Napoleon Dynamite Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Napoleon Dynamite is a new kind of hero, complete with a tight red 'fro, sweet moon boots, and skills that can't be topped. Napoleon spends his days drawing mythical beasts, duking it out with his brother, Kip, and avoiding his scheming Uncle Rico. When two new friends enter Napoleon's life - shy Deb and mustachioed Pedro - the trio launches a campaign to elect Pedro for class president and make the student body's wildest dreams come true. But if Pedro is to beat by stuck-up Summer, Napoleon will have to unleash his secret weapon...
The Sundance Film Festival has become a Mecca for young and aspiring filmmakers in search
of an audience for their films. Almost every year at Sundance, a single film manages to
captivate audiences, building buzz and finding success in theaters. 2004 was the year of
Napoleon Dynamite, an unlikely success that moved from being a cult phenomenon
to achieving legitimate mass popularity, making stars out of its lead actors in the process.
It's a truly weird movie that still manages to be as exceptionally bizarre as it is hilarious. I'll
admit to being completely perplexed by the film upon seeing it in theaters; I just stared at
the screen wondering what in the hell I was witnessing. Audiences, however, seemed to
fall in love with the film's strangely endearing characters, embarrassing social situations and
stunted dialogue. Is there a point to Napoleon Dynamite; some deeper meaning
behind each and every characters' ludicrous behavior, or is the film simply a celebration of
dorky high school outcasts?
Take note: This is not a karate movie.
Uber-dweeb Napoleon Dynamite (John Heder) thinks he's the baddest mo-fo in existence.
He's clueless, possibly brain-damaged and socially inept; he's the butt of all the jokes at
school. Napoleon lives with his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) and his adventure-seeking
Grandma (Sandy Martin), in a nameless farming community that would drive the biggest
optimist insane with boredom. Between girly slap-fights with his brother, being forced to
feed his Grandma's pet Llama and drawing pictures of fantasy creatures and fellow
classmates, Napoleon seems to exist in some sort of spaced-out, drooling, state of near
unconsciousness. Perhaps he's just bored. When Napoleon's and Kip's Grandma is injured
in a dune buggy accident, their Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) shuffles into town to keep an eye on
the two weirdos. Uncle Rico is a former high school football star who can't quite get over his
former successes. He's come up with a new scheme to pitch a breast enlargement formula
to the local residents, enlisting Kip and Napoleon to help sell the product. Somehow,
around this same time, Napoleon befriends the new kid in town; an equally comatose kid
named Pedro (Efran Ramirez). Between run-ins with a strange girl named Deb (Tina
Majorino), his brother's internet dating schemes, Uncle Rico's penchant for offending local
ladies and the impending school prom, Napoleon suddenly has plenty to concentrate on.
Perhaps Pedro has the answer to Napoleon's problems?
Perhaps the most unintentionally insulting praise I can direct at Jon Heder for his
performance in Napoleon Dynamite, is that when I finally saw him in interviews after
seeing him in the film, I was legitimately surprised to discover that he isn't developmentally
challenged; he's just that convincing. I should have known better, though, as all the
characters in the film are genuinely strange and display a series of funky personality traits
that are as fascinating as they are hilarious. The character of Napoleon Dynamite (is that
actually his name?) seems to be some sort of super-dork who lives in a world of his own.
He's clearly maladjusted in some way; heck, he's not even particularly smart like most social
outcasts portrayed in films. He's just kind of a clueless, dumb guy. Tina Majorino barely
speaks in the film; she just kind of shows up from time to time, looking odd and slightly
disheveled, with her side-of-the-head ponytail signaling her status as an outcast. Her lack
of dialogue is a trait that many actors in the film also share. Efran Ramirez's Pedro is much
the same; he speaks in monosyllabic short phrases and he spends most of the movie
staring into space.
Kip and Uncle Rico are two of the most verbose characters in the film. Both are regular
chatterboxes when compared to the rest of the cast. Kip's internet dating adventures
supply some of the heartiest laughs of the film, while Rico's money-making schemes
somehow manage to make the movie feel slightly more realistic. Don't ask me how; I'm not
exactly sure why this is, but perhaps it's simply because Rico has a personality, unlike most
of the film's other characters.
So, why is Napoleon Dynamite a decent, funny movie? I still can't put my finger on
it; perhaps it's because the film is so utterly ridiculous and unnerving, one only can react
with laughter? Perhaps it's the desolate setting; maybe it's Napoleon's cluelessness? Are
we laughing with him or at him? I still can't figure it out. All I can say is that after seeing
the film for the first time and having an experience that left me completely baffled, the movie
has become more and more entertaining with each repeat viewing. To paraphrase United
States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, I shall not today attempt further to define
what makes Napoleon Dynamite funny… but I know funny when I see it. Highly
recommended.
While hardly being the kind of movie destined to achieve reference status, Napoleon
Dynamite actually looks pretty darn great on Blu-ray, especially considering the film's
low budget origins. Presented in the movie's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and in
full 1080p, Napoleon Dynamite takes full advantage of first rate AVC Mpeg-4
encoding to achieve a film-like and pleasing image. Fine film grain is present throughout the
movie; it always remains appropriate, never excessive or noisy. The film elements used for
this transfer are also first rate and remain free of dirt, scratches or noticeable print damage.
Napoleon Dynamite is surprisingly colorful, in spite of its intentionally boring
photographic style. Vivid colors pepper each scene and add a welcome and vibrant tone to
the film. The movie is relatively sharp, delivering a moderate amount of fine detail that is
apparent in fabrics, skin and architectural textures. Contrast is a bit blown out; black levels
are slightly elevated and never achieve true reference levels. Thankfully, digital anomalies
aren't an issue. Napoleon Dynamite has been treated with care and attention to
detail with this Blu-ray release. Highly recommended!
One would be hard-pressed to find a more boring soundtrack than that of Napoleon
Dynamite. It's flat, bland, unexciting and as plain as can be. Fox has utilized 5.1 DTS-
HD Master Audio for the release; this soundtrack, paired with such an advanced audio
codec, is the equivalent of putting a Ferrari engine in a Yugo. There's so little happening on
the track, it might as well be monaural. Fans of music performed on an old Hammond organ,
however, will love how the film's sweet score occasionally drifts into the rear channels. The
operative word in that last sentence was "occasionally."
What's left is dialogue; every mumbled, strained and monotonous line. It's all crystal clear,
ensuring that every subtle sigh and grumble is remarkably transparent. There's not really
much more to say about Napoleon Dynamite. If you were expecting the film to
sound like a Hollywood action movie, then you've clearly suffered a head trauma. If that's
the case, stop reading and seek medical attention. For those of you still reading, in spite of
the uncomplicated nature of this audio track, it's remarkably accurate. Recommended.
- Feature Audio Commentary with Director / Writer Jared Hess, Actor Jon Heder and
Producer Jeremy Coon
- Cast Audio Commentary with Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries and Tina Majorino
- "World Premier: Jared Hess"
- "On Location: Napoleon Dynamite"
- "Peluca"
- "Casting Napoleon Dynamite"
- "The Wedding of the Century"
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- Napoleon Sightings - And Pedro
- Utah State Fair Ads & TV Spots
- MTV On-Air Promos
- Still Gallery
- Audition Videos
The thing that strikes me as odd with this selection of special features for Napoleon
Dynamite, is that for such a profoundly bizarre movie, these supplements are relatively
pedestrian. That's not to say that there aren't a ton of excellent materials presented for
review, it's just that I expected more weirdness. At any rate, Fox has included two
commentary tracks, one with Director Jared Hess, Jon Heder and Producer Jeremy Coon, and
another with various cast members. Both are highly entertaining, though a little light on
juicy details. Several light-weight featurettes are worth skipping, but "Peluca," the short
film that served as inspiration for Napoleon Dynamite, is worth every second of your
time. Fans of deleted scenes will be pleased; I was glad to see the MTV promos and Utah
State Fair ads. Napoleon Dynamite makes for a enjoyable experience where
supplements are concerned. Recommended!
As the sleeper comedy hit of 2004, Napoleon Dynamite managed to find an unlikely
audience despite its microscopic budget and lack of big-name stars. It's a weird flick, to be
sure; I still can't tell you exactly why its so damn funny. The film's exceedingly strange
characters proved to be breakout roles for both Jon Heder and Tina Majorino; both have
gone on to respectable acting careers in the wake of the film's success. Fox brings
Napoleon Dynamite to Blu-ray with a surprisingly solid video transfer and passable
audio; the film's low budget limits the film from ever looking or sounding any better.
Supplementary features are robust, but could have been a little more bizarre to better mesh
with the mood of the film. Napoleon Dynamite is a film that requires patience. It's
not an immediate knee-slapper; it grows on you, becoming more subtly hilarious
with each viewing. Napoleon Dynamite is recommended. Sweet!
Napoleon Dynamite: Other Editions
2-disc set $14.92
Blu-ray bundles with Napoleon Dynamite (5 bundles)
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