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Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

 -  Comedy  -  27 August 2004 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 115,198 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 1,425 user | 215 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com

A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.

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Title: Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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...
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Kip
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Rex
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Deb
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...
...
Don
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Bracken Johnson ...
Carmen Brady ...
Starla
...
J.C. Cunningham ...
Jock #1
James Stevens ...
Jock #2 (as James Smooth)
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Storyline

Preston, Idaho's most curious resident, Napoleon Dynamite, lives with his grandma and his 32-year-old brother (who cruises chat rooms for ladies) and works to help his best friend, Pedro, snatch the Student Body President title from mean teen Summer Wheatley. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

friend | high school | class | mustache | girl | See more »

Taglines:

Same planet...different flippin' world. See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Bus otoko  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£60,839 (UK) (10 December 2004)

Gross:

$44,540,956 (USA) (4 February 2005)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

|

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Having the food plates spell out names in the opening credits was Aaron Ruell's idea. The rest of the sequence was designed and executed by Pablo Ferro. See more »

Goofs

When Napoleon is yelling at Rico to tell him, "Grandma says to go home 'cause you're ruining everyone's lives and eating all our steak," the door behind Napoleon is alternately open/closed between shots. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Kid on Bus: What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?
Napoleon Dynamite: Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!
See more »

Crazy Credits

There is a 5 minute scene after the credits. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Girls of the Playboy Mansion: Meet the Girls (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

"Larger than Life"
Written by Brian Littrell, Kristian Lundin, Max Martin
Performed by Backstreet Boys
Courtesy of Jive Records
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Not Just Another Teen Nerd Story, This Is Both Original & Very Funny
14 July 2007 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

If you like dry or dark humor, you should get a big kick out of this movie. I know I did. If you are between 12-20 you might even like it more because this deals with high school kids primarily. However, there are some adults in here who play key roles, too.

The teens and the adults have a couple of things in common: they are nerds and weird people and they are all hilarious. They also are unlike a cast of characters you have seen in any other movie. In other words, this movie is an "original."

I didn't know any of these actors and I think that helped. It made it even more original, looking at new faces. That begins with the title character, played by Jon Heder. A white kid in Idaho with a afro haircut, over-sized glasses, moon boots and an unpredictable and low-key personality unlike anyone I've ever seen in other films. Even though he's pictured as a huge nerd, he surprises you all the time. Just when you think you have this kid figured out, he does something unexpected. Whatever, he's fun to watch and hear throughout the movie.

Suffice to say "Napoleon" and about everyone in this film is totally whacked and all of them - male, female, young, old, good and bad people are extremely entertaining. A lot of the humor is visual, meaning the looks and reactions on these character's faces and the weird deadpan lines they deliver. Are there stereotypes in here? Yes, like the bimbo, prettiest girl in school running for class president , and her stupid, macho boyfriend, but most of the people were pretty unique.

If you like absurd humor, this is your cup of tea, and you don't have to be a teen to enjoy this. Hey, I'm old enough to be Napoleon's grandfather and I laughed my butt off from the beginning to the end of this unconventional film.


73 of 98 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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