| Overall Grade: |
B- |
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| Story: |
A- |
|
|
| Acting: |
A- |
|
|
| Direction: |
B+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B |
|
|
Good, Not Great
by KISSman (movies profile)
Jan 15, 2007
316
of
438 people found this review helpful
I had high expectations for Napoleon Dynamite after I saw the preview about a month ago. Apparently, I set my expectations a bit too high. Don't get me wrong, Napoleon Dynamite isn't a bad movie, it just didn't live up to what I expected it to be. Unfortunately, most of the the funniest moments are in the trailer (don't you hate when that happens!).
This is a hard movie to be disappointed with because there is a lot to like. For one thing, the acting it this film is really good. Jon Heder is excellent at Napoleon. The film would not have had the same charm without what Jon brought to the main character.
The film also deserves tons of credit for being unique and original. Napoleon Dynamite is a breath of fresh air in a summer season that is usually jammmed with sequels, remakes and big-budget slop.
For all the good aspects Napoleon has going for it, it lacks the pacing that could have made this decent film into a great one. The same things that make this film work -- which is mainly the Napoleon Dynamite character himself -- is what ends up hurting it. For example, the interactions between Napoleon and his best friend Pedro start off as being funny, but eventually become tedious as the film goes along. While it is humorous that just about every character lacks any real social skills, their interactions with each other bog down the movie and cause there to be longer distances between laughs than there should be.
Napoleon Dynamite is a movie loaded with potential, but falls short when it comes to being as good as it could have been. Usually when that happens, the finger has to be pointed at the director. He was given a great story, a talented cast and the best movie soundtrack that I've heard in quite a while, and yet, it just doesn't add up in the end.
I would still recommend seeing Napoleon Dynamite -- especially to those folks who either have no expectation about the film whatsoever or for those who want a break from the standard summer movie fare. My guess is that Napoleon Dynamite will gain greater appreciation when it hits the home video market. It definitely has a cult comedy vibe to it. |
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