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Movies / On DVD / Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite

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Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

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Reviews Counted:34

Fresh:22

Rotten:12

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: A charming, quirky, and often funny comedy.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic elements and language

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Jun 11, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $44,478,018

Synopsis: Jared Hess makes an unforgettable directorial debut with NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, a hilarious, tender, and utterly original portrait of a truly eccentric character. Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is a... Jared Hess makes an unforgettable directorial debut with NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, a hilarious, tender, and utterly original portrait of a truly eccentric character. Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is a high-school outcast in every sense of the word. More interested in playing tetherball by himself and drawing pictures of his favorite animal, the "liger" (a combination of a lion and a tiger), Napoleon is ignored by everyone in his tiny hometown of Preston, Idaho. At home, things aren't much better: his uber-nerd older brother, Kip (Aaron Ruell), and ultra-vain Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) are too busy with their own obsessions to give Napoleon the time of day. It isn't until a new student, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), arrives that Napoleon finds friendship and performs an act of brave defiance that makes him a true hero. Written by Hess and his wife, Jerusha, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE brilliantly captures the awkwardness of high school without succumbing to condescension. Most of this can be attributed to Heder, who steps into Napoleon's moon boots with a jaw-dropping flawlessness. The rest of the cast is just as natural, underplaying their roles and letting the comedy unfold without forcing any of the jokes. Add a hilarious soundtrack of 1980s hits and you have an instant classic, a crowd-pleasing riot that has an undeniably universal appeal. [More]

Starring: Jon Heder, Aaron Ruell, Jon Gries, Efren Ramirez

Starring: Jon Heder, Aaron Ruell, Jon Gries, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, Sandy Martin, Haylie Duff, Diedrich Bader

Director: Jared Hess

Director: Jared Hess
Screenwriter: Jerusha Hess, Jared Hess
Producer: Jeremy Coon, Sean Covel, Chris Wyatt
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

[See More Credits]

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    Napoleon's Bike Jump
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    Napoleon Dynamite Trailer
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  • Napoleon Dynamite - Behind the Scenes Clip
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    Napoleon Dynamite - At the Dance Clip
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    Napoleon Dynamite - Rico's Portrait Clip
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Release:

May 12, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • NTSC
  • Keep Case
  • Dual Side

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
  • Dolby Surround - Spanish
  • Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary: Jared Hess - Director; Jon Heder - Star; Jeremy Coon - Producer
  • Disc 1/Side A: NAPOLEON DYNAMITE - Widescreen Version
  • Widescreen - 1.85

Additional Release Material:

  • Deleted Scenes: (5) With Commentary

Interactive Features:

  • Hidden Features: Easter Eggs

Text/Photo Galleries:

  • Stills/Photos
  • Disc 1/Side B: NAPOLEON DYNAMITE - Full Frame Version
  • Full Frame - 1.33

Additional Release Material:

  • Behind the Scenes: Making of the Wedding of the Century

Trailers:

  • 1. MTV On-Air promos
  • 2. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
  • 3. Product Trailers - Soundtrack Promo
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Napoleon Dynamite

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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For most of its length this delivers a steady stream of uncomfortable gut laughs.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
07/24/07
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Napoleon Dynamite may be forcefully weird and intermittently humorous, and you might not know what the heck to make of it, but there's nothing shocking about its screenplay.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An independent take on a Hollywood tradition, undermined by its cliches but saved by its performances.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
07/02/04
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

May be the most condescending comedy ever to imagine itself being too cool for the room.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
07/02/04
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Has more belly laughs than 10 studio-produced, star-vehicle comedies.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
07/01/04
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Calling this story about a quirky high-school student from a dysfunctional family who lives in a goofy small town a one-joke movie is exaggerating by a factor of 10.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
07/01/04
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie merits a low-wattage recommendation even though it's short on things to say.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
06/25/04
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Has a sweet momentum.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
06/25/04
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even if you don't like the film and its freak-show depiction of small-town life, it's hard not to admire the commitment of Jon Heder's performance.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
06/24/04
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

When the audience roared at Napoleon's almost spastic way of slicing the air with his limp-spaghetti arms, I cringed.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
06/24/04
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's not as hilarious as it thinks it is, and it's sometimes too weird for words, but it is often pretty funny.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
06/18/04
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's no cohesive story, just a series of opportunities for the title character to strut his gawky stuff.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/04
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Has nerd chic.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
06/18/04
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An inspired dead-end stunt that keeps delivering snarky laughs far longer than it has any right to.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
06/18/04
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I laughed. And I laughed primarily over Heder's hilarious performance.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/18/04
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There is a kind of studied stupidity that sometimes passes as humor, and Jared Hess' Napoleon Dynamite pushes it as far as it can go.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 4 Comments
06/18/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of the most winning movie creations in years.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/18/04
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No-frills celebration of cluelessness.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
06/17/04
Glenn Lovell
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is the sort of Sundance audience hit that doesn't necessarily travel.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
06/17/04
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I'm cracking up already thinking about that uncle again, who is obsessed with 1982.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
06/14/04
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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