After many years of catching up on classic films and visiting theaters to catch new releases, I finally decided to visit what has been described to me as a “cult classic.” In a year with hit classics like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Dodgeball, this awkward comedy still managed to stand out above the crowd. A movie that joined the world the same year as I did: Napoleon Dynamite.
Now, I had heard stories and seen a few famous clips from the movie during my internet days. Napoleon putting tater-tots in his pocket for later and Kip’s broken tupperware that resulted in the famous “Dang it.” The main plot, however, remained a mystery to me. Who was Napoleon Dynamite and why did everyone love this movie so much?
The first hit is before the movie even starts. The opening credits introduce the cast in a creative design of plot items that hint at the personality of each character without giving the movie away. This simple and low-quality scene lets the audience know that the movie is down to earth and won’t be relying on special effects to grab their attention.
A few exaggerated quips and subtle references shows that Napoleon struggles to fit in with his classmates, although the process is drawn out. Napoleon’s brother Kip is revealed as an online creep, an unnecessary edition that feels overplayed repeatedly throughout the movie.
Unlike Kip, Napoleon’s best friend Pedro is the perfect secondary piece to Napoleon’s story. As a new kid in the school, his quirks allow Napoleon to thrive, giving the duo a bond that allows each character to grow into the roles they deserve at school.
My favorite character in this film by far is Deb. She is introduced as another awkward face in the ensemble, but the way the dynamic between her and Napoleon flows throughout the film is beautifully written and masterfully orchestrated. It perfectly highlighted the awkward relationship building in school while allowing the characters to fuel the awkwardness in their own beautiful ways.
Like Kip, Uncle Rico is a bit creepy. He seems to be out to get Napoleon whenever possible, which causes a lot of headaches for Napoleon and crew. Also like Kip, Uncle Rico’s multitude of storylines feel overplayed throughout the film. While his endeavors influence the outcomes of Napoleon’s life, Uncle Rico should’ve been kept to the background for the majority of the film.
Overall, the movie has a lot of positives. The dynamic of the school dance plays perfectly into the hand of the plot, showing Napoleon’s battle with the “popular” kids. However, the movie moves far too slow for modern audiences. The movie was meant to be slow-paced twenty years ago, which works well at the time but the modern audience simply doesn’t have the attention span to sit through the slow-movie crockpot that is the movie’s plot.
Particularly in the first half of the movie, the insistence on setting up multiple subplots with side characters doesn’t pan out the way the writers anticipated, which allows viewers like myself to get bored easily.
There were a number of funny scenes and positive underlying messages that allowed the movie to work, but the slow pace and uncomfortable side characters held it back from thriving. That’s why this movie gets a rating of three stars out of five.
