I mean he can’t, his clothes alone demonstrate this point; moon boots in summer and at least two decades out of season, high waisted parachute pants with elastic waist band, 1970s glasses so thick no one can see in and I’m not sure he can see out and a hair cut that can’t really be defined, if it wasn’t for references to the internet you’d be sure this movie was shot in the 80s.
We find ourselves in a typical American High School with its cheerleading beauty Queens and blonde blue eyed sporting heroes, but in amongst them, as with all schools, are the quirky characters often ignored. Napoleon Dynamite is the story of one such group. The disaffected, who slowly form a bond of friendship so accidental it might easily never have happened.
A terminal loser, Napoleon decides to help his new friend, Pedro, also a loser of the highest order, win the class presidency in their small western high school. Finally they are joined by completely cheerless Deb, who resembles an automaton, I wouldn’t be surprised if she runs on batteries.
These people seem normal along side his odd ball family, including dare devil grandmother, chatroom sleaze brother, and an Uncle who never made it big time playing American football, but hasn’t quite got over it yet.
Although the ‘Nerd v Cool Kids’ idea floats around, this is not what the film’s about, there’s no beating of nerds in the toilets, although Napoleon does get pushed against his locker from time to time, there’s no unrealistic triumph against the odds.
This film is about the realities of life. It’s about the awkward moments - most of us know that saying "I see your drinking one-percent milk. Is that 'cause you think you're fat" is not going to get you the girl. However, when Napoleon says it, I don’t think he’s even trying to get the girl. He’s got no social graces, a family who don’t exactly give a toss, because they’re too wrapped up in their own oddball lives to care and two friends who are just trying to get by.
The most bizarre element is the fact that although he’s a geek, he isn’t the underdog, strangely content in his own skin he triumphs in a way not possible in other movies of this type, because he was never trying to prove anything in the first place. He was always true to himself, so although he stands up for his friend Pedro, the action he takes is so natural, I almost stood up and clapped myself.
This movie is worth watching for the scene with Rex the karate expert alone, if that doesn’t make you laugh you must be a complete misery. If you don’t get irony, like a strong plot filled with more twists than a pretzel, were popular at school, didn’t get geeks and can’t understand how they’re all so rich now because of computers, this movie is not for you.
Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
Genres