Napoleon Dynamite

Plot synopsis:
Napoleon (Jon Heder) starts his school day by riding the bus. To entertain himself he sends a superhero figure out the window attached by fishing line to surf on the street behind the bus. At school he shares his current event with the class, plays tetherball, talks about hunting wolverines in Alaska with a frickin' 12 gauge, and gets bullied. He then calls home and asks his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) to bring him some chapstick. Kip is too busy with his nachos to comply. Napoleon then meets the new kid at school Pedro (Efren Ramirez). Napolean and Pedro go to Pedro's house to take Pedros bike on some sweet jumps. Upon arriving home Grandma tells Kip and Napoleon that shes going away for a day. They convince her that they do not need a babysitter. We find out that Kip is training to become a cage fighter. Napoleon answers the door and finds Deb (Tina Majorino) offering 75% off of Glamour Shots by Deb, as well as selling boondoggle key chains to save money for college. Kip says, your mom goes to college, which upsets Deb and she runs off, leaving all her stuff on Napoleons porch. Kip sees an ad for Rex Kwon Do on the tv and asks Napoleon to pull him into town. They attend the orientation for Rex Kwon Do only to decide it was a rip-off.At school the next day, Napoleon and the Happy Hands Club, a sign language group, give a performance in front of their class. Pedro decides he will ask Summer Wheatly to the dance. Napoleon sees Deb and tells her that her stuff is in her locker and she should take it because he cant fit his nunchucks in there anymore. We see grandma riding an ATV on the sand dunes and have an accident. That evening while Napoleon is feeding the family llama Tina, Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) shows up and informs them that Grandma has broken her coccyx and he will be taking care of them until she returns. Uncle Rico shows Napoleon and Kip a video of him throwing footballs. Uncle Rico reminisces about his glory days.Kip and Rico go to Big J's restaurant and discuss Rico's break up with his girlfriend and Kip's blossoming online romance. They also talk about a money making scheme that Rico has in the works.Pedro and Napoleon deliver a cake to Summer's house as Pedro's invite to the dance. Back at home, Kip and Rico discuss acquiring a time machine online so that Rico can go back to 1982. They also discuss the money making scheme which involves nylon polymer. They decide they need badges and so go to Deb's to get some photos taken. Pedro gets Summer's rejection letter and also receives an acceptance letter from Deb, who Pedro had invited without Napoleon knowing. Pedro tells Napoleon to draw a picture of the girl he wants to invite to the dance. He draws a picture of Trisha, who happens to be Summer's best friend. When he goes to give the picture to Trisha, Uncle Rico is there trying to sell her mother a 24 piece set. Uncle Rico tells Trisha's mom that he wets the bed. Trisha's mom takes pity and tells Trisha she is going to the dance with Napoleon.Napoleon spends a day at a chicken farm for the Future Farmers of America. They eat eggs. Back at home he gets the call from Trisha accepting his invitation to the dance. Pedro says he really needs to get a suit so they go to the thrift store and buy an awesome one. Uncle Rico is going to drive Napoleon to the dance but needs to stop and finalize a sale first. Napoleon gets tired of waiting and starts running to Trisha's but gets picked up by Pedro's cousins with all the sweet hook-ups. They go to the dance and Trisha ditches Napoleon for Summer but Pedro lets Napoleon dance with Deb, who is wearing a dress with sleeves that are real big. While they are dancing Pedro sees that the elections for class president are coming up. Napoleon later convinces Pedro that he should run for class president.Napoleon arrives at home to find that Uncle Rico's time machine has arrived. He tries it out but it only electrocutes him. Uncle Rico has already figured out that it doesnt work. Napoleon and Pedro do well at their FFA meeting with Napoleon being an expert whole milk taster and Pedro a fantastic dairy cow assessor. Back at school they find out Summer is running for president. Pedro gets hot and has to go home.Back at Big J's, Kip reveals to Uncle Rico that he believes his internet romance may be his soul mate. Her name is LaFawnduh and she is coming out from Detroit. Uncle Rico has a new product for them to sell. We find out that when Pedro got hot he shaved his head and now he doesn't want anyone to see so now he wears his hood tight on his head. Deb and Napoleon take him to the thrift store where they pick the wig that looks like a medieval warrior which Deb proclaims matches Pedro's season.With his confidence back, Pedro starts his presidential campaign by hanging up posters and handing out boondoggle key chains. Summer can't believe his nerve. Napoleon sees a nerd in distress and offers him a boondoggle saying, "Pedro offers you his protection". Next time this nerd is in distress Pedro's cousins scare away the attacker. Kip meanwhile meets LaFawnduh at the bus station, and Uncle Rico gives Summer and Trisha flyers for his new product Bust Must +, a breast enlargement pill. Napoleon later finds that his locker has been plastered with Bust Must + flyers. Kip and LaFawnduh are getting along well and LaFawnduh gives kip a huge sparkling necklace. Napoleon attacks Uncle Rico's van with a grapefruit. Pedro has a piñata of Summer as lunchtime entertainment.At the thrift store once again, Napoleon finds a VHS tape of D-Qwons Dance Grooves. Pedro gets a lecture from the school principal about making a piñata in the likeness of his opponent. Napoleon goes home and learns his dance moves from D-Qwon. He meets LaFawnduh, who gives him a cassette tape to listen to that her cousin made. Kip is now a changed man thanks to LaFawnduh. Uncle Rico tries to sell Bust Must + to Deb, saying Napoleon thought she would want some. Deb calls Napoleon and tells him off. Napoleon tells Uncle Rico to leave because he is ruining everyone's lives and eating all of their steak.Uncle Rico goes to Rex Kwon Dos house to sell Bust Must + to his wife, Starla. Rex walks in and breaks Rico's arm. At school the presidential speeches commence with Summer doing a skit with the Happy Hands Club, sans Napoleon and the fat girl. Pedro and Napoleon find out that a skit is expected and since they don't have one prepared Pedro loses hope and gives a pathetic speech. Napoleon thinks quick and gives the tape LaFawnduh gave him to the A/V guy. He uses the moves he learned from D-Qwon to wow the whole audience and receives a standing ovation.Kip gets on a bus with LaFawnduh, Grandma returns from the hospital, Ricos ex-girlfriend shows up at his van, and Pedro wins the presidency. Deb has forgiven Napoleon and shows up on the playground. Napoleon tells her he caught her a delicious bass and they play a game of tetherball, which Napoleon wins by cheating.2 Months Later is the wedding of Kip and LaFawnduh. Napoleon is absent. Kip sings LaFawnduh a love song which gets interrupted when Napoleon shows up on a horse. He proclaims that he just finished taming a wild honeymoon stallion for the newlyweds. He asks Deb to take a picture of him on the horse. Kip and LaFawnduh ride off together and Napoleon is speechless but for one word..........lucky.

Tags: comedy, boring, cult, psychedelic, satire, entertaining

Review:
you have to back off and understand the mood and general feel of the movie before you have the context to find the actions of the characters funny.
I've been in a house like that." This isn't the kind of movie to make you suddenly laugh out loud, it's a movie that will first make you chuckle, and then chuckle some more, and pretty soon you can't stop laughing as scenes and characters continuously remind you about the absurdity of watching random, stupid pointlessness.
but through it all, he's sure things will be just plain okay in the end.Napoleon and his older brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) live with their grandmother, but at the beginning of the film she tells them she needs to take off for a couple days.
Some of the funniest scenes in the film involve Napoleon's often-combative relationship with Uncle Rico; Rico is also bound and determined to return to those halcyon days of his youth via a time machine he's seen advertised on the Internet, and he enlists Kip to help him raise the funds.Napoleon befriends the new kid in school, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), who has a sweet bike, can talk to girls, and has an actual mustache.
You can readily picture a Napoleon in any high school.I think where the film ultimately succeeds, aside from the casting of Heder, is that it doesn't fall into the traps of predictability and stereotyping.
Whatever, he's fun to watch and hear throughout the movie.Suffice to say "Napoleon" and about everyone in this film is totally whacked and all of them - male, female, young, old, good and bad people are extremely entertaining.
Yes, like the bimbo, prettiest girl in school running for class president , and her stupid, macho boyfriend, but most of the people were pretty unique.If you like absurd humor, this is your cup of tea, and you don't have to be a teen to enjoy this.
It seems based on many of the comments on this site that certain folks may be expecting a bit too much from a movie such as 'Napoleon Dynamite.'This ain't art cinema, folks.
NO, Napoleon Dynamite isn't about changing the world--it's live action 'South Park' (Preston, Idaho, where the film is set, actually bears a strong resemblance to the real South Park, Colorado).
It's a highly ironic, self-mocking, merciless run of sight gags and one liners with no apparent purpose other than to get laughs at the expense of its main characters, especially the eponymous Napoleon, a fit stand-in for everyone who's ever felt like a socially inept outcast trapped in the hell of high school.This movie isn't for everybody, but if you don't see glimpses of your own childhood in the various awkwardnesses and failures of the main characters, you're in denial.
Anyone who has attended High School in the last 10 years knows that this movie portrays exactly what it is like.
On the other hand, if you laugh at things like Napoleon getting psyched for a milk-testing contest, or lying about hunting wolverines in Alaska, exaggerating about his bow staff skills or his brother bragging about chatting online with "babes" all day, you can't go wrong.
The film follows the  misadventures of a complete loser (Napoleon Dynamite is a near sighted  high school kid with a penchant for medieval warriors and tall tales),  his best friend (the new kid in town, a Mexican immigrant who must  comprehend life in rural Idaho), their shared love interest (she is  deliciously quirky on her own), and a few other random characters  (Napoleon's scheming "get rich quick" uncle and his internet chatroom  obsessed loser 32-year-old-but-still-living-at-home brother).
While this movie was made in many ways to appeal to those who can most  relate to the awkward years of growing up (the unpopular kids, the new  kid, the medieval warrior obsessed clique, the metal heads, the stoners,  all the general low lifes you probably associated with, or possibly  were at school), this will nevertheless appeal to everyone else.
But the film is not for everyone; my wife couldn't stand the film, and we have incredibly similar taste in movies (and books).But here's my main point: I teach at a university, and for reasons I won't bore you with, I wound up showing Napolean Dynamite (ND) to a class on counseling children and adolescents.
Quote from IMDb user who loved the film: "This movie explores the very essence of boredom and mediocrity as you follow the daily life of a dorky guy doing uninteresting things in a small, unexciting town.
People think that anything 'different' must be awesome, but my goal in life isn't to pay to see some guy 'doing uninteresting things' throughout his 'monotonous existence' because '{he's} got nothing better to do.] I can bore myself to death without any help, thank you!.
But the vast majority of the film was slow, boring, and thoroughly depressing.One huge problem is the characters - which, considering the big selling point of this movie is the characters, is not a good thing.
I suppose the end of the movie would be considered uplifting for those who actually led lives like that, but it's only a small break in the incredibly dull lives of these characters.I did appreciate the fact that this movie was a solid "PG" - a comedy that doesn't rely on fart jokes or sexual innuendo every other line is great.
But while this movie was supposedly targeted at someone like me (Gen Xer who didn't exactly fit in in high school), it completely missed the mark as far as I am concerned..
The characters are barely 2-dimensional, boring, whiny, and lacking in any sort of an ironic undertone that would normally make this kind of movie funny, or at least watchable.
The best part was seeing Kipp in clothing like some rapper homeboy, other than that the movie was a complete waste of my time.If you are on drugs, alcohol or just leave the sound off, maybe it is funny.If I paid anything at the movie theater, I would have been very angry.
I laughed maybe twice in when I had desperately wanted to see it.To all of you doofs who think wearing a "Vote for Pedro" pin/shirt/whatever is hip...this movie is about the furthest thing from hipness.
I took that time exchanging bored and annoyed looks with the only person in the room who felt the same way.With a multitude of "football-in-the-groin" type jokes (well, actually, bike-in-the-groin, for the movie), the humor of the entire movie is less than satisfactory.
I can't see how so many people love this movie and how it comes so highly recommend but it does so i guess it really is a matter of opinion, but still come on this was just bad, if you want to see a decent movie try looking in the COMEDY section..
Other characters in the film -- Napoleon's uncle Rio (Jon Gries), a sleazy ne'er-do-well who wishes he could go back to 1982 when he believes his high school football team would have won the championship if they'd put him in the game; the older brother, Kip (Afron Ruell), who hooks up with a black babe named LaFawnDa (Shondrella Avery) via Internet  are creations as sharp and clear as Napoleon.
Because he's not really all that vulnerable, Napoleon Dynamite nurses no lasting resentments, so there can be no revenge or retribution or downfall, and the movie doesn't 'build.' The succession of skits that comprise much of the film often end unfinished, thus giving a hip postmodern illogic to the story that may make this a favorite for young people  that is, twenty-somethings  in months and years to come.
Napoleon Dynamite isn't 'about' anything and doesn't have much of a plot, but it deals with such themes as sexual frustration, get-rich salesman scams (which is where Uncle Rio comes in), and high school popularity contests (the alpha girl, Summer, played by Haylie Duff, vs.
Everyone had been saying this was the best film for years, and that it was side splittingly funny, so I turned up to Napoleon dynamite expecting a complete laugh.
The movie is boring and unfunny, and the dialog makes Carrot Top's "Chairman of the Board" sound like "Hamlet." Jon Heder's Napoleon is one of the most unlikeable protagonists I've ever encountered.
Every time I hear one of my friends tell me about how much they love this movie or see its merchandise in the mall, it makes me feel like I'm in some alternate universe where everything is turned around.
I don't understand the camera.If these people are representative of the residents of Idaho, that state should not be allowed to vote in national elections.This replaced "Glen and Randa" as the all time worst movie I have ever seen..
Okay, guys, we understand the blunted affect and terminal geekiness; next joke, please.Yes, there are a few (very few) funny bits in the movie: the cow killing, the 1% milk scene, and Napoleon's masterful drawing of his date.
So, unless you're extremely bored and have a few bucks to blow on one and a half hours of your life you will never get back, I would urge you not to waste your time on this movie.
I want the 95 minutes and six seconds of my life back, seriously I do; I deserve something for sitting through the entire thing.Basically, my evening with the movie went like this: I started watching the movie with my dad and my brother; 15 minutes later they got sick of it, five minutes after that I got sick of it and put another movie on.
Halfway through the movie I was chewing at the remote control in anger, I almost fell asleep 20 minutes before the movie was over, and by the end of the film, I felt cheated, I felt like a massive part of my life was wasted away.
Enough about my suffering, now its time to mention why this movie was so sour in my opinion, and why it does not deserve the 40 million dollars it has earned in the box office.This movie's boredom can be traced back to the fact that most of the characters in the film have no personality whatsoever.
As a matter of fact, the only people that actually had a personality in the film are Napoleon Dynamite himself and his awkward family (Except for Kip).
Besides the uncle (The only good performance in the movie, played by Jon Gries), everyone else and their talent-less skills displayed nothing during the 95 minutes; they were about as colorful as an early 1920s Mickey Mouse cartoon.Jared Hess seemed like he could not build a plot to save his life, so he throws a bunch of different sketches to see if that works instead.
I did not laugh a single time in the movie until the very end, 85 minutes into the film.Bottom Line: Boring, too long, not entertaining at all.
Napoleon Dynamite: You are whether going to love this movie, or just hate it with a passion.My Score: 0/10.
At least then people will laugh for a reason.Never watch this movie.
Napoleon Dynamite has got to be one of, if not, the worst films i've ever seen.
Too bad so many people think this "film" is "so awesome and if you don't like it then your an idiot, god!" If someone gave me this as a gift i would never talk to them again..
i have thoroughly enjoyed "stupid funny" movies in the past, this one does not qualify as one of them.if you are looking for side-splitting humor, (or even just a plain IL' funny movie) don't waste your time.i try and make it a rule not to rent movies that don't rate less than a 7 on this site, and i might have to start raising that standard by a few points.the movie left me wondering what it is that i have to do in the office tomorrow.if you looking to kill 1.5 hours of your life and never get them back - rent this one today..
I hate this excuse of a movie with every fiber of my being.Jerry Seinfeld has been the ONLY person in the history of motion picture to get away with making a "show about nothing", and with tripe like "Napoleon Dynamite" in contention...he will be keeping that unique aspect for a very long time."Napoleon Dynamite", with all due respect to IMDb, gets 0 of 10 stars..
I have asked several other people who have seen this film what their opinion was, some said you need to watch the movie THREE, yes THREE times before it becomes funny, now...I'm missing something here, It's not funny the first time ?.....or the second time, just the third time ?
So when the stepsister rented it, I sat down and watched it.I want my 75 minutes back.I fail to see what is soo good in any way, shape or form about this hour-long session of people staring at the camera blankly (no, not the audience, the acting).I was honestly surprised by Napoleon Dynamite.
Having spoken with many people of all ages, I have come to the conclusion that there are 2 types of people who have seen this movie - (a) those who "get it" and think that this movie is extremely funny, and (b) those who don't "get it" and just sit there at the screen going "what the **** am I watching".
After reading rave reviews on this site, I expected "Napoleon Dynamite" to be a side-splittingly funny movie about social misfits and teen alienation.
But here's the difference between their films and the Hesses' work - Anderson and Solondz are better storytellers and, more often than not, create unique characters, original moments and funny dialogue.
If you want to see a truly funny film about social misfits, rent last year's "American Splendor." And for quintessential droll wit, watch the Ealing comedies, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and Alexander Mackendrick's "The Ladykillers.""Napoleon Dynamite" joins "Connie and Carla," "Along Came Polly" and the Coens' "The Ladykillers" as one of the dumbest and least funniest comedies of the year..
Next time they want to make a movie with no plot and a loser character I'd suggest they lay off the medication..
Even so, the movie surprises me in how it is able to sustain the feeling of the story and humor improving, but lacking to do so during the entire film.The plot is to an extent surprising, but it is not interesting enough to hold my attention, unfortunately the characters are nothing more than slightly funny and in turn makes this a mediocre comedy not really worth the time.I am surprised to see others give this movie any acclaim at all, it is not a memorable movie and misses it's own genre totally.
I think that this movie is in my opinion the worst movie of 2004, I recently watched this film and thought it was like watching a boring American TV commercial, the best bit was when it ended.
i wanted to like this movie and in spite of some small funny bits, here and there, i was pretty disappointed.
I kept wondering while watching this film, is it time to laugh now?
Then the movie ends, not because anything or anyone has changed in any significant way, or any actual conclusionary events have come to pass, but simply because the director has run out of scenes.True, some things do happen in the movie, and, when put together, some might even call it a plot.
Naturally I was expecting to have a great time watching this movie.
Napoleon is without a doubt the most boring, gross, annoying, idiotic and obnoxious character I've ever seen in a movie besides the rest of the characters in this film.
Though the film had no substance, the style (a weird hybrid of 1970's & 1980's clothes and hairstyles) was intriguing and the mannerisms were mildly humorous.I watched "Napoleon Dynamite" with a couple of people, and I found the various reactions interesting: My younger cousins (ages 15 & 12 years old) thought the movie was hilarious because of some of the physical comedy and the mannerisms of the characters, my mother hated it because it was weird, and I kind of liked it because of its strangeness.
So for all of you who think this movie sucks: "I watch what I feel like watching, gosh (turn head rapidly)..
you name it, it's a very good quality film, but all that doesn't actually add up to making it good.The one thing I don't think this movie is, is funny.
"Napoleon Dynamite" has been called "the funniest film of the year" by nearly every high-school student in the entire world.
I grew up not too far from where the movie was filmed and I gotta tell ya, it is dead on what it's like to grow up there.
Either way, Napoleon Dynamite is now a widely recognized character in our pop culture.I don't know if this movie tries to make any statement about anything, but I guess it doesn't matter.
It was the most boring thing I've seen.My sister got this movie for me for Christmas because she though my personality was similar to Napoleon Dynamite.
This film features characters and jokes that are only funny when the audience feels something for them.
I like the reviews in which the authors wish to get back the 2 hours of their life spent watching this movie.
The first time, I didn't laugh a great deal; I was too worried that Napoleon would be embarrassed and ridiculed, as has happened in every nerd movie going back to Jerry Lewis.
Watch the movie a second time, and you'll notice that Napoleon never knuckles under.
It becomes more funny, the more times you watch it, especially if you take to QUOTING the movie.
Napoleon doesn't get picked on in high school because he's a nerd; he gets picked on because he's a jerk, and treats people like crap.