Napoleon Dynamite (South Park Without The Barf Alert)

Worldnetdaily.com ^ | 01/06/04 | Joseph Farah

[goldstategop]

Illegal aliens are invading our country and an army of some 20 million now occupy it.

150,000 are known dead in South Asia and up to 1 million are homeless due to the tsunamis.

The 109th U.S. Congress is convening.

But, don't worry. I've got some good news for you.

And, no, I didn't just save a boatload of money on my car insurance.

There's a movie sweeping the nation right now, capturing the imaginations of young Americans, making them laugh and entertaining them – and doing all that without sex, violence, obscenity or profanity. There's nothing politically correct about it. There's no deep message in the film. It's not intended to be socially redeeming. And, unlike the biggest box-office hit of the hour, there's nothing even offensive about the name of the film.

But it is funny.

Very, very funny.

Very strange and very, very funny.

This independent film was made on a budget of $400,000 and has grossed more than $44 million.

When the DVD was released for Christmas, Fox shipped 2.5 million copies – about twice the number you would expect for a movie that grossed $44 million. It sold 1.35 million copies the first day, making it the top-selling DVD for Christmas week. As a result, Fox ordered another million copies.

Yet, when I tell you the name of this movie, many are going to say: "Never heard of it."

Are you ready?

"Napoleon Dynamite."

Ever hear of it?

If you haven't, your kids have.

And it might be a good idea to buy the DVD, sit down and watch it with them.

It's just good, clean fun.

Grown-ups are not supposed to get the humor in this movie. And some of them clearly don't. When it was released, stuffed-shirt critic Roger Ebert described it as "a kind of studied stupidity that sometimes passes as humor." Another critic said it "may be the most condescending comedy ever ..."

Like I always say: There's no accounting for taste.

I admit this is a very different kind of movie – and not for everyone. But I have seen it three times now and I could easily watch it four more. I laugh a little harder every time.

The appeal of the movie is that it captures life in high school. Yet, aside from a few language quirks peculiar to this particular generation, there's transcendency to "Napoleon Dynamite." This 2004 glimpse of high-school life is strikingly similar to my own experiences some 35 years ago.

Don't ask me what happens in this movie. The only answer is "not much." That's not the point. It's not about plot. It's about characters – funny, goofy, recognizable misfits of all ages.

Imagine "Seinfeld" set in a suburban high-school environment. If you can picture that, you may begin to picture what you are in for when you rent or buy the DVD this weekend.

I don't recommend movies often. I only watched this one because my 18-year-old daughter brought home the DVD and asked her parents to watch it with her. I'm glad she did.

Your son or daughter might not bring it to your attention.

Why don't you get the jump on them and bring it home yourself?

If you do, here's my advice:

See it with an open mind.

Don't let me raise your expectations too high and ruin it for you. (After all, nothing much happens in this movie.)

And tell me if you don't think there is something redemptive about this geeky movie.

[Slyfox]

My son jumped in the car and said, "Napoleon Dynamite is the best movie ever, we have to rent it." The person who cuts my hair said, "You gotta see that movie." So, I went out and bought it. One of my favorite parts is the lunch scene after Napoleon gets the job at the chicken farm. But, what made the movie heroic was when he helps his friend Pedro out during his campaign for president by doing that dance solo.

Napoleon Dynamite will be one of those movies that when you walk into the room and it is playing, you will just sit down and watch it to the end. There are some movies that fly right under the critics radar screen and into ordinary peoples hearts, and ND is one of them.

[Pappy Smear]

What a great movie! I never really laughed out loud much, except maybe at the chicken farm...."Do chickens have big talons?"

It reminded me of my growing up in rural Iowa, looked a lot the same, minus the mountains. No really super expensive houses, just plain ol' middle class houses. Teenagers that have crappy jobs.

I don't think anybody mentioned it, but it reminded me of a non-vulgar Fast Times at Ridgmont High. I realize there are plenty of things to say why those two were not even close to each other, maybe it was just the portrayal of a lot of different cringe experiences of high school.

[Saundra Duffy]

Don't know where I've been. We picked up this movie last week at Blockbuster kind of accidentally and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS MOVIE!!! It's the funniest and cutest movie I have ever seen. Is there a Napoleon Dynamite fan club?

[Saundra Duffy]

Bump for a great movie!

[Saundra Duffy]

I want to see it again. Will buy it.

[Drew68]

Sorry. I couldn't resist!

[Saundra Duffy]

That little girl in the film with the funny pony tail that sticks out from the side of her head (Ha!) - she was in Andre (the movie about the seal) and she was also in Water World. She was such an adorable little girl and now she's a teenager and really cute in this movie. Ha! I'm still laughing!!

[Saundra Duffy]

What'd you post? I couldn't see the picture. What couldn't you resist?

[Saundra Duffy]

Everyone I have spoken to who has seen the movie LOVED IT! There's something about it. Sorry you didn't like it.

[Saundra Duffy]

I think the funniest part is when Napoleon is just standing there minding his own business and some kid comes over and beats the crap out of him for seemingly no reason. I'm sorry but I think that's funny.

[Saundra Duffy]

IDIOTS (that's what Napoleon says). Ha!

[Zack Nguyen]

One thing I noted in the Napoleon Dynamite is how the filmmakers seemed to know the viewer would expect, at some point, some hard core teen sex.

So they play games, making you think that Uncle Rico is having sex with his customers. But he never does. The film toys with the prejudice towards the ribald that we have developed.

[Saundra Duffy]

I think it's funny when people try to make serious statements (either pro or con) about this movie. LOL!

[stands2reason]

National Treasure was okay, but the editor should be strung up.

[Saundra Duffy]

I liked National Treasure, too - very much. Napoleon Dynamite was a GREAT movie!!

[Zack Nguyen]

I take everything too seriously. :) My wife would say I overanalyze!

[Paulus Invictus]

I was stunned by the movie. And flick that was made for $400K and nets $50+ million is a winner. Had I made this movie I would be laughing all the way to various banks. I didn't laugh out loud at the DVD, but I did smile a lot as I saw some kids who looked like many I knew in HS. Hey, it was fun and there were a few accurate caricatures of weirdos too.

Also, the reviewer got it wrong. It was definately not suburbia. The film was made and was about a rural HS, in a place I have actually visited, Preston, Idaho, a place so rural the town odor is somewhere between pesticide and manure.

[Brett66]

I thought the funniest part was the attempt to travel through time with the time machine his uncle bought off the internet.

[BBell]

You know she also played Alice in a recent remake of Alice in Wonderland. She was quite good. When I watched Napoleon Dynamite I knew I recognized her but it took me awhile to remember where because she was a kid in her previous flicks.

[caseinpoint]

Glad you enjoyed the movie. I thought it was fun but I wouldn't rate it as one of the funniest. What's nice about it is nearly everyone can identify some stereotypical high school kid there. I know Preston, where it was filmed, a bit. My mom grew up near there across the valley in Weston and nearby areas. I went to a high school with a lot of kids like that. I don't really remember the beating up part.