Napolean Dynamite ---- ***1/2 (out of 5) (2004)
Cast: Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Tina Majorino
Director(s): Jared Hess
Screenwriter(s): Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess
Released on: June 25, 2004
Reviewed on: January 17, 2005
Rated: PG - for some mature themes
I consider NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE as one of those quirky comedies that's almost impossible to dislike. Despite its plotless scenarios and sometimes downright odd dialogue, the characters have enough strength in their humorously underplayed performances to make the movie worthwhile. It basically takes us into the world of a nerdy, easily exasperated high-schooler who is hard to like at first and hopes that we will be able to relate to him by the time the film is over.
Napolean Dynamite, as suggested by his name, is a very unique teenager. He is tall and lanky, always has a blank non-existent expression on his face, wears vintage T-shirts and tight jeans and spends his time either drawing ligers, using his numchucks, or feeding his pet llama named Tina. If you happened to meet him on the street, on the surface, he would seem cold and distant, but after meeting him, he would turn out to be an extremely interesting person with a lot to offer. Napolean seems like one of those kids that would rather sit back and live inside of his head since he can't really relate to anyone in the real world. He lives with his equally nerdy brother, Kip, who spends time making long-distance relationships with girls on the internet and paying little attention to Napolean. When their grandmother is hospitalized because of an ATV accident, their uncle Rico comes to live with them and also has problems with forgetting about the past and usually hangs out with Kip trying to devise ways to travel back to the past so he can hopefully give himself a new future. A new kid in school named Pedro quickly becomes Napolean's best friend, and they work their way through various situations in their lives such as the school dance and the student council election.
The reason why the main character and the supporting actors are so easy to like is because we can see a little bit of ourselves in each of them. This is consequently the reason why the film works, for the most part. Napolean and Kip are frustrated and socially inept, Pedro behaves strangely and lacks in self-confidence, Deb is shy and unpopular, and Uncle Rico is incapable of forgetting about the negative things from the past. The traits of these characters makes our likeness for their lovable personality quirks come naturally. The film makes it easy to relate to those who are misunderstood and unaccepted by society. To prove that the "normal" people in the world do not understand them, the film shows that the things they do and say outside of social interaction are almost always funny and interesting escapades. Though the irritable Napolean might find his everyday routine to be boring and tedious, we immediately see that most of his daily doings are hilariously uncommon and hardly ever boring or tedious to watch.
Coming this far into the review, I can't neglect to mention the nearly emotionless performances by Heder, Ramirez, and Majorino. Everything they say rubs off as an apathetic comment met with wandering, glazed-over eyes. Napolean himself pulls this off the best, showing that he doesn't wish to speak to anyone when every word coming out of his mouth sounds painfully forced. Those that I've seen that liked the movie love to quote Napolean with lines like "God!" or "Freakin' idiot!" and would probably be his friends if they were in the movie. The viewers I've seen who didn't like NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE seem to be the ones that hugely misunderstood the picture and would probably be the bullies and preps in the film who single out people like Napolean and Pedro and laugh at them behind their backs. So, if you're like me and enjoy movies that glorify the world of nerds and social outcasts, then NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE will be come as an unexpected treat. But if you categorize yourself into any other area, then it will probably be an unforgivable waste of time.
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