We've all been there, at least once in our lives, for me it was many times...we've had our share of being the outcast, we've all taken turns being the complete freak, the complete weirdo whom no one associates with but everyone makes fun of, thats just the way of life. And Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) takes us back there just one more "flippin" time as we watch excerpts of his life as the teenage outcast living out in the boonies of Idaho.
Raised by his wild and crazy grandmother, who is quickly taken out of the plot by a sand-dune motorcycle riding accident and replaced by the oh-so-suave Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), who pines for his football days back in 1982 and spends time selling tupperware and herbal breast enhancers, Napoleons life is a far cry from normal. But his life isn't made easier by his thirty-one year old brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) who spends his time in online chat rooms and courting his African-American internet love, La Fawnduh, and who refuses to help his brother in anyway especially to drop chapstick off at Preston High for Napoleon (because his lips hurt, "You idiot, Huhhhh!"). Speaking of Preston High, this presents another challenge for slack-jawed, close-eyed, moonboot wearing, fantasy dreaming, "Ligar" drawing Napoleon. Here he spends his time playing tetherball with himself, getting beat up, and drawing cross-breed animals..."bread for their skill and magic" and the rest of the time in his life that is filled with silence is supplemented with classic elevator music. But things at school take a turn for the better as he runs in to a new student who quickly becomes his best friend, Pedro(Efren Ramirez). When Pedro decides to run for class presidnt, Napoleon does all he can to support him, despite minor setbacks (including Pedro shaving his head after realizing it was his hair that made his head hot, and Uncle Rico handing out a "Bust Must" herbal enhancer ad to Napoleon's crush Deb (Tina Majorino...yes the same little girl who starred in Corinna, Corinna!), among the many other hilarious things. And just as Pedro thought for sure he lost the race for president because he didn't prepare a skit, Napoleon "got his back" and performed a dance on stage in front of the whole school (needless to say one of the funniest parts of the movie), true friendship, "Sweet!"
The story lacks a real plot, its more like mini-plots put into one big movie, and eventhough different is not always good, and in the case of Napoleon Dynamite, director and writer John Hess has achieved a movie that needs no plot to make the audience laugh 'till they pee in their pants. The movie was not very well recieved by most critics, but I'm still trying to figure out why, maybe because they think the whole "geek vs. jock" rivalry in movies is getting stale and they think that "Freaks and Geeks" was enough, but the rivalry in Napoleon Dynamite really is not the center of the whole movie, it focuses more on making the audience laugh at the bizarre-ness of the situation. Maybe its because they can't appreciate the humor in the ridiculous lifestyle and behaivor of this oddball, who represents our freak days (except Napoleon's case is far worse than most of ours were and will ever be). At any rate, Hess has created a masterpiece of great humor, sarcastic humor, and has managed to please those at the Sundance Film Festival, and the US Comedy Arts Festival named Dynamite its "Best Feature Film," not to mention Nancy and I as well. This film is definately a must-see on my list of films and it ranks WAY up there as one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. So if you haven't seen it and your city is one of the special selected ones to have it playing there, get your butt of the chair and get to the theater, and if your city isn't one of select few who can see it, write to someone and get it playing there right away, you have no idea what you are missing out on!
If you can't wait to see it go to The Official Napoleon Dynamite Website to watch clips from the movie and do other cool things! SWEET!!