User reviews

I saw this movie the other day amid the positive reviews i have heard from my friends. There appeared to be a big difference between what they had told me and what I saw. I heard some people would pay twice just to see the movie and that it was a "fall out of your seat hilarious". What i had saw was a plot-less film about a teenage kid living in a rural area in the middle of Idaho. Basically the movie depicts this teen's everyday life where he lives with his uncle, and brother, both of whom do not look their age whatsoever. The only trace of a plot is shown when Napoleon has a shallow interest in one girl whom he tries to impress by assisting is dry and unfunny foreign friend win a school election. I am a strong advocate of independent films and low-budget productions, however the point of a movie is to give the audience something to watch for. This movie has no substance, no purpose, no meaning, no entertainment, no point, no lesson and absolutely no value. Within a few months it will be at the bottom of home movie shelves to collect dust like it so rightfully deserves.

Love it or hate it. I am in the latter group. "Napoleon Dynamite" just does not deserve its rating of over seven out of ten on IMDb. I do not get it. I kept wondering while watching this film, is it time to laugh now? Slow. Very slow. All of the characters are deadpan. No expression. No humor. No nothing. The subplots involving Napoleon's uncle and brother are extremely boring. As for Napoleon himself, I will admit there are a few redeeming moments in his journey through high school. Napoleon is almost likable. The idea of making a movie about nerds and misfits has potential. "Dumb and Dumber" did it right. "Napoleon Dynamite" misses the mark. 4/10

No, that's not a comment on the movie, though it could be. It's a comment on the *style* of the film, which resembles a 90-minute commercial by Joe Sedelmaier. Joe was responsible for the well-known Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" ad and a host of similar ones in which people stood around with droopy, frozen-face expressions while ostensibly uproarious things happened to them. And yeah, this approach can be pretty funny the first couple of times you see it. But the one-joke humor wears pretty thin after awhile, especially when extended beyond the limits of a 30-second commercial.

It seems paradoxical, but the self-conscious, calculated understatement of "Napoleon Dynamite" comes off as heavy handed *overstatement*. Okay, guys, we understand the blunted affect and terminal geekiness; next joke, please.

Yes, there are a few (very few) funny bits in the movie: the cow killing, the 1% milk scene, and Napoleon's masterful drawing of his date. If only the film hadn't tried so hard to be "so geeky it's cool," it would have been vastly improved.

For a truly understated -- and greatly superior -- comedy about the endearing interaction between offbeat misfits, see "The Station Agent."

Without friends this is kinda eeeehhhhh like it can be funny but there's no plot like there's nothing to keep you invested like it's just kinda nothing in a movie it's not bad like the humors good but like it's alright there's really like not much to talk about except the comedy and I feel like that speaks for it. The characters are whatever the subversives is excepted I could see why this could be some peoples favorites I don't hate it. Honestly I probably would have dreaded it if I had to watch it on my own but idk since I didn't it's not all bad being with friends brought out the good in it so I don't think it's some indie masterpiece but it's pretty funny.

OK, this movie is nearly impossible to rate unless you have seen it at least twice. Therefore, if you watch it, and don't like it, watch it again and give it a second chance.

To say that this movie "celebrates the nerd in all of us" is mildly accurate. The ending, however, ruins that statement. This movie is actually fairly realistic (I felt pangs of anxiety as I watched my own adolescence re-enacted in this movie), but the ending is ridiculous.

In fact, this whole movie is ridiculous.

Which makes it funny, from a certain point of view.

Your reaction to this film (laugh or don't laugh) may very well be determined by your age. As a 30-something, I found it difficult to laugh at most of the movie, because the plot was so incoherent, and the flow of the movie was horrible. The music also detracted from the overall picture. So, as I sat there, listening to the awful music, watching the horrible plot line, and the pitiful characters, I completely missed the humor within.

However, I must say that my friends who are under 25 find this the funniest movie they've ever seen.

It seems that the younger generation is not expecting as much out of their entertainment along the lines of story, acting, music, flow, and presentation. They are more interested in raw, genuine personalities, which this movie definitely has. They are able to overlook the flaws of this film to see the genius within.

And believe me, they overlook a LOT of flaws in this one. I hear teenagers in the local high school walk through the halls and quote the movie, putting on their best "Napoleon" voice. Then they giggle hysterically as the next person does his/her best to outdo the last one. I've seen small freshman girls and big, burly senior boys alike act the same way when it comes to this movie.

When you ask them what was so funny, they can't tell you. But they also can't stop laughing. When I pointed out the the music sucked, the plot was non-existent and the characters were ridiculous, they agreed. Then they just quote another Napoleon line and start laughing all over again.

Will this movie become a cult classic? You bet. I'm saddened that I am now too old (mentally) to be able to find the humor in this, but I'm heartened that someone is making our kids laugh. They need that "laugh of their own". This movie has it.

Never fear, if you're older than 25 and you found this movie funny, that just shows that you're young at heart. (Or maybe emotionally young, I don't know!) There's nothing wrong with that. Laugh hard and loud - that's what the creators of this movie wanted you to do! All that being said, I give this film a 4. Low rating, to be sure, but then, I'm one of those "old" people who just didn't get it. I'm so glad that there are those of you out there that did. I pray for my future, as you are probably the ones who will care for me when I'm old!

Napoleon Dynamite the film is much like the Napoleon Dynamite the character. It makes you laugh, it makes you smile, and sometimes it get soo boring and repetitive that it makes you fall asleep. While for awhile this movie passes for wildly funny, by the end, its barely alive. In fact, it slows down soooo dramatically after the first hour, that the person I was watching the movie with fell asleep. I barely managed to stick through it myself. But what I saw, for the most part I enjoyed. The film does a lot of things right, but I think it could have been a whole lot better.

Napoleon (Heder) is a teenager who is not very popular at his school. In short, he is an absolute NERD. But not the cool kind of nerd like me or Tom, a nerd that everyone hates and has no friends. He lives at home with his Grandma and his older brother Kip. When Grandma takes off for a few days, Uncle Rico comes to take care of Napoleon and Kip, This makes for some funny moments, but eventually the whole story gets annoying. Napoleon soon meets the equally nerdy Deb (Majorino) and the two become friends. He also meets the new student Pedro and they also become friends. Then, after about an hour of being bored with the films lack of plot and wanting to sleep so desperately, you find out that Napoleon is going to help Pedro win the Class Presidency. The whole point is that the plot is so bad that you get extremely bored.

The acting is good and I liked the music that went along with it. The fact that Napoleon and his family still live in the eighties is kind of weird and seems a little out of place. The thing that really holds back this movie is a lack of plot. There is nothing in the world that would really want me to watch this movie again. It has absolutely no replay value at all which is kind of sad considering how many people really liked this film.

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON NAPOLEON DYNAMITE Entertainment: A few funny parts are all that save this otherwise dull movie: 5/10 Plot: Don't get me started, don't you even get me started..: 2/10 Acting: Actually pretty well done. 7/10 Music: Fun and upbeat. 7/10 Direction: Interesting and funny, but seriously...the eighties??: 6/10 Alberts Analysis: Kinda funny but mostly dull. 4/10

In the years since its release, it has been featured on t-shirts, posters, fridge magnets, books of quotations, and basically anything a teenager would take to school (pens, pencils, binders, backpacks, literally anything). The way I've seen people react to it, I'd almost think it was the film that defined my generation.

When I saw the movie, I had a hard time believing it was ever such a cultural phenomenon. It's not particularly good or, as some critics say, particularly bad -- but it is particularly boring. I only laughed once during the entire 96-minute run-time. I won't say that makes it a failure as a comedy, but it is definitely a failure when it came to keeping my attention.

For a film that supposedly made an accurate representation of an Idaho community, I felt that none of the characters were particularly grounded in reality, Napoleon least of all, who is such an infamously rude jerk that it is probably why the film is so quotable. The problem then becomes: he is such a rude jerk that at no point in time did I find myself rooting for him or his efforts to help Pedro become class president.

...which, by the way, despite being the advertised plot point, the movie took just about half its run-time, if not more, to reach. I won't say here whether it is successful or not -- only that the way it is resolved comes from left-field and makes little sense.

Those of you who have seen this movie can go ahead and tell me that's why it was supposed to be funny -- precisely because it didn't make sense. I will then say right back at you, that it is a lazy way to resolve the plot.

To be completely blunt, "Napolean Dynamite" is a terrible film when being evaluated by traditional movie standards. It has no plot, the pacing is slow, the characters are stranger than strange, and there is absolute ZERO point to the overall experience. That being said, it's one of those "funny because it is stupid" type of movies, and should be watched if only to understand why EVERYONE in 2004 was wearing "Vote for Pedro" t-shirts.

For a basic plot summary...oh, wait...! Basically, this movie follows the utterly random exploits of Napolean (Jon Heder), Kip (Aaron Ruell), Pedro (Efran Ramirez), Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), & Deb (Tina Majorino). There really is nothing else to say.

Like I said, I don't see how anyone can sit down and watch this movie and really, really like it. It's just too pointless and stupid for that type of viewing. Instead, you'll just find yourself chuckling at that very stupidity (which can only go so far, of course, but does produce a number of quote- worthy and memorable cinematic moments).

In terms of the "big picture", I don't quite understand why "Napolean Dynamite" has become such a cult phenomenon. I can see why it may appeal to junior-high clientele (what with its juvenile humor and loner/nerd characters), but other than that it just doesn't work on a higher level.

I think, in the end, this movie is a rare example of a really bad movie catching lightning in a bottle for some ephemeral reason, becoming a cult classic along the way. You won't like it...but you might just like it a little bit...!

Napoleon Dynamite wasn't a terrible film by any means, but it sure didn't live up to the hype everyone gave it. I remember seeing this film five years ago after friends recommended it. During the entire movie, I chuckled maybe twice. In fact, I actually missed the nearly-whispered "your mom goes to college" bit my first viewing. Even after renting Dynamite on VHS a year later, I still found it tiresome and boring. Sure, there are hit-and-miss slapstick laughs here and there, but more often they are of the "miss" variety, and even the hits are too few and far between. Even the actors seemed to empathize with me; the acting is sluggish, the delivery of lines is laboured, and the whole movie has this bored tone to it. It's as if the cast all have on invisible buttons that say "I REALLY WISH I WEREN'T HERE RIGHT NOW." Nevertheless, I must give Napoleon Dynamite kudos for its non-cliché portrayal of high school life (which some claim was its intent) and for not dissolving into a character study of nerds, jocks, etc. that we've seen at least fifty times in increasingly dull strokes.

I eyed this movie for quite awhile before seeing it just now. Everything I saw as far as clips and such were just not funny to me. I had many friends claiming it was hilarious and quoting lines that made no sense to me. Usually, if I watch a movie with low expectations, I'm surprised and like it. That just wasn't the case here, the most the movie ever got was a few weak 'heh's.

It was actually more depressing than funny. I gave it a fair chance, and it was 'blah.' Apparently, on this one, its either love it or hate it.

I've seen several on here say they're tired of the Hollywood main stream, and I agree. Movies anymore seem rehashed. So, I understand the desire for original comedy -- but this wasn't it for me.

There are some well-drawn, interesting characters and deadpan humor in this film, but it gets stale fairly quickly. There's no cohesive story, and it plays rather like a series of mildly funny vignettes than an actual film. One gets the feeling that the script wasn't labored over as much as it was probably schemed up one night over a case of beer and a couple of writers saying, "remember the time...", a whole lot. It nails down teenage awkwardness to some degree, but really doesn't have anything substantive to say about it. The most glaring anachronisms appear when a cell phone rings or people make mention of the internet, even though the whole movie appears to take place sometime in the mid-80s (and this is not just the central character, since all the music, costumes, etc of all the characters scream Reagan-era). In the end, this would've made a great short, but here it runs about an hour too long. Watching all the 80s decoration made me long for some of the well-crafted teenage angst-driven films of that era, like Hughes' The Breakfast Club.

You have to like high school movies to enjoy this flick. I don't, so it wasn't fun for me. I watched it at the behest of others who assured me that I'd find it hysterical. I found it mundane.

The quiet overall tone and quirky music were my favorite aspects of the picture. It's not one of those horrid quick-cut-montage-over-bouncy-music high school films. It's the story of a mundane dweeb living a mundane life. I suppose we're supposed to identify with that or somehow find it entertaining, but I was never drawn in.

The actors all do a terrific job, and if you're into the idea of a sweet little tale of awkward high school life, this is likely the picture for you. Just not for me!

First of all, I would like to say that this movie is highly overrated. It is the Green Day of Independent Films. A fad and nothing more. What is so special about it? Really? The people who made this movie probably pulled the change out of their pockets to make the film. Also, something I noticed is that another fellow had mention Jim Jarmusch (or however you spell it, I don't really care), the director of Coffee and Cigarrettes, which I thought to be one of the worst films I had ever seen. (Not even the appearance of one of the best modern comedians ever, Bill Murray, could save that movie.) I will concede that I only watched both of these movies once. (That is enough for me.) I will, eventually, when I have nothing better to do and time to waste, watch both of these films again, because I believe in giving things a second chance, but God, I sure hope there's a hell of a lot I missed, because this movie was just plain DULL.

If you miss this movie you have missed nothing. Ignore the buzz, it is not well deserved. Most of the jokes fall flat, half of the scenes have no point to them, there is no plot, and the only likable character is Pedro, who barely speaks. Unfortunately the movie picks up only when it reverts to tired stereotypes (mexican gang members.) As seen as a drama, the movie captures a more realistic feel. The characters seem mostly real until Napolean overacts. I'm sorry, nobody walks at a 45 degree angle, though many of his other mannerisms seem reasonable.

There will be scenes that are just odd. For example, he takes an action figure and drags it at the end of the bus while tied to fishing line. We don't know why. And the scene just ends. Huh? It's revenge of the nerds with no revenge.

Since it came out last summer, "Napoleon Dynamite" has become something of the latest cult movie, gaining a loyal and very vocal/visible cult following among the usually-tasteless Goth/punk set. It seems that, even now, over a year after its release, you can't go one day without seeing a "Vote For Pedro" shirt or hearing an idiotic Napoleon impersonation.

This is definitely a love-or-hate movie, and I will say that I do not HATE it - I simply don't like it. I didn't think this movie was at all funny, which may be surprising considering that I am quite a Napoleon-esquire nerd myself. But I don't hate the movie itself - I hate the obnoxious fan base.

I would give a detailed review of this not-so-hilarious film, but I'd be wasting my - and your - time. So let's give this misbegotten fad a generous four stars and be done with it.

Best comedy of the year? Hell no! I heard so much about this film and couldn't wait to see it, but alas I was very disappointed. It's a poorly acted film (except for Pedro) that delivers one unfunny scene after another. Napolean is portrayed in such an obviously overacted way that you start to hate him after a while and cheer when bad things happen to him. A terrible ripoff of Slackers, with tries to show the bored and distant Gen-X POV. There was nothing likable about this character. He's a wormy woman of a man. I don't understand the hype behind this film. Believe it or not it even rips off Road Trip towards the end with the whole interracial love subplot. The whole feel of the film seems like a bunch of kids who got some money together to film a movie they thought would be almost avant guard, but it really misses. See it on cable, don't rent it.

The dance was amazing. There is no more plus. It reminds me trash memes compilation. Don't waste your time if you look a normal comedy.

OK, since I have had enough of everyone quoting this goddamn movie at school, I guess it was my civic duty to see it. It didn't seem like much of a premise, just a guy saying "God, freaking idiots" the whole time. Sounds interesting. OK, sounds lame, but what else am I going to do, go outside? No, such is blasphemy for the online critic. So is Napoleon Dynamite actually quotable, or are all these people just freaking idiots.

Plot: 5/25: Plot? What is this plot you speak of? This is Napoleon Dynamite and it thinks it's too good to have a plot. What you want a summary? Fine, freaking idiot.

Basically, Napoleon Dynamite (Heder) is a high-school nerd. He sits around and draws stuff and breathes heavy. He has a friend in the new kid, mustachioed Pedro (Ramirez) and quiet photographer Deb (Majorino). He lives with his Grandma (Martin) and his 30+ year old brother Kip (Ruell), who spends his days chatting online. When his Grandma is involved in a dirtbike accident and breaks her coccyx, Uncle Rico (Gries) moves in for a while. Rico was a former football player who wants to go back in time, but right now, decides to start up a business with Kip by selling Tupperware. Also, Pedro, Deb and Napoleon go through a few things, such as the school dance and campaigning to make Pedro student president. All in all, things are pretty uneventful, save for some conflict between Rico and Napoleon. This is one of those movies that doesn't really try to have a plot. So sad, I'm really not going to try to give it many points for plot. I will give it a few, though, as it obviously isn't a plot movie.

Comedy: 14/25: I'd be lying if I said Napoleon Dynamite was never funny. I was watching it with three people who didn't laugh once, but I laughed a fair share at the sheer stupidity of some of the lines. There are some genuinely funny parts involving a cow execution and a time machine, and the rest is left to some really dumb line that are, unfortunately, very quotable. I've heard enough "freaking idiots" in the past few days to make my head spin. It just isn't funny. I hate to say it, but most of this crap is just stupid, not funny. I did chuckle to the stuff throughout the movie, but it wasn't at Napoleon. My laughter was aimed mostly at Uncle Rico. The comedy here proved that deadpans work well when they are mixed with non-deadpans, but left to their own, it's just boring. When Napoleon was with Rico or the wrestler, it was funny. When Napoleon was with 50 other characters who are basically Napoleon without quite the nerdity and the heavy breathing, it just doesn't work. I'm giving it more credit than I should, but I did get a good chuckle out of it, so I'll let it slide.

Acting: 20/25: Basically, Jon Heder is now going to be known as Napoleon wherever he goes. It is now his curse he has to live with. He gets the personality down pact for Napoleon, right down to the heavy breathing. Another notable mention is Gries, who I really liked as Uncle Rico. Everyone else is fairly par, but I did enjoy the cameo by Diedrich Bader, who was Oswald on the Drew Carey Show.

Entertainment: 9/25: This movie isn't really entertaining. It funny to some people, but other than that, it's pretty boring. I was laughing and bored and the same time, which I'm pretty sure is a first. It has the funny, but it doesn't have much interest.

Bonus -2 for after the credits: OK, this kinda ruined the movie. It was just painfully bad. Save yourself and stop before the tape gets to this crap.

Total: 46%: Napoleon just didn't do it for me. I don't know why. I was laughing, but I just never clicked with the movie. I just really want to stop hearing quotes from this movie before my head explodes all over these freaking idiots.