People are voting emotionally.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This has become a CLASSIC for very good reasons:1. THE WRITING is absolutely spot-on, reflecting the angst of teenagers who (like Charlie Brown of "Peanuts") are loners and losers. If you aren't entertained by examining what it is like to be a loser or outcast, you won't like this movie. I found myself constantly saying OMG as the writers introduced yet another character of hilarious (and losing) proportions. If you have a relative who wants you to sell Amway or Tupperware and become a millionaire in the process, you"ll "get it" when you see Napoleon's uncle. If you have a male relative who has fallen in love with a girl who is "inappropriate", you"ll "get it" when you see Napoleon's brother. If you're a person of color and you've experienced racial discrimination, you'll "get it" when you're in the middle of a high school election involving Napoleon's close friend who is Mexican, Pedro. These are only a few of the characters who make Napoleon Dynamite so captivating and entertaining.2. THE ACTING is in short PERFECT! Jon Heder nails his character, an aimless teenager trying to find meaning in his middle class (if not lower class) lifestyle. All the actors were cast in roles that fit them perfectly, and they carry off their parts in a convincing way. Remember, these characters fall far short of perfect, in fact they are very imperfect. It ain't easy carrying off a part which has so many negative features; but the actors do it. Therein lies the genius of the movie. We are first astonished and shocked by the characters, then come to appreciate their inherent goodness as the movie develops.If you don't like Napoleon Dynamite, then you'd better have your funny bone checked. This is a very different comedy, but it is of a genius genre -- made up from an excellent knowledge of how teenagers relate to one another, an excellent knowledge of what it is like to be a loner, and an excellent knowledge of how teenagers somehow survive that very challenging, anxious, fearful time in their lives.

Ppl who give this flick high stars - "what is wrong with you, you fricking IDIOTS, GOSH!". The movie : a bunch of dopey idiots doing completely random and idiotic things in some Kafkaesque rural town in Idaho brought to you by high school drama club. Movie is made in 2004, and school ID implies 2004, but it feels like the movie is set in 80s, with Kip spending time chatting in a computer which kind of places it in the 90s. I guess the props obtained from Goodwill or garage sale lend themselves to anachronisms. Want to watch a "cult flick"? Watch "Ghost town" or "Clerks".

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE is one of those low-budget comedies that asks you to be of the same mindset as the lead characters in order to gain enjoyment from it. Sometimes this works for me - I love the documentary American MOVIE because I can identify with the drive and identity of the filmmakers. In contrast, I found that NAPOLEON DYNAMITE left me cold. The characters are cold and sarcastic in that peculiarly American way, obnoxious in fact, and the film's constant ironic humour simply didn't appeal to me. I appreciate that it's different to your mainstream high school comedy, but at the same time I found this uninteresting and interminable.

Gosh, this was a good movie! The scary part is that you can relate to it! It was a tiny bit like Forest Gump, with the title character seemingly everywhere. It was a slice of real life, with an everyday, geeky character who is having trouble at school and at home with a dysfunctional family and can't fit in anywhere. He makes a new friend in Pedro at school, who develops a crush on the popular girl (who can't relate there?), and Napoleon launches on his crusade of adventures and misadventures. He was a bit like Charlie Brown-a misfit with a small circle of friends who never gives up despite his many failures! This was truly a good film with a good cast and collection of good scenes and odd sense of humor. Jon Heder was excellent in the lead.*** out of ****