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Napoleon Dynamite

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Spano

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Has anyone seen this movie? I finally saw it after hearing from many people how funny it supposedly was. I found it to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Even apart from the complete lack of plot and terrible characters, I didn't even find the stupid humor to be of much value.

Did I miss something?

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Has anyone seen this movie?  I finally saw it after hearing from many people how funny it supposedly was.  I found it to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen.  Even apart from the complete lack of plot and terrible characters, I didn't even find the stupid humor to be of much value.

The humor is rather understated and requires some work to ferret it out (the little that there is). The characters were really strange, though I thought Napoleon's friend Pedro and his situation to be kind of funny. But, all in all, I too am perplexed over the positive response of some to this movie.

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I thought it was one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen; in fact so much so that I had to get up and leave around the middle. I mean it's not "Fahrenheit 9/11" depressing, where you are faced with some arguments you don't like, and that are difficult to answer. Napoleon Dynamite doesn't even make any arguments, it just shows completely horrible characters, makes them "real" to me, and seems to ask in incredulity how anything else is possible.

A movie very similar to this, and almost just as depressing, is the European film Goodbye, Lenin.

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Has anyone seen this movie?  I finally saw it after hearing from many people how funny it supposedly was.  I found it to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen.  Even apart from the complete lack of plot and terrible characters, I didn't even find the stupid humor to be of much value. 

Did I miss something?

I absolutely loved it. I can't remember a funnier movie that has come out in the past couple years. The utter ridiculousness of the characters is priceless, especially Napoleon's older brother Kip and Uncle Rico.

I am big fan of that "dry" humor. Some of my favorite movies are the ones directed by Wes Anderson, Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, and his latest Life Aquatic.

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For the record, I loved Goodbye Lenin. :)

I think it's a genuinely funny movie, with a brilliant idea and superb execution. If you go to a movie like that looking for inspiration... well then that's sad. Comedies by their very nature are rarely inspirational.

That being said, I happened to see The Life Aquatic, and that's one bad comedy.

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I have noticed that People either think it's one of the greatest movies ever or they think it was complete crap. It will probably end up like the Rocky Horror picture show, where the movie developes a cult of followers who absolutely love the movie while the rest of the world has never seen it.

Me? I had to pause the movie several times to catch my breath, thats how hard I was laughing. It was so absurd it was funny, but I also liked it because I used to have a friend in high school who acted like Napoleon Dynamite.

My family pointed out something strange. I am the kind of person who Reads Nietszche, Rand, and Aristotle in my spare time, but then I have this silly sense of humor and a fond love for all kinds of comedy, including the no-intelligence type. I guess I spend so much time using my mind in my free time, when I am ready to unwind I don't feel like using it anymore. I love slapstick humor, I like dry humor (Napoleon Dynamite and Best in the Show come to mind), black humor, dark humor, dirty humor, clean humor, Jewish humor (Analyse This anyone?) name a type of humor, odds are I can place it with a comedy I enjoyed.

my favorite comedies are Napoleon Dynamite, Analyse This, My Cousin Vinny, Barber Shop 2, Caddyshack, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (My favorite of all time), and William Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 (Falstaff never fails to make me laugh)

What can I say? I love to laugh, and I love life too much to spend it not laughing.

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The humor is rather understated and requires some work to ferret it out (the little that there is). The characters were really strange, though I thought Napoleon's friend Pedro and his situation to be kind of funny. But, all in all, I too am perplexed over the positive response of some to this movie.

I think that the movies value and apeal can be summed up by one of the opening lines from Napoleon. When he was asked by a student about what he was going to do that day he replyed with a militant "Whatever I feel like, God!"

That statement is supported by nearly every modern philosophy, and that would be the base of its widespread appeal.

I think of the movie and its success as a cultural barometer.

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I think that the movies value and apeal can be summed up by one of the opening lines from Napoleon. When he was asked by a student about what he was going to do that day he replyed with a militant "Whatever I feel like, God!"

That statement is supported by nearly every modern philosophy, and that would be the base of its widespread appeal.

I think of the movie and its success as a cultural barometer.

Let's not forget that it is a comedy. The movie isn't funny because the characters possess attributes that you value. It's funny because the characters are utterly ridiculous and you can't believe that anyone would behave and live in such a manner.

Take Uncle Rico for example. His character is introduced living in a van in the middle of a field, filiming himself throwing footballs. And he isn't even good at throwing them. He is obsessed with going back in time to "82" where he can relive his high school football days and make his life turn out different. I find this very situation amusing.

If this movie were presented where these characters were well-adjusted members of society and examples of how to live your life, I could agree with your position that this movie is of no value. But the movie is not to be taken seriously, it is a comedy.

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I thought it was one of the worst movie I've had the displeasure of seeing lately. The characters make me uncomfortable and I just don't like watching them. The whole story is about people who don't want to do anything with their lives and are generally a bunch of loosers. I enjoy stupid movies like Dumb and Dumber, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spaceballs, etc, but I just hated this one. As Free Capitalist said above, I found the movie quite depressing. (In fact, that was the exact word I was looking for when my mom asked me how it was, thanks!)

The funniest part was laughing about it afterwards with my friends. Well, at the very end when Kip is singing his song to Lafonda was pretty funny too.

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When I first saw this movie my friend made me go with him. I didnt even know what it was, and I was so bored during the movie. Afterwards, when all my friends had seen it and were talking about it.. I thought it was hilarious! I just wasnt looking at it right and was taking it way too seriously. We all watched it again together at someone's house and I loved it. And you have to admit.... D-Qwon's dance moves are awesome. :)

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Someone in my school looks and acts like Napolean. When asked if he saw the movie, he said "Yeah it was the worst movie EVER, God!" I think far too many people are just amused with the old-school script that reminds them of when they were kids - like the chapstick and tater-tot scenes when Napolean says "Eww gross!"

I laughed in a couple parts, especially the dance scene, but I agree that it was very depressing - the main characters all seemed lifeless and the small town was so uneventful.

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It's alright. It wasn't what my friends and others are making it out to be. I heard plenty of rave reviews for the movie before I saw it. I expected it to be one of the greatest comedies but was let down. It has it's moments.

The movie was made by mormon's after all...

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The movie was among the worst I've ever seen. It presented characters that weren't of any value, didn't make me care why I should continue watching the movie, and presented a stumbling plot that begins and ends in boredom. Napoleon himself brought the concept of loser to a whole new level ... he had no purpose other than stumbling through whatever life tossed his way with an occassional effort to pursue a value. All of the characters were like that, and it made the movie a dull waste of time. Certainly not a movie to watch twice.

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The movie was among the worst I've ever seen.  It presented characters that weren't of any value, didn't make me care why I should continue watching the movie, and presented a stumbling plot that begins and ends in boredom.  Napoleon himself brought the concept of loser to a whole new level ... he had no purpose other than stumbling through whatever life tossed his way with an occassional effort to pursue a value.  All of the characters were like that, and it made the movie a dull waste of time.  Certainly not a movie to watch twice.

I assume you are aware that the movie is a comedy? I don't understand your post. Do you not think it is alright to laugh at losers or do you think that the movie unjustly attempted to make Napoleon look like a hero?

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Movies like Dumb and Dumber are okay because they don't take themselves seriously. No one really wants to teach you that Lloyd is a hero, or that is like anyone you know, or that he should be imitated.

The makers of Napoleon Dynamite take themselves very seriously, and while they try to be funny, they make the the characters very real for all to take in. That's what was so depressing about it.

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Movies like Dumb and Dumber are okay because they don't take themselves seriously. No one really wants to teach you that Lloyd is a hero, or that is like anyone you know, or that he should be imitated.

The makers of Napoleon Dynamite take themselves very seriously, and while they try to be funny, they make the the characters very real for all to take in. That's what was so depressing about it.

I disagree. While the characters and settings of Napoleon Dynamite were more believable than that of movies like Dumb and Dumber, I take the characters just as seriously as I do in any comedy, which is NOT AT ALL. I find comedies with more believable characters and situations to be a lot funnier than over the top comedies like Dumb and Dumber or Ace Ventura.

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That movie sucked. It was totally a "Rushmore" wannabe. (Can I get an "Amen"?)

"Rushmore," on the other hand, was a hilarious and witty film about a young man with much creative potential, but who had difficulty applying himself academically. I haven't yet made a serious critique of the movie, but, then again, it wasn't really a serious movie. Any other opinions?

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I am aware the movie is supposed to be a comedy. And there's nothing wrong, per se, with laughing at losers. But I see no point in spending time watching a movie that is presenting nothing of value. Losers have no value to me - not a disvalue either. It's hard to laugh at something you don't think anything about.

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Okay, I was at youth group tonight (yeah I know my mom forces me to go. Its actually not that bad because most of my closest friends have to go to.) Anyway, the "lesson plan" for tonight was on Napoleon Dynamite. The whole thing was on how "the meek shall inherit the earth" and loosers like Napoleon are good (I guess. It wasn't very clear). I seriously almost threw up. I got really sick to my stomach when I heard that. The point is, the movie is being taken seriously by some people and that's just scary.

Zak

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