Thousands of us have been there. We've been American teenagers struggling to find our way through high school wanting nothing more than a few friends and to avoid ridicule. Literally thousands of us have been categorized as nerds...and some of us now understand it's because we were.

Are you one of this legion of ex-nerds? Are you still a nerd and can recognize it? Do you know someone who is the antithesis of cool? A yes to these means you are going to love Napoleon Dynamite.

Let me warn you, this is two hours of comedy that won't appeal to everyone. If you were cool in high school you'll probably fail to see the humor in the film. For that matter, if you weren't and still think you were you won't get the film either...it's truly for those of us who realize what dorks we were!

On with the plot!
This is the story of Napoleon Dynamite, a high school student from Idaho. Napoleon lives with his grandmother and his brother Kip. Early in the story Napoleon finds he'll be spending the end of the year being "babysat" by Uncle Rico due to an injury sustained by his grandmother.

Napoleon is the ultimate loser. He's out of style with his speech, his interests, his style of dress, and his outlook on life. Napoleon isn't old school, he's just way out of step with everyone around him.

We find during the film that nearly everyone in Napoleon's life is as big a loser as he is. Kid, Uncle Rico, and friend Pedro are as uncool as people can possibly be. These just are not people you are proud to remember being or being friends with but we all knew them!

Is it funny?
This is intended to be purely comedy and for some of us it is. Quirky is a good word to describe the sense of humor contained here. Odd facial expressions, simply scripted body language, and every day happenings are distorted to bring the laughs. Honestly, the only way to describe the sense of humor is to call it an episode of Seinfeld written by a socially ostracized 17 year old.

If you liked Black Sheep, Dumb and Dumber, or Ace Ventura this is most likely NOT for you. On the other hand, people who liked Dazed and Confused or Friday you'll probably find a place in your funny bone for this one. It's not really like those other two but most people I know who liked Napoleon liked those as well.

Well acted?
Something that surprised me is how well it really was acted. Uncle Rico is played by Jon Gries whom I remember from a TV series title The Pretender (great show!) and he really portrays the character in a way that I can believe. Jon Heder (another Jon with no H....where have the H's gone?) lives the Dynamite character with a convincing enough portrayal to convince you that he's playing himself.

Other characters in the movie come across equally quirky and realisitic for me. Those two were the shining performances mostly due to their screen time and laughable moments but nobody drags the film down in my opinion.

Parental warnings?
Not really any coming from me. Nobody uses profanity, there isn't any violence to speak of, and the only suggestive theme is when Uncle Rico tries to sell "Bust Must" which is a breast enhancing product. This is handled in such a way as to avoid being a distraction for younger viewers and certainly doesn't degrade into vulgarity.

Overall
While I recognize not everyone will see the humor in this film (my wife hates it!) I do recommend it. The fact is, if you get it you'll find yourself thinking it's the funniest thing you've seen in years. It's a unique set of comedy that you just should not pass without giving it a try!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older