Napoleon Dynamite

The term "Cult Status" was never more applicable! If you are fortunate enough to get the joke of the strange and vivid world of Napoleon Dynamite then it may end up in your top ten. Equally, I can imagine a lot of people watching in gormless amazement before coming away thinking they've witnessed one of the worst films ever made. People were forever asking me if I'd seen it yet (several who loved it and one or two who hated it) so I had to find out for myself. To make the surreal aspect of this unique little movie worse I had a huge cold on my first viewing and just couldn't believe what I was seeing! Set somewhere in a mythical void between the 80s and the present day and centering around the life and loves of the geeky eponymous hero as he bounds randomly through his last days of school with equally kookie friends Pedro and Debbie. Owing a lot to the films of Wes Anderson, perhaps, it is a colourful journey, produced in pop-video segments that embrace the bizarre in every frame. Some of the gags are a bit overdone, however, and it succeeds best in its more subtle details. The dialogue is at times pure genius on the most puerile level, almost daring you to laugh at just how silly it is. But its true appeal lies in a brilliantly observed central performance by Jon Heder: his Napoleon is brought to life to stand as one of the great comedy creations of all time; it is not only what he says but the way he says it and how he looks as he says it (try the ND soundboard by clicking the title link above - great fun). As a movie it really can't be endorsed as a "good" film, it is average fare elevated by moments of quirky inspiration and a wonderfully satisfying payoff in Napoleon's last dance (a scene that will live forever in movie legend). I feel that the writers and director missed as many notes as they hit, letting it down in certain areas. But saying that, any future film that bears the tag "from the makers of Napoleon Dynamite" simply must be seen. Mixed feelings - 7/10 Kx