Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Online

I saw this movie in theaters when it first came out and was quite curious because of the hype surrounding it at the time. When I walked out, all I could hear myself saying in my mind was "What the hell just happened?" and felt like going back to the box office and asking for my 10 bucks back.

Reader, I positively *hated* it - I didn't "get" the humour and I thought all the people in this movie were just plain weird - like somehow this movie was "trying" too hard to be funny yet the humour was falling flat. Also the style of most of the folks had me wondering if this movie was in the 80's or something or if the film makers were torn between setting this movie up in the 80's or 90's or maybe if the film makers were making some sort of statement on mid-westerners being 10 years behind us east and west coasters - I mean the weird T-shirts, Naploleon's hair and attire, the break-dancing music, Deb wearing stir-up pants, the ponytail on one side, 80's music like Cyndi Lauper and poofy prom dresses. The only thing that gave it away that this film takes place more recently were the references to the Internet for Uncle Rico's time machine, the heavy techno-dance music that Pedro's cousin play in their muscle mobile and Kip's online romance with Lafawnduh as well as Napoleon's dance sequence to Jamiroquoi's "Canned Heat" at the very end (which BTW, seemed to be inspired by the "Solid Gold" dancers of the 70's and 80's).

Then something strange happened. The film cable channels here started playing it frequently and I'd catch bits and pieces of it here and there and found myself enjoying the humour more and more. I was finally getting it and enjoying it - I was even starting the know certain parts of it by heart. My brother went out and bought the DVD of the film and now I can safely say, I really love this little film. After being absorbed in Napoleon's universe, you realize he's actually a really good kid and just trying to find his place in the grand scheme of things despite being misunderstood at school and at home. You end up *wanting* Napoleon to succeed and be happy and I think we can safely assume he does. In some ways, this film is like Napoleon, it's the small-budget film that could and I'm glad to see the cult following this film has developed. It deserves all it gets.

To those of you who hated this film after watching it once, all I can say is I'd encourage you to watch it once more and give it a chance. I'm sure glad I did.

The love/hate reactions I've seen do not surprise me at all. This movie is very different, it's own style... and it is PURE GENIUS. But it's definitely not for everyone... you have to back off and understand the mood and general feel of the movie before you have the context to find the actions of the characters funny. Then you will "get it". And what is this context I'm referring to? This movie explores the very essence of boredom and mediocrity as you follow the daily life of a dorky guy doing uninteresting things in a small, unexciting town. Napolean's constant, open-mouth, blank stare says, "I'm only tolerating this monotonous existence because I've got nothing better to do." It took me about 15 minutes into the movie and then I GOT it. The movie has no real plot because it isn't about an interesting story, it's about the real life that exists BETWEEN the interesting stories. Ever call up your bud because you're bored, then talk about what you're not doing, then decide to get together and be bored together, and spend the remainder of the evening trying to think of something to do to no avail? This movie is about this very type of thing... a tribute to the ordinary every-day stuff that you have no reason or desire to remember... like eating reheated leftover Hamburger Helper, or that old shirt you wear when you're working that you're not afraid to get dirty, or some magazine you flipped through to pass the time in the dentist's waiting room.

I constantly found myself saying, "This all seems too strangely familiar. I knew a guy like that. I've done stuff like that. I've been to a store like that. I've been in a house like that." This isn't the kind of movie to make you suddenly laugh out loud, it's a movie that will first make you chuckle, and then chuckle some more, and pretty soon you can't stop laughing as scenes and characters continuously remind you about the absurdity of watching random, stupid pointlessness. Why would something boring be interesting to watch? You'll just have to see it to understand.

Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is the typical sad-sack, luckless loser that has permeated high schools for seemingly centuries. He has no friends, he's picked on by bullies, he has a somewhat-odd home life ... but through it all, he's sure things will be just plain okay in the end.

Napoleon and his older brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) live with their grandmother, but at the beginning of the film she tells them she needs to take off for a couple days. Enter their Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), a self-starter who's living in 1982 (when the coach of his high school football team declined to put him in as quarterback, thus altering Rico's life forever). Some of the funniest scenes in the film involve Napoleon's often-combative relationship with Uncle Rico; Rico is also bound and determined to return to those halcyon days of his youth via a time machine he's seen advertised on the Internet, and he enlists Kip to help him raise the funds.

Napoleon befriends the new kid in school, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), who has a sweet bike, can talk to girls, and has an actual mustache. But like Napoleon, Pedro is a misfit. Both sometimes hang out with yet another taciturn student, Deb (Tina Majorino, all grown up from Waterworld), who secretly (it seems) likes Napoleon. But there isn't a lot of focus on their relationship, because Napoleon himself is fairly oblivious to how people perceive him. This isn't a story about young love or lust, it's a story about a misfit refusing to fit - while fitting in with others like him.

Jon Heder is perfectly cast as the gawky, dorky Napoleon; he resembles Butt-Head in countenance, although certainly not in temperament or intelligence. Mouth agape and with an awkward gait, Napoleon is about as odd a duck as you'd find in high school, and yet he still manages to survive with his dignity intact. He's a good egg, although he seems to overreact at times: "What are you gonna do today, Napoleon? Napoleon: Whatever I feel like I wanna do.....GOSH!" Still, his delivery is perfect. You can readily picture a Napoleon in any high school.

I think where the film ultimately succeeds, aside from the casting of Heder, is that it doesn't fall into the traps of predictability and stereotyping. Sure, it's a high school movie, and there are snobby pretty girls and arrogant jocks, but not much time is devoted to them. Sure, there's a big dance, but it doesn't necessarily turn out the way you'd expect it to. What you're left with, then, isn't a typical coming-of-age story, but rather a unique take on a rather mundane - albeit life-altering - time in a boy's life.

If you like dry or dark humor, you should get a big kick out of this movie. I know I did. If you are between 12-20 you might even like it more because this deals with high school kids primarily. However, there are some adults in here who play key roles, too.

The teens and the adults have a couple of things in common: they are nerds and weird people and they are all hilarious. They also are unlike a cast of characters you have seen in any other movie. In other words, this movie is an "original."

I didn't know any of these actors and I think that helped. It made it even more original, looking at new faces. That begins with the title character, played by Jon Heder. A white kid in Idaho with a afro haircut, over-sized glasses, moon boots and an unpredictable and low-key personality unlike anyone I've ever seen in other films. Even though he's pictured as a huge nerd, he surprises you all the time. Just when you think you have this kid figured out, he does something unexpected. Whatever, he's fun to watch and hear throughout the movie.

Suffice to say "Napoleon" and about everyone in this film is totally whacked and all of them - male, female, young, old, good and bad people are extremely entertaining. A lot of the humor is visual, meaning the looks and reactions on these character's faces and the weird deadpan lines they deliver. Are there stereotypes in here? Yes, like the bimbo, prettiest girl in school running for class president , and her stupid, macho boyfriend, but most of the people were pretty unique.

If you like absurd humor, this is your cup of tea, and you don't have to be a teen to enjoy this. Hey, I'm old enough to be Napoleon's grandfather and I laughed my butt off from the beginning to the end of this unconventional film.

It seems based on many of the comments on this site that certain folks may be expecting a bit too much from a movie such as 'Napoleon Dynamite.'

This ain't art cinema, folks. It's absurdist comedy. Don't go to see this film looking for deep meaning or well-constructed plot--the vague semblance of a plot is as artificial as they come, and seems inserted mostly to give the film structure and to permit the audience a somewhat 'happy' ending.

NO, Napoleon Dynamite isn't about changing the world--it's live action 'South Park' (Preston, Idaho, where the film is set, actually bears a strong resemblance to the real South Park, Colorado). It's a highly ironic, self-mocking, merciless run of sight gags and one liners with no apparent purpose other than to get laughs at the expense of its main characters, especially the eponymous Napoleon, a fit stand-in for everyone who's ever felt like a socially inept outcast trapped in the hell of high school.

This movie isn't for everybody, but if you don't see glimpses of your own childhood in the various awkwardnesses and failures of the main characters, you're in denial. Don't see Napoleon Dynamite if you're expecting sensitivity--go see it if you're pissed off at the world and just need to laugh. I saw it for the first time last night, and I'm still busting into spontaneous laughter whenever one of Napoleon's silly one-liners or blank-faced dead-pan non-sequitirs comes to mind.

This movie is quite possibly the funniest movie ever. It doesn't have much of a storyline, but in this case, it doesn't matter. I keep reading reviews that say it isn't believable. Anyone who has attended High School in the last 10 years knows that this movie portrays exactly what it is like. Who doesn't know someone exactly like Napoleon? Or Pedro? Or Summer? Or Deb? Or Don? There are Napoleons, Pedros, Summers, Debs, and Dons in EVERY American High School. One of the funniest parts about this movie is that it IS so accurate. And who hasn't run across an internet geek like Kip? This movie is filled with jokes about our culture today. I haven't met one person yet who has seen it and not liked it. Talk about a cult classic in the making. The film uses witty humor, and a little goofy humor. It's the PERFECT film for light comedy. If you're into those kind of films that make you think a lot, this one definitely isn't for you. On the other hand, if you laugh at things like Napoleon getting psyched for a milk-testing contest, or lying about hunting wolverines in Alaska, exaggerating about his bow staff skills or his brother bragging about chatting online with "babes" all day, you can't go wrong. (10/10)

I have to say I was so intrigued by the mixed responses to this film on this board I had to see it. In my opinion it was the best movie I have seen in years. I am so tired of the typical BS Hollywood crap, and this movie was far from that. Napoleon was indeed dynamite! The first couple minutes I was kinda worried that the naysayers were right, but as the movie continued I couldn't stop laughing! And for those how think that it was wrong to exploit the nerds in society, you definitely missed the whole point of the movie. It wasn't exploited them, it was more celebrating them and their uniqueness. And as for being unrealistic, this movie was more realistic than any movie I have seen. That was part of what made it hilarious. Not doubt this will be a cult classic! GO NAPOLEON!

I give this film a 10 out of 10

Though this movie seems to strike a chord with the younger crowd, there is no age limit to appreciating this film, just limits in your sense of humor. Perhaps the funniest movie I've seen in years, ND explores character profiles we never thought would make it to the movies. The characters cover a wide range of social misfits and exhibit the nuances of their behavior in a way that makes sense to them, if not to the general public. It's like a sociological case study of a primitive and exotic tribe of "Nerds". Everyone of us should be able to recognize at least one of the ND characters from somewhere in our past or somewhere in our psyches. The acting is sublime, because sometimes we forget that they ARE acting. The writing and dialogue are inventive and unexpected, and so dry it might take you a few days to start laughing. But once you do start laughing, you won't be able to stop. This movie is sure to be a cult classic for the new millennium the way Repo Man was the the 80's. And if you like this film, consider yourself luck-EEEE, because not everyone will.

OK, I have seen a lot of negative reviews on this movie. It made me leery of even seeing it. I work at a video store so I get to see movies before their street release date. There were a few naysayers at work, but I rented it anyway. This was a rental well spent. This is the first movie I have seen in some time that doesn't have swear words or sex in any form so it is OK for any age. If you are or ever were just a little bit geeky, Napoleon is the hero for you. This movie is much funnier to a gen-x'er. There are a lot of things that you won't "get" if you weren't a part of the 80's. All in all, I think that it is a great way to spend an evening. I am looking forward to seeing more from this writer/director.

This is by far one of the best movies I have ever seen. I had to drive 2 hours and pay $10 just to see it, but it was all worth it. The material in this movie was fresh, creative, original, and kept you laughing the whole time. You won't find another movie quite like it.

If you're still curious about it, there were only 40 or less people in the theater when I saw it, but if you were sitting in the front like I was you'd think that the theater was packed because of the crowd response. I've read some reviews that this movie doesn't go anywhere, but they're all full of crap. It does go somewhere, and ends strong. You have to give it to the director Jered Hess. No one makes their first movie this good. And all the actors (most of them having hardly any acting experience on film) did an incredible job. You can't top a movie like this. You'll regret it if you don't see Napoleon Dynamite

I found this movie very, very funny. Not hilarious, but very, very funny. People (read critics) have accused this film for being "quirky for the sake of being quirky" to which I say: "What's frickin' wrong with that? IDITOTS!"

I find this movie to be a delightful character (rather than plot) driven farce, a movie that you have to accept on its own terms. The world of Napoleon Dynamite is not reality, nor does it ever claim to be. It's job is to make you laugh, and for me, it does it in spades. It's not a fall-out-of-your-chair-in-hysterics funny, it's more of a constant-giggling-over-the-silliness-of-it-all funny. It's like mock apple pie. Not a culinary gourmet feast, but darn tasty all the same. Don't expect the brilliant comedy of "Young Frankenstein" or a groundbreaking cinematic breakthrough the likes of "Citizen Kane". Conversely, don't expect something just plain bad like "Corky Romano" or "Battlefield: Earth" either. So if you're in the mood for a tasty slice of mock apple pie, "Napoleon Dynamite" is right up your alley. B+

This movie is a genx love fest and it made me feel better than any movie I have ever seen. Essentially, this movie is a remake of "welcome to the dollhouse" and a lot of the other slacker-esque movies of that era. The film follows the misadventures of a complete loser (Napoleon Dynamite is a near sighted high school kid with a penchant for medieval warriors and tall tales), his best friend (the new kid in town, a Mexican immigrant who must comprehend life in rural Idaho), their shared love interest (she is deliciously quirky on her own), and a few other random characters (Napoleon's scheming "get rich quick" uncle and his internet chatroom obsessed loser 32-year-old-but-still-living-at-home brother). In terms of story, this one is tops. All of the "good" characters grow and become much more than they were when the movie began. This film celebrates friendship at it's basest level and demonstrates the triumph of good people above overwhelming odds. The true appeal of this movie though, for me, was the close attention that the director paid to making this movie feel like the early 1990's or late 1980's. Characters wear zubbas and hand out friendship bracelets. Even the vocabulary the actors use comes from this era (when was the last time you called someone "retarded", for example), but it is done so in such a genuine manner. The music and the style are very appropriate, and you can really feel the social awkwardness of Napoleon and his friends. While this movie was made in many ways to appeal to those who can most relate to the awkward years of growing up (the unpopular kids, the new kid, the medieval warrior obsessed clique, the metal heads, the stoners, all the general low lifes you probably associated with, or possibly were at school), this will nevertheless appeal to everyone else. The comedy is not made to be knee slapping, but it's sublety is wonderful and I found myself laughing throughout the entire film. If you have ever rooted for the underdog, this is the movie for you. I can't spoil the ending for you, but for real, no movie has ever made me feel as happy and as inspired as this one. I can't wait to see what this director comes up with next!

First of all, I thought Napolean Dynamite was one of the weirdest, funniest films I've seen in years. Interestingly, I liked it better the second time around. But the film is not for everyone; my wife couldn't stand the film, and we have incredibly similar taste in movies (and books).

But here's my main point: I teach at a university, and for reasons I won't bore you with, I wound up showing Napolean Dynamite (ND) to a class on counseling children and adolescents. One of my students almost went crazy...turns out she is from the very same town (in Idaho) ND was filmed in, and yes the kids are JUST like that. Even the goofy part in which Pedro courts Deb by baking her a cake...this kind of gift-giving is a real tradition in that part of Idaho. In fact, the tradition is to be as weird as possible, so compared with other "gifts" boys and girls give each other in Idaho, Pedro's cake was very tame. By way of comparison, my student told me how a boy who courted her once gifted her with a chicken, innards an all, and when she cleaned out the bird she found a note inside it declaring his love! Now that kind of story just can NOT be made up. So is ND realistic? Apparently so! More than I realized!

This film is a refreshing look at a typical geek in a forgotten part of the country. Jared Hess is to be commended by bringing this dead pan comedy to the screen.

Of course, the director is helped by the cast he assembled for the film. The screening I attended had more laughs than I was expecting because, as it is obvious: this is not a comedy for the masses. The director is spoofing the genre in his own way.

Napoleon, deep down inside is a great kid. He is not malicious and he has to suffer because this culture will reward a stupid person that appears to be cool and will put down a person such as Napoleon because they perceive him as a nerd prototype. Napoleon belongs to a dysfunctional family, if ever there was one.

His brother Kid is playing against type also. He appears to be a feminine boy who is into the chat rooms and has fallen in love with a mystery woman from Detroit. The uncle that comes to supervise them while their grandma is in the hospital is a grease ball and a con man rolled into one. The ending is just hysterical as Uncle Rico can't see the woman he is selling his bogus merchandise is a muscled person with a super strong husband.

All the actors are excellent in their roles. One's heart goes to Jon Heder, the Napoleon of the story, for making his character so sweet and likable. Jon Gries, as Uncle Rico, is effective. Napoleon's brother played by Aaaron Ruell goes through such transformation, but deep inside he is just a pretender. Efren Ramirez, as Pedro seems to be in a fog throughout the film. What a joke to have him as class president! Finally, Shondrella Avery as LaFawnduh, gives an incredible performance and Tina Marjorino is perfect as Deb.

A film to be discovered for its humor.

I hesitantly allowed my 14 year old daughter to select this movie through our mail order DVD service. I gave her the green light because it's rated PG and figured it wouldn't have too much profanity. Just the title alone seemed so absurd that I figured I would never actually sit down and watch another teen coming of age movie. When it arrived on new year's eve my daughter wasn't home but my Spanish speaking 65 year old father who is wheelchair bound was here for the day. I offered to play it for him in Spanish and prefaced the experience by saying that if he hated it I would turn it off. As I worked around the house I could hear laughter coming from the family room. This is a man who doesn't even flinch during the climatic scenes in big action films. I decided to sit down and check out what was so funny. I never got back up and mind you I was watching it in Spanish which isn't my primary language. It might as well have been in Japanese comedy knows no language barriers. I'm a middle aged woman, OK, I just turned 40, but there are no age guidelines when it comes to appreciating the small details. On New Year's day I played the movie again for my brother and his family and my mother. It was much more entertaining than the Rose Bowl and we had a blast. My boyfriend and I also watched it together and he just rolled and replayed many of the scenes over again. I later watched the director's cut and was captivated by how they used real people from Preston and actual site locations, including interiors of homes. I can only imagine that it wasn't very expensive to produce unlike some of high budget low entertainment movies that sometimes come out of Hollywood. Today I will put Napolean Dynamite back into it's self addressed postage paid envelope and it will go back to where it came from in DVD heaven, but Napolean Dynamite will live on forever! Enjoy...

When discussing over-rated movies, this movie is mentioned pretty often. Most criticism I've heard stems from the movies hype as "indie classic" and the annoying fan base. I agree, some what. Comparing it to Juno and the likes does the movie a disservice, as did the great number of people spouting lines like "vote for Pedro" and "Tina eat the ham".

However. This does not change the fact that - when viewed in the right mindset, and the ability to let the movie stand on its own - it is an extremely beautiful and touching story about teenage life. Napoleon is himself the very epitome of the high-school outcast, shunned by the "popular" and taking refuge in the back of the bus. We've seen that before, in various forms. Neither is his transformation, which culminates in the famous dance scene, original. But it is portrayed in such a perfect way. From the choice of music and the cinematography (my two favorite scenes are the ones with Napoleon and Deb dancing at the disco, and also the final scene with the two of them playing tether-ball - the music and the camera work makes these two scenes truly spectacular) - to the great work the directors/writers did with portraying the world that Napoleon, Deb, Pedro and others live in.

The dialogue is delivered stilted and monotone. There is no real drama to speak of. It is slow. But it fits. Everything fits together and creates this backdrop of an endless land, stuck in time, never moving forward. To me, that's why the comparison with i.e. Juno falters - nothing in this movie is in there "just because". There is no pop culture references made just so the audience can get the cheap thrill of saying "hey! I remember that from my childhood!". Everything is a piece of the puzzle. The dry way the characters act and speak, the scenery and backdrops, the deliberately aged soundtrack. Maybe that's why it's so uplifting to see the journeys the characters make, from nothing out to something - Napoleon, Pedro, Deb, Uncle Rico, and not to mention Kip - whose journey mirrors Napoleons but ten times more bizarre.

I could write more about this, much more, but I'd rather just encourage everyone who didn't like it because of the supposed "indie"-ness to watch it again. Don't mind the fan base. There is so much more to this movie than some "hilarious quotes" to repeat over and over again. Just give it an honest try!

This movie has become idolized on my college campus, and basically every other one across the country. You simply do not understand half the jokes people say unless you see the movie. I was shocked to find that the first time I watched it I already knew most of the lines just from hearing them being recited by my friends. So, I watched the movie expecting to be entertained. No. I've heard that if you're under 30 you will love this movie. Well, I'm 18 and hated it. I know that it's not a movie driven on plot or any sort of character depth, and that it's supposed to just be about humor. But ND wasn't in ANY WAY funny. The only point of my watching it is to now understand posters around campus and things people say. Other than that, it was a waste of time. Seriously... it's just awful. If you don't like stupid humor then ND is not for you. It goes beyond stupid humor even.... it's just stupid.

Napoleon Dynamite is the best dude in the world. He is awesome!!!! Famous Napoleon Dynamite Quotes! "Gosh." "Yes!" "Frickin' idiot!" "You got like 3 feet of air that time!" He is so cool.

Whoaaaaaaaa! I love Napoleon Dynamite. He is the coolest kid in the world. Anything he does is funny. He rocks out loud. The movie is awesome, But the ending is the best. Here's the spoiler. Kip and Lafawnduh get married, as Napoleon rides in on a quote unquote, wild horse that he just tamed. He just does cool stuff. It was a great movie, but my mom hated it. She said it was totally stupid, and the only good part was when they got married. I hope you like the movie just as much as I did.

Sincerely,

kibirgen

While I'm sure many are genuinely interested in and love the film, it's just not that great. I think one of the main reasons for the hype is the over-exaggerated emphasis on nonconformity among teens in the US. Since it's an indie, and it's completely different than all the other films and breaks away from all those "GOD-AWFUL" typical films, it has to be great, right? Wrong. Quote from IMDb user who loved the film: "This movie explores the very essence of boredom and mediocrity as you follow the daily life of a dorky guy doing uninteresting things in a small, unexciting town. Napolean's constant, open-mouth, blank stare says, "I'm only tolerating this monotonous existence because I've got nothing better to do."" That sums the film up quite well; however, after saying that, one wonders why someone would still watch the film. Shite. People think that anything 'different' must be awesome, but my goal in life isn't to pay to see some guy 'doing uninteresting things' throughout his 'monotonous existence' because '{he's} got nothing better to do.] I can bore myself to death without any help, thank you!

I "get" and enjoy offbeat humor, Wes Anderson's stuff, etc. How anyone could make a case for this movie being an example of that is far beyond my comprehension. I found this movie to be the worst I've ever seen, higher, actually, than Gigli, and I "get" the jokes, but I just thought they were terrible. I have a great sense of humor, and while I wasn't a "nerd" in high school, I can appreciate most humor. This wasn't funny. This was pointless. This was the cinematic equivalent of excrement. There is not a chance in hell that I will ever watch this again, in fact, I hope to never speak of it again. I just feel that as a public servant, I need to tell you how absolutely horrendous Napoleon Dynamite is.

For those wondering what the point was, it is this:

Could you possibly ever conceive of a bunch of bigger losers? The whole time I was watching this movie I was almost aghast, jaw agape, at the intensity of the looserdom of every single one of these characters.... And then, something changes, "Pedro, listen to your heart, that's what I do." Suddenly, and very shockingly, they are not losers, they are in fact winners.

Brilliant!

And that is the point. - - -

After all the buzz and recommendations from friends, I finally rented Napoleon Dynamite. Rather than laughing uproariously like i was led to believe, I sat there the majority of the time with a "What the hell IS this..." look on my face. I honestly don't get the appeal of this movie. Yes, we've all known someone who was like Napoleon, and there are aspects to his character that almost everyone can relate to. But that is not enough to carry an entire movie. Yes, there were some funny moments. But the vast majority of the film was slow, boring, and thoroughly depressing.

One huge problem is the characters - which, considering the big selling point of this movie is the characters, is not a good thing. Almost all of the characters, especially the lead, are incredibly UNlikable. Napoleon in particular is a mean spirited individual who has no redeeming characteristics, nor does he gain any over the course of the movie. The only people who are even slightly appealing are Deb and Pedro. Unfortunately, they are also as dull as dishwater, which makes it really hard to root for them, or anyone else. And while "quirky" is good to a degree, you have to have an anchor-point. This movie had none - *every* character was unbearably "quirky", with no normal characters to balance out the oddness of everyone else. There needed to be at least one "normal" character to relay what everyone in the audience was thinking - "This place/these people are really messed up".

Not to mention the utter despair of the lives these characters led. If I lived in that town I would've shot myself a long time ago. I suppose the end of the movie would be considered uplifting for those who actually led lives like that, but it's only a small break in the incredibly dull lives of these characters.

I did appreciate the fact that this movie was a solid "PG" - a comedy that doesn't rely on fart jokes or sexual innuendo every other line is great. Too bad it wasn't actually funny. As for the violence that another viewer referred to - it was incredibly minor compared to what's on daytime TV.

So if you "get" this movie, great - wear your Vote for Pedro t-shirts, and say IDIOT! and GOSH! every other sentence. But while this movie was supposedly targeted at someone like me (Gen Xer who didn't exactly fit in in high school), it completely missed the mark as far as I am concerned.

If I could give this movie something less than "1" I would. After hearing about it at work and not getting any of the supposed inside jokes that were flying around, I decided to see this movie. What followed was fifteen minutes of sitting there, amazed that I had wasted so much of my precious young life. The characters are barely 2-dimensional, boring, whiny, and lacking in any sort of an ironic undertone that would normally make this kind of movie funny, or at least watchable. The events are simply not funny, and not connected with any sort of either empathy with the main character or hatred for him; Just... nothingness. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one.

This movie was so boring and meaningless that I almost feel asleep during it and I wasn't even tired. I kept waiting for something funny to happen and it never did. Did the guy in the field shoot himself or the cow when the kids on the school bus all screamed? I kept trying to look for hidden meanings or dark humor and could not find any. The best part was seeing Kipp in clothing like some rapper homeboy, other than that the movie was a complete waste of my time.

If you are on drugs, alcohol or just leave the sound off, maybe it is funny.

If I paid anything at the movie theater, I would have been very angry. Got the DVD from the local library and all it cost me was time which would have been better used washing dishes.

if you want to see a good movie about outcasts, watch Welcome to the Dollhouse. If you'd rather laugh at nerds and Midwesterners (it was supposed to be current...they just get fashion/music a few years later than those of us on the coasts), then this is the movie for you.

I rushed out to see it. The trailer was fantastic and it was playing in an indie movie theater. I soon found out that MTV produced it ("Huh, that's weird..."). Not weird at all. It's just the kind of movies that the "cool kids" at MTV would put together: The characters were one-dimensional. The writing on the whole was atrocious. Although I admit that it was visually okay, this is a teen movie and nothing more. I laughed maybe twice in when I had desperately wanted to see it.

To all of you doofs who think wearing a "Vote for Pedro" pin/shirt/whatever is hip...this movie is about the furthest thing from hipness. It's not "absurdist comedy" or whatever pseudo-intellectual frat boys want to label it as, it's just a mean-spirited sketch that was stretched from the 10 minutes it should've been to around 2 hours. This is the mental equivalent of Celebrity Deathmatch. Just because something was screened in an art-house does not make it an independent movie, and it certainly doesn't make it cultured.