welcome to the dollhouse" and a lot of the other slacker-esque movies of that era. The film follows the misadventures of a complete loser (Napoleon Dynamite is a near sighted high school kid with a penchant for medieval warriors and tall tales), his best friend (the new kid in town, a Mexican immigrant who must comprehend life in rural Idaho), their shared love interest (she is deliciously quirky on her own), and a few other random characters (Napoleon's scheming "get rich quick" uncle and his internet chatroom obsessed loser 32-year-old-but-still-living-at-home brother). In terms of story, this one is tops. All of the "good" characters grow and become much more than they were when the movie began. This film celebrates friendship at it's basest level and demonstrates the triumph of good people above overwhelming odds. The true appeal of this movie though, for me, was the close attention that the director paid to making this movie feel like the early 1990's or late 1980's. Characters wear zubbas and hand out friendship bracelets. Even the vocabulary the actors use comes from this era (when was the last time you called someone "retarded", for example), but it is done so in such a genuine manner. The music and the style are very appropriate, and you can really feel the social awkwardness of Napoleon and his friends. While this movie was made in many ways to appeal to those who can most relate to the awkward years of growing up (the unpopular kids, the new kid, the medieval warrior obsessed clique, the metal heads, the stoners, all the general low lifes you probably associated with, or possibly were at school), this will nevertheless appeal to everyone else. The comedy is not made to be knee slapping, but it's sublety is wonderful and I found myself laughing throughout the entire film. If you have ever rooted for the underdog, this is the movie for you. I can't spoil the ending for you, but for real, no movie has ever made me feel as happy and as inspired as this one. I can't wait to see what this director comes up with next!