Last night I went over to a friend who was home from A.F. basic training and I had not seen him in a while. We had nothing to do, so we watched the DVD of Napoleon Dynamite. I had never seen it until then, but I remember when everyone was talking about it all the time. I vowed I wouldn’t see it; I was convinced that since everyone was talking about it, and everyone is usually an ass, it had to be bad.
Well, it wasn’t HORRIBLE. But I didn’t like it much and don’t understand what all the fuss was about. Sure, it had some giggly moments; no real belly laughs. The only thing that really made me laugh was when Rico takes the model sailing ship out of the box and says “I bet you don’t have one of these!” Aside from that the humor was just too “random” and lacked any buildup or timing.
Was it just me or is Napoleon, the title character, one of the most UNLIKEABLE characters ever? I found myself wishing he had attended my high school so I could have kicked his ass. He was so irritating; instead of being a likeable, polite geek, he came off as an arrogant, pushy jerk. His constant open-mouthed dumbfounded look really got to me, as did the way he blurted out his phrases. What was so great about this guy? Was he supposed to be “so nerdy that he’s funny?” That’s not how he seemed to me. Many people describe this movie as “the life of a typical geek,” but the only thing about Napoleon Dynamite that’s geeky is the way he looks. He sounds and acts like a plain old jerk.
Kip, another major character, was also not that funny. How many times has this stereotype been hashed out? He’s a meek, wimpy doofus who eventually adopts gangsta-style dress after hooking up with his online lover. Ha ha ha, that’s one thing that never gets old, a dorky white guy dressing like a gangsta. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard since “Bringing Down The House.”
Uncle Rico was probably my favorite character, partially because he brought back childhood memories of my dad (not his behavior, just the way he looked.) (And no he’s not dead or anything, he just doesn’t have that 70’s hair and porno mustache anymore.)
No, Napoleon Dynamite was not the worst movie I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t even call it a bad movie, since I liked the cinematography and nice outdoor shots. It managed to capture a pretty nice atmosphere. But I wasn’t really entertained by it and I wouldn’t describe it as a “funny” movie.
I’m not here to bash people who like it, nor am I here to criticize the movie any more than I already have. I’m not one of the jerkoffs on IMDB. What I’m looking for is insight, from fans of the movie or from people who did not like it, into its popularity. It has been embraced by the local hipster culture here and I’d like to know why they are so very deeply in love with Napoleon Dynamite.