Hello everyone! 🙂
I’ve now seen the third of three birthday presents from my best mate Stephen for 2017!
‘Napoleon Dynamite’ is a comedy film made in 2004. It has the feel of a 1980s movie about it, since there are cassette tapes featured in it. I enjoyed seeing this film. I wasn’t sure whether I would take to it, but I found some enjoyment in the story and the characters. I will need to see this movie again.
The film is about a nerdy, socially-awkward 16-year old boy named Napoleon Dynamite (hence the title! 😀 ) The film centres on his school life and what his family are like at home. Napoleon believes himself to have great skills; however he gets bullied and belittled by everyone around him in school.
Jon Heder stars as Napoleon Dynamite in the film. Now I must admit, I did find Napoleon strange and odd in terms of character and wondered whether that was due to Jon Heder’s performance. But he grew on me as a character while seeing the film and there are moments with him that I found funny.
For example, Napoleon likes to do drawings of ‘ligers’, which is a fuzor combination of a lion and a tiger (interesting). Also Napoleon is a daydreamer and likes to make up stories about where he’s been. He’s annoyed when nobody takes him seriously and I found some of his remarks so amusing.
Napoleon does make friends whilst he’s at school. There’s Efren Ramirez as Pedro Sánchez, a Mexican boy at the school. Napoleon and Pedro seem very alike in terms of voice and manner. Pedro applies himself to become the new school president. Napoleon supports his friend in this campaign.
During the speeches ceremony for the school president, there are skits performed at the end for each candidate (why they do that, I don’t know). Napoleon gets to perform a skit after Petro does his president’s speech. He gets to show off his dancing to some cassette tape music which is impressive.
There’s also Tina Majorino as Deb Bradshaw. Deb is a sweet, young girl that Napoleon gradually manages to become friends with. It’s not exactly a friendship that builds into a romance, but it is rather sweet. I do like it when they make up after Deb accused Napoleon for something he didn’t do.
I liked the moment when Napoleon and Deb dance together at the high school ball during the movie. Napoleon’s not exactly a ladies’ man considering how he talks and behaves. His date with Trisha didn’t go well, but I like how his relationship with Deb is handled and that it isn’t done over the top.
Napoleon’s family include his older brother Aaron Ruell as Kipling ‘Kip’ Dynamite, who’s just as nerdy and has an internet girlfriend who comes to see him in the movie. There’s also Jon Gries as Rico Dynamite or Uncle Rico, who is a jerk; humiliates Napoleon and he comes to look after him and Kip.
‘Napoleon Dynamite’ is a film I’ve enjoyed watching. It’s not exactly the type of thing I watch regularly, but I found it interesting and amusing. This film is about a character that does act and look weird and the story seems tame. But the story is sweet in places and the comedy’s not over-the-top.
On the DVD cover for the movie, Matt Lucas from ‘Little Britain’ and ‘Doctor Who’ says it’s ‘one of the funniest things you’ll ever see’.
Thank you for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim. 🙂
Bradley's Basement 