Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Efren Ramirez

From the rural town of Preston, Idaho, comes Napoleon Dynamite. With a red 'fro, his moon boots and illegal government ninja moves, he is a new kind of hero. His family consists of fragile brother Kip...( read more  read more... ), who's seeking his soul mate in online chat rooms; Uncle Rico, who is stuck in his "glory" days of high school football; and Grandma, who enjoys going out to the dunes on her quad-runner. Napoleon spends his days drawing magical beasts, working on his computer hacking skills to impress the chicks, and begrudgingly feeding his grandma's pet llama. When his friend Pedro decides to run for class president, it is Napoleon to the rescue to help him triumph over adversity.

Flixster Users

73% liked it

718,809 ratings

Critics

71% liked it

157 critics

PG, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Jared Hess

Release Date: June 11, 2004

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DVD Release Date: December 21, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (70,122)


  • September 7, 2009
    A very original comedy that worked well due to Heder's excellent performance and Hess's original style of directing for this type of movie. The supporting cast are also really good, so, vote for Pedro!
  • January 12, 2009
    I just recently watched this again, and it was better this time around. Not a deep movie by any means, but it is hilarious.
  • January 3, 2009
    This is one of those films that you HAVE to watch with about five or six inebriated friends.
  • December 31, 2008
    "What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?
    - Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!"

    "Napoleon Dynamite" is a homage to the 80's. A lot of people don't "get" this movie. In my opinion, it's basically one of the funniest movies made!

    Napoleon, played perfectly by Jon Heder, is prob...( read more)ably one of the most memorable characters in comedy history. A totally absurd high school kid who focuses more on his ninja skills and drawings of magical mixed animals.

    "Napoleon Dynamite" is full of gags and one-liners that will make you laugh your ass of. But ye be warned... Like earlier mentioned, the comedy is totally unorthodox and may not suit all.

    In overall, this film is a sleeper cult classic and very unique. It's non-predictable and focuses on the life of one freaky kid. Don't look after deeper meanings, just enjoy the fun. The film features also the best dance scene I've layed my eyes on! Napoleon is dynamite!

    "What's a liger?
    - It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic."
  • December 15, 2008
    Totally weird movie, kind of stupid, kind of funny, not the must interesting thing you could watch.
  • November 19, 2009
    A classic if only for Jon Heders dance routine!
  • November 18, 2009
    Vote For Pedro!!! Gosh!! I Hate You!! hehehe
  • November 18, 2009
    This brand of humor is not for everyone
  • November 16, 2009
    Not exactly my kind of humor but I still got a few laughs out of it.
  • November 16, 2009
    You either Love this movie or you Hate it.


    "I see you're drinking 1%. Is that because you think you're fat? Because you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to."


    Ok, before going on my tirade about the polarity of this film, I really just wanna say how much I lov...( read more)e the cinematography in this movie. All the colors, lighting, set design, outfits, and scenery all complement each other so wonderfully. Say what you will about the story structure or character development, but this is a beautiful picture. (Which may also be another aesthetic of this film that some people don't like.)


    "After one week with me in my dojo, you'll be prepared to defend yourself with the STRENGTH of a GRIZZLY, the REFLEXES of a PUMA, and the Wisdom of a Man."


    It was hard for me trying to find a critique online that I could sympathize with in regards to this film because many of the critics out there put so much aggression in their words against this film that it didn't seem like they were writing a review about the movie as much as they were describing their inability to relate to this film; and that's a shame.

    Roger Ebert writes in his review on this film: "We can laugh at comedies like this for two reasons: Because we feel superior to the characters, or because we pity or like them." - This statement reminds me of exercises I took in both Critical Thinking and Philosophy classes when I first started college. The exercises usually consisted of Yes or No/True or False questions that were supposed to determine your personality or character traits; when, in reality, they were meant to demonstrate that the truth, or correct answer, is not always found in the choices you are provided. - Since when are emotions (in this case, comedy) so egotistical that they're limited to such few elicited responses? (Furthermore, there are plenty of other sources of actual Schadenfreude, such as FailBlog.org or peopleofWalMart.com, that people aren't so sensitive about.)

    In the end, I think what aggravates most critics about this film is the same thing that most fans find really intriguing about it: It is a blatantly unformulated and queer movie. - For example, there are plenty of skits on MAD TV that use similar characters in their repetitive skits (Steward, The UBS Guy, Miss Bunny Swan, etc.), but all the skits have the same structure in relation to the character. With Napoleon Dynamite, it's a series of dragging an action figure with fishing line from behind a bus, feeding and yelling at a llama, throwing ham at someone riding a bike, eating tater tots out of your pants, childishly lying about everything, etc. - Concurrently, very dry, subtle humor revolves around the characters trying to be "cool" (which almost everyone seems to fail miserably at) by saying or doing weird, random things; and that's what makes this movie funny to some people.


    "Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills."


    Amy Biancolli (Houston Chronicle) writes: "Napoleon Dynamite may wear its eccentricity like a fright wig, but in the end it doesn't want to scare us. It wants us feeling warm and fuzzy. As Napoleon tells Pedro, 'Just listen to your heart -- that's what I do'."

Critic Reviews


July 21, 2005
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Napoleon Dynamite may be forcefully weird and intermittently humorous, and you might not know what the heck to make of it, but there's nothing shocking about its screenplay. full review

May 4, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

Functions like an excruciating episode of Jerry Springer. full review

June 18, 2004
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Has nerd chic. full review

June 18, 2004
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

An inspired dead-end stunt that keeps delivering snarky laughs far longer than it has any right to. full review

June 18, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

There is a kind of studied stupidity that sometimes passes as humor, and Jared Hess' Napoleon Dynamite pushes it as far as it can go. full review

June 17, 2004
David Edelstein, Slate

Too low-wattage to be a true nerd anthem, but it's charming in retrospect, when you're freed from the narcoleptic pace to think back on the queerly beautiful tableaux and well-timed gags. full review

June 10, 2004
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

A small-scale, deadpan film. full review

June 3, 2004
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

You'll laugh till it hurts. full review

View more Napoleon Dynamite reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • lindzcrane
    July 29, 2008
    and nice arm pit hair person below!!!! and he DOES look like pedro!!!
  • lindzcrane
    July 28, 2008
    yeah he does and THIS IS THE BESTEST MOVIE OFF ALL TIME!!!!!! and napoleon is my hero. ROCK ON!!! keep drawing ligers
  • perfectgentlemn
    July 20, 2008
    That was just retardedly funny, I loved it. ;-) OMG! the guy below this comment looks like friggin' PEDRO... Priceless !! HAHA.
  • 10mouYYad01
    July 14, 2008
    u might love it u might hate it BUT U CANT IGNORE IT
  • daisynat05
    July 9, 2008
    i love it it is so funny!
  • silvermonkeygirl1
    April 12, 2008
    THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE THAT WAS EVER MADE AND IF YOU DONT AGREE THINK YOUR A FREAK
  • traphidomtom
    April 6, 2008
    I LOVE THIS MOVIE!
    I wonder if there will be a 2nd one!
    buhbye!*x*x*x
  • gyvette
    February 22, 2008
    the worst film ever
  • krdwaw
    November 4, 2007
    This movie was so funny it made me laugh all the way through it.
  • JeNeTaimePlus
    October 5, 2007
    haha, this movies is soo great!! who can not love it?!?!?

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Napoleon Dynamite Trivia


  • Finish this quote from Napoleon Dynamite: "Girls only want boyfriends who have great _____."  Answer »
  • On Napoleon Dynamite, Every dish shown during the opening credits is eaten by a character later in the movie.  Answer »
  • what is the first line in the movie Napoleon Dynamite?  Answer »
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