Napoleon Dynamite is an oddball of a movie that makeseven the most indie-loving audience a little uncomfortable.
Where Rushmore is just uncomfortable enough to feel real,Napoleon Dynamite is uncomfortable enough for you to spendmost of the film wondering, "Where is this all going?" and "Is thatfunny or pathetic?"
Napoleon (Jon Heder) is an amazingly awkward, lanky nerd whofrequently gets beat up at school and lives with his creepy olderbrother, the online-dating Kip (Aaron Ruell), and hisstuck-in-high-school-football-days Uncle Rico (Jon Gries).
Napoleon's only friend is Pedro (Efren Ramirez), and the twospend their time hoping to ask someone mildly attractive to theschool dance, but Pedro seems to beat Napoleon to the chase.However, Napoleon stands by his friend's side as his campaignmanager when Pedro runs for class president against the school'smost popular girl.
The two boys become tangled in the affections of Deb (TinaMajorino), who is truly endearing and magnetic, making you root forher to overcome the humorous and painful teenage hell that seems togrip everyone.
Overall, the movie seems to drag as the audience waits for thatmoment of truth to find out what Napoleon's really made of and ifhe is better than the time and his pathetic farm life and family,and that moment does not let you down.
The humor is so dry and unobtrusive that you almost feel badlaughing. The protagonist is not cookie-cutter endearing, and theadult antagonist is not as evil as would be expected.
The actors do not overplay their parts but act as natural as aperson living these events could.
But what is most interesting is realizing what a false worldhigh school is, where people are allowed to beat up others or arepopular for no particular reason, and the tide of public opinioncan change in seconds.
Through the pains of an adult trying to go back to high schooland a boy trying to make it through, the audience sees how sillyand meaningless high school is. This should be mandatory viewingfor high school students to remind them there is no need to resortto violence to deal with the cruelty of adolescence -- it will allbe over soon if you just make it through.
