2K Replay: NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

 by Adam Riske

Winner for “Choice Movie Hissy Fit” (Jon Heder) at the Teen Choice Awards.

• Best Scene/Moment: Any time Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) talks about football. It always makes me laugh when he says back in 1982, he could throw a football a quarter mile and how nowadays he can throw it “clear over those mountains.”

• Best Song: “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai.

• Best Merch: A “Napoleon Dynamite Movie Give Me Your Tots 2005 Pin Back Button 3” Diameter” for $12.99. Tater tots are solid. This would be a classy way to show my support.

• Director Grade: Napoleon Dynamite was directed by Jared Hess.
Great Movies: N/A
Good Movies: N/A
OK Movies: Napoleon Dynamite
Bad Movies: Nacho Libre
Unseen By Me: Gentlemen Broncos, Don Verdean, Masterminds, Thelma the Unicorn
Overall Grade: C-

• Double It with This 2004 Movie: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

• Year 2004 Movies to Trailer Before Them: The Ladykillers, Team America: World Police, White Chicks

• Color of Night or Napoleon Dynamite? Color of Night

• Mall Movie? Yeah, it’s a big quirk fest. Those movies play at the mall.

• Only in 2004: People wearing ‘Vote for Pedro’ shirts and Napoleon Dynamite Halloween costumes.

• Scene Stealer: Jon Gries.

• I Miss: The brief window after Napoleon Dynamite when Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez would show up in comedy movies I like more than I probably should (e.g. The Benchwarmers, Employee of the Month).

• I Don’t Miss: Haylie Duff. I don’t mean to seem harsh but nice try you’re not your sister.

• 2004 Crush: Emily Kennard???

• 2024 Crush: Shondrella Avery???

• What I Thought in 2004: I thought it was really funny. Napoleon Dynamite was the type of movie I quoted and shared with my friends who hadn’t seen it.

• What I Think in 2024: This is a young man’s movie and probably best remembered as a film of its time. Nowadays it plays a bit too ironic & hipster to me. I still laughed a few times and many of the performances still work, but I don’t think the movie holds up all that well.