Napoleon Dynamite DVD: Review By Dodd

I find the teen films of the 1980's to be a guilty pleasure. When flipping channels it is hard not to find some movie starring a "brat-packer" where the cliques in high school are strongly exaggerated. I especially enjoyed the films about the geeks, nerds, dweebs, spazzes, etc. There were films such as Lucas that portrayed outcasts being picked on in a sad, sympathetic light, while at the same time Revenge of the Nerds showed a fraternity of the self-titled characters fighting for the rights of inclusion and even ending up with cheerleader hotties in the end. It is now 2004 and the geek film has taken an unexpected turn with Napoleon Dynamite. Here we are offered a glance at a new type of outcast: one who is branded a loser and actually deserves that title from start to finish.

Napoleon Dynamite is the story of.....Napoleon Dynamite (John Heder). Napoleon is without a doubt dorked out beyond repair. He runs around the school with a bitter chip on his shoulder making up stories about hunting wolverines, and pretending he is a daredevil or a ninja. When his grandma is hospitalized in a dirt bike accident, his sleazy Uncle Rico (John Gries) moves into the house to look after Napoleon and his thirty-something brother Kip (Aaron Ruell).

The thing that defines Napoleon Dynamite as hilarious is its use of unique characters. The cast consists of a pack of losers that do not act like they want to desperately be someone else. Kip sits at home in a state of jobless content devoting hours of chat with his Internet girlfriend, LaFawnda, and Uncle Rico is a daft old fart who is hung up on the 1980's and get-rich-quick schemes. While we laugh at these characters they do not experience tear-jerking revelations that make us take back those humorous feelings. Instead they encourage us to laugh more at their absurd imaginations.

Napoleon exhibits this sense of apathy the most. After getting picked on at school, Napoleon does not run home and cry, or go out and try to prove to the world that he has a beautiful soul. Instead he maintains a disgusted look on his face and addresses everyone he encounters with a pushy, uppity attitude. Napoleon is not the type of high school outcast who wants to fit in with the big shots. He is so involved in his world of thoughts that he does not give a care about what the popular kids think of him. Napoleon Dynamite is a character that expresses being outcast as a way of life instead of a problem, and this allows for a lot more laughs.

Another thing that Napoleon Dynamite manages to accomplish is taking simple slapstick humor and making it sidesplitting. Before seeing this film I wouldn't think that someone getting decked in the face with a steak or hitting their nuts on a bike bar would be that groundbreaking, but Dynamite somehow manages to make it work. I think it has a lot to do with the physical comedy being performed by dorks in ridiculous clothing. Crude comedies are sometimes appealing, but on the other hand, Napoleon Dynamite proves that comedies can somehow still put an audience in stitches with a "PG" rating. It certainly is refreshing to see a comedy non-dependent on farts and bodily fluids.

I didn't think it would come to this, but I think I laughed more in this movie than I did in Anchorman. Napoleon Dynamite is a very original comedy that made me laugh just by watching a character's gait or listening to their tone of voice. I almost decided not to give this film an "A" grade, but I truly laughed myself silly. If I had that good of a time, then I really need to give this film credit. If you are open to unique comedy without toilet humor or pie sex, then this may be the ticket for you.

Wedding of the Century

A brief, disappointing behind-the-scenes featurette that was filmed during the post-credits wedding reunion scene. The doc*mentary feels hurried as if the filmmakers realized the potential of the film and decided to make the doc*mentary in one quick shot. There is not much to see here, yet it is possibly worth watching due to its zippy length.

Deleted Scenes

These scenes are so-so. Out of the four total scenes, my particularly favorite scene is a kickball match where Napoleon lays a wuss slap on one of the school bullies.

Commentary Track

Director Jared Hess, producer Jeremy Coon, and Napoleon himself John Heder offer a full-length commentary track. These indie team players are very passionate about the film, and fill the silence gaps. If they have nothing trivial to say, these guys always have something to reminisce about. A very enjoyable track!

Peluca (with optional commentary track)

This is the independent short film that was the precursor for Napoleon Dynamite. A lot of the gags seen here are in the feature film, but this is worth watching thanks to a couple of priceless gags. It seems that the character of Pedro is represented here in the form of two Hispanic males that Napoleon hangs out with. A scene involving Napoleon attempting to buy a lottery ticket is undeniably amusing.

Widescreen or fullscreen available. Taking into account that this film is totally indie, the picture quality looks pretty good. The tacky colors and set pieces really add to the visual appearance.

5.1 Dolby Surround in English or Spanish. One does not need to crank up their sound system to enjoy this flick. Although the corny retro soundtrack does sound pretty clear in stereo.

Standard DVD keepcase with the original poster art on the cover. The disc is double-sided with the widescreen format on one side and the fullscreen on the other.

With a variety of fun characters and moments of laughter until it hurts, Napoleon Dynamite is worth every dollar.

Although the special features are only average, they do not take away from the hilarity of the feature film.

This is a definite must-rent for anyone that has even heard of the film. However, if you were introduced to the world of Napoleon Dynamite when this comedy gem was in theaters, then get out and buy this disc. This is some downright funny material!