Napoleon Dynamite Critic Reviews

Has to be enjoyed in spurts. There's no cohesive story, just a series of opportunities for the title character (Jon Heder) to strut his gawky stuff. Read the full review

The performances, even those by trained actors like Mr. Ramirez and Ms. Majorino, have the hesitant, blinking opacity that some directors look for in nonprofessional casts. Their awkwardness is charming, and part of the point of the movie, but it also makes for some dull stretches and thwarts your ability to regard the characters with sympathy rather than mere curiosity. Read the full review

Napoleon Dynamite is too low-wattage to be a true nerd anthem, but it's charming in retrospect.Read the full review

I laughed. And I laughed primarily over Heder's hilarious performance. You ain't seen nothing till you've seen Napoleon attack that tether ball. Read the full review

There's plenty of humor in the film, but the movie is often a little uncomfortable to watch, and Napoleon is not an easy guy to like. Rooting for him takes effort. Read the full review

More than a deadpan comedy about oddball losers. This dork has his day, and this story has its touching subtext -- growing pains relieved by unlikely hope. Read the full review

Sure, it quickly turns into a one-note exercise in laughing at the yokels, but at least it has a vision.Read the full review

It's a simple collection of sight gags and pratfalls that mines the overly familiar turf of awkward adolescence without bringing anything truly original to the experience. Read the full review

A one-note, lightweight, condescending comedy about the rubes of Idaho. Read the full review