Napoleon Dynamite

Napoleon Dynamite is a rare comedy because it exhibits it's comedy not through punch lines and gross-outs, but instead through the character of it's... characters. Napoleon Dynamite himself, the 'protagonist', has to be one of the most memorable film characters I've ever met. His brother leaves a residue on you. Their uncle does. His brother's fiancee does. Napoleon's friend Pedro does. This is a movie that centers itself around it's characters, and forgets about plot completely, just having it's characters live their lives in the out-of-date town of Preston, Idaho.

There is no central conflict. All we learn is that Napoleon (played by Jon Heder) is a loser, and we follow him as he lives his life in search of ways to feel better about himself. When he meets Pedro (Efren Ramirez), he suddenly declares him his best friend and feels cool because of it. He threatens to call the cops on his uncle so that he can feel like a bad-@$$. And he tries to get Pedro to be their class president, obviously just so that he can say that he did it (if there is a plot, that final sentence is it).

But you see? There's really nothing. Instead the film gains it's laughs by having us observe the daily lives of it's characters. I can accept the opinion of someone who despises the film, because I could see how it could not evoke laughs from them. But personally, I thought the character of Napoleon was so peculiar, and such the epitome of every 'loser' that I know, that I had just to love the movie.

Not to mention, the movie makes you care about it's characters. Even though Napoleon is lame beyond all means, his attempts to succeed in life, and his strange way of talking ("Gosh!"), makes you want him to be successful in every thing he does. Pedro, his friend, is such a sad and lonely person that you want him to become class president just so that you can see a smile spread across his face.

Jared Hess, co-writer and director, is strong in just about everything he does, because he's able to create actions that we can admire and laugh at, and in his direction, he provides more than one memorable shot. And beyond that, he even makes you want to be an all-out fan of the film- I know feel personally motivated to go out and be one of ND's biggest fans: Napoleon wears a "Vote for Pedro" shirt, and I'm personally hoping they start making copies of that shirt online, because I'd personally buy one.

In addition to it's odd (but workable) humor, Napoleon Dynamite also has one of the best, most original climaxes I've ever seen in a film. It got the biggest laugh out of me for the entire viewing, and I was laughing the whole way through. The film's bizarre way of dealing with things helps it out a lot- not to mention it has a great soundtrack- the MIDI beats and Jamiroquai tune toward the end are excellent toe-tappers.

If you're willing to open your mind to a different type of comedy, ND is a good 4.5 star (rounded up) film to check out, and it will certainly turn out to be one of the more memorable films of the years for you, whether you like it or not. If you ask me, Napoleon himself is one of the best characters in the history of film- and that's saying a lot.

Rating: A-

Note: In my sleepiness (I've been awake for 23 hours, and I still have two more movies to see), I forgot to mention the excellence of the film's acting. Hader brings Napoleon to life in a way that most actors can't, and he is what makes the character work. He's a gifted actor, and I'd like to see him play a more serious role. The actor who plays Pedro does it so well, you'd believe the actor himself is the exact same way. Just a sad, understated young man with no real will to succeed in life. It's almost moving.

-Tom