The M&M’s take on: “Napoleon Dynamite”

“Napoleon Dynamite” is the newly released movie of choice for students across Milligan’s campus. Everyone is talking about it, quoting it, watching it during open dorm nights.

Napoleon Dynamite, the main character, lives with his grandma, who leads a life more exciting than Napoleon, and 32-year-old brother Kip, who does not have a job and spends his days talking in chat rooms on the Internet. Along with the help of his friend Deb, Napoleon campaigns to help his best friend Pedro become the student body president of their high school.

Cast of Characters
Jon Heder……… Napoleon Dynamite
Jon Gries………..Uncle Rico
Aaron Ruell…….Kip
Efren Ramirez…Pedro
Tina Majorino… Deb
Rated: PG for mild thematic elements and brief language
Runtime: 82 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Jared Hess

Q: What did you think of the plotline?

A: Mills – It’s just like Seinfeld - there isn’t a plotline. But that’s okay, watching Napoleon get beat up is a pretty strong theme throughout the movie. That’s enough of a plot for most people to enjoy.
 

A: Mooney – What plotline!!?? There wasn’t one! I kept thinking over and over as the movie progressed that eventually I would start to see a plot. However, after 80 minutes, no plotline ever revealed itself, and I was left wondering what on earth had just happened. I still have no idea what time period this movie was even set in!
 

Q: What specific part struck you the most?
 

A: Mills – I think the part where Kip and Napoleon go to Rex-Kwan-Do is really funny. First of all, Kip is too lazy to rollerblade into town. He asks Napoleon to pull him into town, which Napoleon does! Napoleon rides his bike with Kip following behind attached to a rope and riding his rollerblades. Then, when the Dynamite brothers are at the training session, Kip gets called on to demonstrate some Rex-Kwan-Do moves. He can’t get them right, and basically gets beat up. The director’s commentary on this scene is worth watching.
 

A: Mooney – The part that I truly did enjoy is the scene near the end of the movie when Napoleon dances on stage in front of the entire school in order to help his best friend Pedro. Not only do I have to admire him for getting up on stage and doing something so potentially embarrassing, but the dance he did was just simply hysterical!
 

Q: Who was your favorite character and why?
 

A: Mills – Kip is definitely my favorite character. He’s an idiot. He’s thinner than Lara Flynn Boyle could ever hope to be, and yet he still wants to be a cage fighter. And to top it all off, he has a weasely voice. Kip stays at home all day talking online (while paying per minute) to girls - ones who must not have seen his picture. His best line is, “Your mom goes to college.” Yeah, he obviously didn’t.
 

A: Mooney – I would have to say that my favorite character was Napoleon’s friend Deb. Like the other characters, she was very odd but sweet at the same time. She was a true friend to Napoleon.
 

Q: What grade would you give it?
 

A: Mills – A+ for quotability, if nothing else. You have to go into it with an open mind - if you listen to the lines and see how pathetic all of the characters are, I don’t see how you can dislike this film.
 

A: Mooney – I would give it a C+. Although I did not enjoy it, the movie was at least an original idea.
 

Q: What was your overall opinion?
 

A: Mills – Napoleon Dynamite is hilarious! It’s great to watch with a group of people. My family is obsessed with it, which brings me to another point. My grandmother could watch this movie and not bat an eye at it - there are no profanities or adult themes. The most risqué thing in the movie is Napoleon’s dancing, and that is comparable to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever but less perverted. It’s simply a clean, funny, quotable movie that I recommend you watch.
 

A: Mooney – I had heard so many rave reviews from fellow students about this movie. Many said it was one of the best movies they had ever seen. I guess I had such high expectations that when I finally saw “Napoleon Dynamite” I didn’t really care for it. Give me an action-packed film like “The Day After Tomorrow!”