Napoleon Dynamite - Review
A Hilarious Comedy, But Where Are The Jokes?
"Napolean Dynamite", starring Jon Heder, has been a runaway comedy success, even if no-one can quite explain what the joke is.
The comedy film Napoleon Dynamite tends to produce polarised responses. Its fans declare that nothing funnier has been made in the last ten years, whilst detractors point to the fact that not even the most rabid admirer can explain what the joke is. There’s no denying the film’s popularity, though, and it looks set to take its place as a “modern film classic”, which more or less means that people will argue over whether it is or isn’t a classic for a good few years into the future. It certainly won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Whatever I Feel Like I Wanna Do
Napoleon Dynamite the movie seems determined to do, in the words of its hero (played by Jon Heder) “Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!” This doesn’t include having a coherent plot, explaining the llamas in the yard, or indeed possibly making any sense at all. The only recognisable plotline is the attempt by Napoleon’s friend Pedro to win the class presidency, which spawned the nationwide trend for “Vote For Pedro” t-shirts. It’s the same principle as “Save Ferris” gear: you either get it or you don’t.
The film’s humour is extremely deadpan, and at times relies on the cast’s ability to deliver a ludicrous line with a completely listless attitude: “I realised it was my hair that was making my head hot” being a pretty fair example. The film’s title seems to operate on the same principle: there is nothing dynamic or Napoleonic whatsoever about Jon Heder’s character. He’s not even short.
Vote for Pedro – or Don’t
This kind of weird deadpan comedy is certainly not to everyone’s taste, and the film’s low budget has attracted the “indie” label, which cuts both ways. Critics of the movie say its audience are simply playing along in order to be hip: that there is no joke here, and Napoleon Dynamite is just the film equivalent of the Emperor’s New Clothes. Certainly the rash of “Vote For Pedro” t-shirts which have appeared on the streets give the lie to the idea that Napoleon Dynamite is an exclusive in-crowd taste. The hilarity with which Jon Heder’s dance sequence is generally greeted could well be simply a matter of the hysterical release of tension as something finally happens in the movie.
Like it or loathe it, Napoleon Dynamite has been a runaway success, and its a welcome change from the normal Hollywood diet of rom-coms, frat-pack films and increasingly tedious spoof movies. It is simply to be hoped that there will be no attempt to cash in on the film’s eccentric appeal with a sequel
