DVD Review – Napoleon Dynamite – Like, the Best Special Edition, Ever!
3 min read
Every so often a film comes along that for some unknown reason reaches cult status without really trying. Napoleon Dynamite is one of those movies. Think about it, there are no really famous actors in it (the most recognizable is Haylie Duff), its particular brand of humour should be off putting to most people, but isn’t. And Jon Heder isn’t exactly what you would call leading man material. But none of those things matter because this is one of the funniest, smartest films to come out of the indie scene, which is why a tenth anniversary special edition DVD is available to fans.
If you haven’t seen the film (which is a must!) here’s the lowdown: Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is just your average high school teen who loves to dance, eat tator tots and draw mythical creatures like Ligers (that’s a cross between a Lion and Tiger FYI). Popular girl Summer (Haylie Duff) runs the small Idaho school with an iron fist, think Regina George with a lot less fashion sense. But all this is thrown into chaos when new kid Pedro (Efren Ramirez) shows up and decides to run for class president, going against queen bee Summer. Helping Napoleon and Pedro is shy gal Deb (Tina Marjorino), whose entrepreneurial skills could help the guys win. But Napoleon also has to deal with a stressful home life when his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) and Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) decide to run a business together, causing friction with Napoleon. But at the end of the day none of this really matters when there is an amazingly epic dance scene towards the end that makes everything right in the world.
The cast here are all fantastic, playing their roles to bored, sarcastic perfection. This was Heder’s break out role as the title character, and he is on point for the entirety of the film. For years after the film was first released I thought he was Napoleon, so kudos to Heder for embracing the role in all its awkward nerdy perfection. But the sleeper star of this film is definitely Ruell as the always uncomfortable older brother Kip. You can’t help but laugh at every single one of his lines for his delivery alone is too much to handle, in a good way. This only gains momentum when a love interest for Kip is thrown into the mix, and it’s impossible to not find humour in Ruell’s embodiment of the character.
It’s hard to believe that it has been ten years since this film came out. To this day I find myself quoting the movie, or watching the final dance scene. It brings back very fond memories as I still remember when and where I first watched Napoleon Dynamite. Sorry to get all sappy on you guys but my love for this movie just goes beyond the norm, and is still one of my favourites. This special edition is a must, regardless if you’re a fan of the film or have no idea what it’s about, and thankfully is not only available on hardcopy but on iTunes as well. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of watching this movie. And yes I know this seems more like a pushy sales rep then a review, so apologies for that. But seriously guys don’t be a freaking idiot and add this on your must watch list.
