Napoleon Dynamite
By
Wednesday. Jul 21, 10:05 AM
Get your geek on.

If Wes Anderson kipnapped Beavis and Butthead at gunpoint and crashlanded in Ghost World, it might turn out something like Napoleon Dynamite, the caustically funny new movie from first-time writer/director Jared Hess.

Jon Heder makes a hilarious film debut as the tater-tot munching, semi-afro sporting misfit Napoleon Dynamite. Napoleon, looking like he just fell out of a Far Side comic, splits his existence between a high-school-short-on-tolerance-but-full-of-bullies, and a twisted homelife with his dune-buggy riding grandmother and throw-back nerd brother, Kip (Aaron Ruell).

There’s not much of a plot to this one. Hess seems content to leisurely follow the bizarro exploits of Napoleon as he runs like a girl from one awkward mishap to another across the open farmlands of Preston, Idaho. What plot there is involves the arrival of Napoleon’s Uncle Rico (Jon Gries, or Lazlo from the ‘80s nerd opus Real Genius) to watch the boys while their grandmother is in the hospital. As Napoleon strives to develop his “skills” with the ladies, he inevitably butts heads with his responsibility-preaching, Tupperware-salesman uncle. The second half of the film deals with Napoleon’s campaign to run his outcast friend Pedro for class president against perfect blonde cheerleader Summer Wheatley (Haylie Duff, yes Hillary’s sister. Just be thankful you didn’t get stuck with Ashlee Simpson).

It’s the character’s bent sensibilities and gonzo, obscure preoccupations that drive this movie and make it as much fun as it is. Any shot of Napoleon in a dollar-bin T-shirt drawing horrible pictures of mystical creatures while sassing the squares will elicit more laughs than anything in White Chicks. The gag where Pedro states his assertion that the way to get a date with Summer is to “build her a cake” is so dumb I dare you not to laugh.

Heder invests Napoleon with bravado and conviction to match his awkwardness, elevating the character over his bra-bomb hurling nerd breatheren of ‘80s teen sex romps and making him a border-line counter-culture icon. Early in the film a kid on the bus asks, “What are you going to do today Napoleon?” to which he barks back, “Anything I feel like! Gosh!” and the gauntlet is thrown down.

The film deals with a lot of conventions of ‘80s nerd-themed films. From the music to hairstyles to the preppy, pretty boy-bullies, the whole film evokes a serious ‘80s jones. However, Napoleon is a new breed of nerd. Unlike the whiney bitch nerds of the ‘80s, Napoleon is aware of his miseries without dwelling on them. His optimism pervades throughout the movie and keeps it a light and very enjoyable way to kill an evening.
www2.foxsearchlight.com/napoleondynamite

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