I am an old man--at least when it comes to watching NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. I realize that the audience for this film is NOT middle-aged, but even in my mid-40s I still enjoy the film. It's funny, actually, because a while back I was sitting in the teacher's lounge and somehow this movie became a topic. Teacher after teacher said how they hated the film and just didn't understand it--during which time, the guitar teacher and myself were laughing hysterically as we recounted our favorite scenes. This day, the other teachers' opinions of the two of us probably dropped considerably! Later, I asked the kids what they thought of this, and while the percentage who liked it was much higher, once again there seemed to be no middle ground. Those who liked the film, loved the film and everyone else seemed to hate it. This seems to indicate that the film probably is one of the more polarizing I have seen and I think this is due to the very, very low-key style of the film. Most who hated it described it as "boring" or a "one-joke film"; those who loved it, loved the joke and didn't mind that all the major characters in the film were so low-energy and bizarre.

While I could easily recount the film or discuss moments I like, there have been so many reviews of the film already that I wouldn't be adding anything. 'Nuff said that it's a film you'll probably either love or hate NAPOLEON DYNAMITE.

Napoleon Dynamite by all means is not a five-star masterpiece, and it mayn't be to everybody's tastes but I was surprised at how much I liked it, even with its problems. I can also say I do think there are much worse movies out there- Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Home Alone 4, Cat in the Hat and Superbabies:Baby Geniuses 2 are much worse than this film.

What I did like about Napoleon Dynamite was that it was unique, funny, quirky and original. Where it is not quite so good is in the episodic story structure and some of the supporting characters particularly comic-book-geek older brother and the ageing jock uncle were disappointingly one-dimensional and could have been further explored in terms of depth.

Napoleon Dynamite does have a refreshingly distinctive time-warp look that recalls the style-challenged 1980s though, and that was refreshing in itself. The soundtrack is nice and nostalgic, and there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud funny moments. Also the ending is suitably uplifting and the limited horizons of young people in small-town America is nicely conveyed. The script is good and the direction is pretty solid.

As are the performances. Jon Heder is delightfully eccentric in the title role, and he is really entertaining throughout, whether it is in the voice, the facial expressions or his character's actions. Napoleon is a blank-faced teen with carrot-coloured hair and seriously underdeveloped interpersonal skills, and here he tries to help his nerd of a best friend Pedro, amusingly played by Efren Ramirez. In terms of other supporting performances, Aaron Ruell also does a good job as Kip and while his role wasn't as well-sketched as it could have been, Jonathan Gries does nicely as Uncle Rico.

Overall, not perfect, but amusing, quirky and unique. 7/10 Bethany Cox

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE is one of those low-budget comedies that asks you to be of the same mindset as the lead characters in order to gain enjoyment from it. Sometimes this works for me - I love the documentary American MOVIE because I can identify with the drive and identity of the filmmakers. In contrast, I found that NAPOLEON DYNAMITE left me cold. The characters are cold and sarcastic in that peculiarly American way, obnoxious in fact, and the film's constant ironic humour simply didn't appeal to me. I appreciate that it's different to your mainstream high school comedy, but at the same time I found this uninteresting and interminable.