Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Good movie but grossly overrated

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

If you want a goofy movie with minimal plot, then this is your movie. When this movie first can't out, it seemed that college kids and high schoolers alike were really into this film. Perhaps it was due to the goofy characters and the thin plot line. The setting has the feel of the 80's or 90's. The wardrobe is pretty bland, but realistic for the characters. The one thing that I would have to say about this movie may have been an overlooked theme. This movie is about friendship. Napoleon is a geeky kid who seems to have no friends and is bullied. As the story progresses, he finds friendship and even a girlfriend. I think with this theme in mind that, it makes this film a bit more sweet.

Napoleon Dynamite is admittedly an acquired taste and I aquired it! The reviews for this movie SHOULD be wildly inconsistent because that's the kind of movie it is. Those viewers who appreciated this film will be heartened to know that it has had staying power. The original production budget was $400,000. The lifetime gross for this movie is now over $46 million. I find myself watching it every time it reappears; it is currently on HBO. For me, Napoleon Dynamite never gets old.

An absolute pain to watch. I fast-forwarded to try and find a single scene worth watching. No luck.The message (if any) is not clear. The main characters are single-digit IQ students, hard to sympathise with them (unless the watcher is in the same situation, and in that case they may not understand the humour). Make no mistake, Forrest Gump this ain't.Typical American high school bullying is portrayed, with a twist: where in other movies jocks torment smart (or funny, or witty) yet socially inept schoolmates, here it's idiots against other (maybe even bigger) idiots.I didn't have the heart to watch it to the end to find if and how the inept lead character would prevail.Napoleon Dynamite brings sad and abused cliches to their limit, and beyond. The result is an appalling display of idiocy.Don't waste your time with this crap. Having your nails ripped would be a less painful experience.

Napoleon Dynamite is so unpretentious, so simple, and so funny that I would consider it one of the greatest comedies of all time. As a disclaimer, I would definitely say that it's not for everyone. It's basically a really goofy comedy that tries to immerse the viewer in its odd little world, and plays the ridiculous characters off of the straight-man background.Napoleon Dynamite has undeniable staying power, and its fans will keep coming back to it year after year. That's what sets this movie apart for me: it resonates with its audience. Forget its quotability, its fun, and its enjoyment, Napoleon Dynamite tapped into the soul of its audience, both the losers and the popular kids, but especially those who felt like they didn't have any clue what they were doing with their young lives as well as those who felt that way growing up. If you go into thinking that it's a character study who is going to make a journey or this, that, or the other thing, you're going to be disappointed. Take it as it is: a simple comedy about a simple person and his ridiculous life.