I just saw Napoleon Dynamite this evening. It was fantastic! I want to see it a million times. It was exactly my type of humor
I liked how there was a lot of emphasis on how Napoleon wore a nerdy woman’s suit from the 70s, but then you get to the dance and there’s a kid in a Cosby sweater. I also liked how all of the actors playing high schoolers looked either 30 or 12.
I can’t decide who I like better: Napoleon or Kip. I didn’t particularly like how Kip started dressing how one might expect the boyfriend of LaFawnduh to dress, but I was happy that he found his soul mate.
Loved Napoleon’s moon boots!
Majorly loved the dance sequence. Loved how he started out with his hands in his pockets–nice nerd touch. That’s a secret dream of mine, to get up on a stage and just let loose. That’s probably my favorite part of the whole movie.
Favorite quotes:
“But my lips hurt real bad!”
“Give me some tots!”
“I’ve been surfing the net for babes all day.”
What exactly is this movie about? I’ve seen previews online and on some cable channels but it is only playing at one theatre here, so no one is hyping it up.
It’s mainly a bunch of vignettes from this guy’s not-so-fabulous life. A friend described it as “tragic geekiness.”
Napoleon meets a new student from Mexico, Pedro, who decides he wants to run for student body president. The other candidate is the popular girl in school, Summer. Napoleon’s grandma hurts herself, so his Uncle Rico comes to stay with him and his 30-year-old brother, Kip, and generally mixes stuff up.
Here’s the trailer. I really think this is the best film I’ve ever seen, but I’m going to have to see it about 141 more times to be sure.
I just saw it today and loved it in a way it’s hard to even articulate. It uses some of the conventions of a routine high school comedy. It’s got the geeks running in a school election against the popular girl. But it also manages to completely avoid being cliched or fake. Napolean is a genuine geek not a movie geek. He doesn’t have hidden qualities of kindness or intelligence that the other characters miss. He is what he appears to be.
I knew Napolean Dynamite in high school- hell, in some ways I was Napolean Dynamite. The movie somehow perfectly captures that insulated world of bottom of the barrel loserdom- that niche so low on the social scale that there’s a kind of freedom in it.
I liked the stuck-in-1982 uncle who was always eating steaks and video taping himself throwing footballs. The liittle details like how he was always looking at his own biceps were just perfect.
Pedro was good too. I loved his sad monotone during the election speech and his deadpan promise tp “make all of your wildest dreams come true.”
And of course, Napolean’s dance routine was sublime.
I hope to see more of the actor who played Napolean. What an incredible comic performance.
Just saw it last night. Lots of really big laughs.
Definitely a weird little movie with a heart of an art film.
SPOILERS AHOY:
As diogenes noted, napoleon doesn’t really change. We don’t get to see what a really great guy he is and he isn’t saved, transformed or made a better person in the end. He’s just a 2 dimensional geek.
It’s unusual that supporting players are more well rounded than the main character. I’m reminded of Beevis and Butthead in the way that several characters were unrepentantly quirky and unlikeable. With these characters, what you see is what you get.
I saw it for free at an advanced screening and scored a free “Vote for Pedro” t shirt to boot. The audience seemed to really love it, too.
Just joining in the love. My friends and I saw this a couple weeks ago, and haven’t stopped quoting it since. Easily the best movie of the summer, and an instant classic.
I can’t wait to see it again with the added scene.
“Maybe build her a cake or something.”
“Pedro offers you his protection.”
“Waht are you gonna do today, Napoleon?”
“What ever I feel like doing, what do you think?!”
OK, I’m off to Alaska to hunt wolverines with my uncle.
