Napoleon Dynamite

"Napoleon Dynamite" is a strange film because initially a lot of audiences will interpret it the wrong way or be turned off by its unusual subject matter. I tell you that if you stick with it you'll see that it has some good laughs and a lot of heart. It's the story of a socially awkward boy named Napoleon Dynamite (John Heder, who in my opinion has never given a performance as good as the one in this film) The plot mostly centers on Napoleon and his friendship with two fellow students at his school, a shy girl named Deb, and a quiet transfer student named Pedro. Napoleon and Deb decide to help promote Pedro as the school president, with many comedic mishaps and slightly tragic events following.

What you'll need with this movie is patience because at first, the characters will seem just so bizarre and eccentric that they'll really get on your nerves. After a while though you might start to think about "Napoleon" and wonder how someone like this (someone who is spending hours to try and awkwardly win a girl over and being nearly obsessed with animals that most of us wouldn't give a second thought to) would be in the "real" world. Soon you'll realize that this is essentially a film about a teenager with Aspberger's syndrome (or something similar) It's about him, his friends, his family and his interactions with a world that is often just as quirky as he is. In that way, the movie becomes a story about a misfit character that a lot of people have very little expectations of and despite this, manages to do well for himself. The performances are very good and when the film really kicks in (especially towards to last third) it will completely win you over. You'll find yourself getting attached to all of the characters and wondering how you didn't fall in love with them right from the get-go. Unfortunately the movie is often so bizarre that a lot of people just won't see the humor in it and absolutely hate it (or even like it for all of the wrong reasons) but if you're even mildly entertained, I say stick with it and you'll see why this picture has a cult following. "Napoleon Dynamite" might not be for everyone. It's a "love it or hate it" sort of movie, but it's definitely worth checking out. More than any other quirky comedy I've seen in a long time, I really want this film's audience to find it. And stick all the way to the end of the credits because there's a big payoff for you there. (On DVD, December 29, 2012)