Napoleon Dynamite DVD Review:

Alienated by the rest of his fellow students at High School, Napoleon (Heder) has regressed into his own little world. He is consumed by his art, his own sense of style and getting a date for the dance. His new friend is Pedro, a new student who is drawn into Napoleon’s world but the two of them come up with a play to increase their popularity and make them the talk of the school dance.

Once in a while a movie comes along that is destined to become a comedy cult classic. ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ is one of those films.

The strange and bizarre world of Napoleon and his family and friends is place that you will be instantly drawn into. Time machines bought from EBay, making videos of yourself, internet dating, disco dancing and Uncle’s throwing steak at his nephew, this is a world that is on the verge on insanity but you will be intrigued by everything that goes on. This is laugh out loud stuff that you can not help but be tickled by.

Bringing this strange world to life is an excellent ensemble cast. Jon Heder is exceptional as uber-geek Napoleon. With his extreme fashion sense, his weird hear and a voice that tries to sound more intelligent than he actually is, Heder creates a character that is an instant classic. Co-writer/director Jared Hess and Jon Heder take this creation and instil him with some classic dialogue and physical comedy that is just a joy to watch. Napoleon is destined to become a cult classic character.

His supporting cast is also very good and just as hysterical as Jon Heder as Napoleon. Jon Gries is fantastic as Uncle Rico. His weird videos, his passion for steak and his continual embarrassment of Napoleon are extremely funny but you definitely wouldn’t want an Uncle like him. Aaron Ruell is also brilliant as Kip, Napoleon’s older brother who is looking for the perfect woman on the internet. Efren Ramirez is excellent as Pedro Sanchez, Napoleon’s new best friend and the guy determined to take the most popular girl in school to the dance.

With a brilliant cast and a story of the uber-geek geek trying to get noticed with a really bizarre twist, ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ is a comedy cult classic in the making. With so many quotable lines and laugh-out-loud scenes, this is a comedy that will soon be a repeat watcher for your collection.

Star Rating = * * * *

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary by Jared Hess, Jeremy Coon and Jon Heder
'Peluca', original short film
'The Wedding of the Century', making-of featurette
Deleted scenes
Stills gallery

Jamie Kelwick