Some movies deserve their designation as a cult classic!
Napoleon Dynamite was released in 2004, and it was written by Jared and Jerusha Hess. The movie stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite, Efren Ramirez as Pedro and Jon Gries as Napoleon’s uncle, Rico. The movie explores the social awkwardness of high school, using humor to capture the embarrassing life of a high school teen.
Napoleon is a teenager in a small town in Idaho, and he has just started living with his uncle Rico, after his grandmother is injured in an accident. As he struggles to fit in, Napoleon befriends the new kid at school, Pedro, and together they run for class president.
Before watching this movie, I was expecting something similar to Nacho Libre, as both films were directed by Jared Hess, and I wasn’t disappointed. The movie starts off a little slow, and the humor can sometimes be easy to miss, but I would still recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Nacho Libre.
The actors are the perfect fit for this movie. Jon Heder is able to capture the nerdiness of his character perfectly, and he and Ramirez are perfect as two friends who don’t seem to fit in like everyone else, while still being hilarious.
Napoleon Dynamite is a classic comedy, and there are a lot of funny, iconic moments that you won’t want to miss. For example, Napoleon dances on stage during the election, and Pedro states in his election speech, “If you vote for me, all your wildest dreams will come true.”
Ultimately, Napoleon Dynamite is not for everyone, and you’ll either love it or hate it. The first time I watched this movie, I was confused and didn’t really enjoy it, but I was just too young to understand the humor. Now that I’ve watched it again, I was able to understand the humor better, but I still admit that not everyone will enjoy it.
Overall, this movie is hilarious, but it might be an acquired taste for some viewers. Napoleon Dynamite definitely deserves a watch, because it might be your next favorite movie! And if you like watching this movie, I would definitely also recommend Nacho Libre and Superbad.
