*** Official NAPOLEON DYNAMITE Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[JamieD]

Most people I know seem to "love" this movie, but can't give a reason. I personally thought it was one of the worst movies I have EVER seen. Oh well.

 

[Morgan_]

I don't know what it is about this movie, but I love it. I watched it for the 2nd time early this morning after work, with the new svs sub providing subtle low back up, and I just think it's a wonderfully done movie. I like all the characters, there really isn't one evil or mean one, and usually a movie has good guys and bad guys, but this movie is just a slice of innocent corniness that is just truly endearing to the viewer. I'll probably watch it again, it's got that kind of cult addiction thing going for it.

 

[Brandon Conway]

http://www.jokaroo.com/ecards/funnymovies/topten.html

^ Napoleon doing a Top Ten on Letterman. Sweet!

 

[NickSo]

Its not the movie that i like, its the characters... all the little things they do, how they deliver their lines, is just hilarious... The movie really has no plot whatsoever, its just an interesting peek into the life of Napoleon Dynamite. Ever have those classmates who do the dumbest or oddest things (like 'saving' tater tots in HIS POCKETS for later snacking), and you and your friends would laugh about him/her? This is exactly what i see it as.

The more i watch it the funnier it gets... can you do me a favor? Can you bring me my chapstick?

 

[Lev-S]

As soon as Napoleon delivered his first line, I shuddered and prepared for the longest hour and a half of my life. This movie reminded me of 'Elephant' with it's bland take on high-school life. It had TONS of stereotypes and random acts of nothingness (tater tots
) just like Van Sant's flick. Sadly, none of the lethargic "characters" in 'Napoleon Dynamite' got blown away in a shootout. :frowning: Nuts. Anybody else notice that it felt like 'Napoleon Dynamite' was trying too hard?

 

[Michael Ballack]

I rented this the other night. I loved it. I agree it has no plot, but everytime I look at the characters and hear them speak I just start to laugh. I liked that the film was trying to be weird. This is just one of those films that you either love it or hate it. I can't stand Meet the Parents and refuse to see Meet the Fockers but look how many people like those movies. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Totally agreed. And I hated Elephant too - we're a team!

 

[Brandon Conway]

When you're a $400,000 independent film, you try as hard as you can.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

The "trying too hard" I didn't like doesn't mean "working really hard" - it means trying too hard to be clever or wacky.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I'm just saying it is better to reach for the sky and fail than to reach for the gutter and succeed.

Not that I think ND failed.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Well, you'd be surprised at stereotypes are bases on real things people do. I've seen people like Napolean and I know there's people who cant move on from High School like Napoleans uncle. I liked the eccentric humor. So much funnier than most of the stuff people go see every week at the theatre.
This type of humor is easily comparible to say something like Arrested Deveopment or Scrubs. Two comedies on TV that the masses dont seem to get.

 

[Adam Portrais]

It wasn't until last weekend that I got a chance to watch this movie. And I have to say I laughed my ass off. There are people just like these.

Funny Little Side Story:

We had this kid Scott in high school, no one could remember his name, we just called him "El Ka-bong" (the teacher in guitar lab asked him to play an open E string and he strumed out something that sounded like a guitar being smashed over someone's head, no one was ever able to duplicate it). He was a Koren kid who wore thick black rimed glasses, always wore a blue Member's Only type trench coat (no matter what the weather) and wore a big brass kung fu madalion around his neck (and when I say big I mean like a plate you might serve a slice of cake on big). He was always reading these Karate books printed in the 70's that you could get from the school library. He would give us Karate demos and tell us how he was a badass at numbchucks and what not. One day the guy just up and disapreard. Our guitar lab teahcer said "Well, I guess the mother ship just came and returned him to his home planet."

So, there are people just like Napoleon out there and this movie reminds us of them and gives us an idea of what they might do when we're not around. (I brought that back nicely don't ya think?)

 

[Carlo_M]

You can take the "" off of love, because I love this movie (no quotes necessary) and I can't give one reason. All I know is that I laughed, hard at times, and I felt good when I finished watching the movie. Sure, I could probably sit here and dissect it, but why ruin the feeling?

Movies like this either hit a note with people or they don't. It happened to hit a big one with me, and I'm not apologetic for it one bit. Nor am I critical with those who disliked it. But I don't think the film "failed" to be something. It failed to be what those who didn't like it wanted it to be, but who is to say that's what the filmmakers wanted it to be? I for one think it's the product that the makers envisioned, and to those of us who find that kind of humor funny, it has resonated.

 

[WillG]

Did anyone read the news today (02/17) I read a few stories about a Liger......SWEET!!

 

[Adam_S]

I loathed this film. I caught it last fall off of a screener of someone who was tertiarily involved in the production (acquaintance of an acquaintance of an acquaintance), just abysmally bad. I think what I disliked most about the film is that Napoleon Dynamite is the equivalent of the Stepin Fechit of highschool Nerds/geeks. At least that's how it came across to me, but I can see how that might appeal to some folks--to always have the geeks performing their geek role to the nth degree for the enjoyment of others with only a rare moment of humanity given to them.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Why humanity? Who needs humanity 100% 24/7?

Napoleon's a geek with very awkward habits. Those habits are either funny to you or they are not. I fail to see where humanity comes into it.

If every film must have a redeeming element of humanity to it, how boring. Geeks made this movie and had a fun time laughing at themselves in exaggerated form. If they can make fun of themselves without worrying about their humanity, I fail to see why I can't.

It's not that I feel I must "always have the geeks performing their geek role to the nth degree", because that's not true. If a film is going to show the humanity of a geek/nerd and have them break out of their shell, fine. I just don't see where every film has to do this - especially a stupidly fun comedy like ND.

If you're having pangs of guilt because Napoleon has no humanity when Uncle Rico hits him in the face with a steak, this is just the wrong movie for you.

I just think it's a good thing to occasionally just lay it all out on the surface and say, "You know that weird habit that guy has? It's hilariously weird." Maybe it's because I have weird habits and geek/nerd aspects to myself that when I think about them just make me laugh because they are so awkward. I'm a dork at times, and when it's crystal clear, I ignore any self-humanity and just laugh; I'm just damn funny to mock. And knowing Jon Heder (Napoleon), a lot of Napoleon's weirdness is him making fun of himself, and doing the exact same thing.

 

[Jim Ogilvie]

I saw this movie for the first time at a friends house, just after new years.

Just barely tolerated it. My friends had been indulging in some liquid refreshment, and had been laughing their butts off. They saw the movie in a theatre, so this was their second viewing. I just didn't get it.

I ended up viewing it two days later, again, as I had the rental DVD with me on the train for a few hours.

I can't explain this - but it really grew on me. I have watched it twice more since. I like this movie a lot.

Go figure.

 

[TheodoreQ]

This movie was funny, and had the chance to become a cult hit, but it just seems to lack something that will never make it so.

 

[George See]

I think it has become a cult hit....maybee your not in the cult but the cult does exist. There's already pages up with sound boards and what not, also you can to any number of websites and purchase vote for pedro t-shirts etc. I saw this in the theater a couple months ago and there were people reciting the lines along with the movie and not just one or two.

 

[Tim_Stack]

I too loved this film. It definately was derivative, but all great artists steal. It felt like a combination of Election and Rushmore, both of which I think are great.

The characters are so interesting and funny. I think that people who can't relate to this film probably didn't have an awkward moment in their lives, and thus can't put themselves in the shoes of a Napoleon.

The blocking added to the comedy as well. Sometimes characters would have a conversation without ever looking at each other.

Plus the effeminate brother reminded me of a co-worker who is also from Idaho. That was the cherry on top.