"Napoleon Dynamite" (2004) isn't as funny as people make it out to be. amirite?

You're viewing the film through the wrong lens. It's an indie comedy. It doesn't follow the conventional crassness of the other films you've mentioned that you found funny. It's meant to be awkward and endearing, poignant and cringe

by Evertstreich 1 month ago

It seemed to be the first movie to really capture teen whatever angst without trying. That's why I love this film. It's completely original and it can't be duplicated.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

You should check out Gentlemen Broncos. Kinda the same vibe but still it's own thing.

by Relevant_Chart6661 1 month ago

It is definitely its own thing. Whether I liked that thing, I still cannot tell you 15 years later.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

My mom went to Preston high school with the guy(might have been two brothers) who wrote it. She said it's accurate on too many levels

by kjenkins 1 month ago

It's completely original and can't be duplicated Could not agree more. I had never seen a movie like ND before and haven't seen one since. The weird pacing, the bad delivery of jokes, the plot not be enticing, was all by design imo. And that's what gave it its weird, hilarious charm.

by FederalAnybody 1 month ago

That doesnt make it good.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It does, actually

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Spot on :)

by Huelsgranville 1 month ago

An indie comedy that was made with only 400k. Anchorman cost 26 million.

by Character_Disaster94 1 month ago

Movies also need to be considered in context. Anchorman was great at the time, I cannot rewatch it today. These things are complicated

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Exactly.

by Alive-Win4293 1 month ago

See "Tim Robbins"

by Shot_Performance 1 month ago

"Hot Rod" is another one. Its comedy lies in how anti comedy it was for its time. It's obviously meant to be funny, but not in the same way huge comedies were being made then. Which means it didn't resonate with everyone but those who liked it loved it.

by Aware_Sea 1 month ago

Hot Rod was 10 years too early

by nikolaspaucek 1 month ago

Yep. Also, watching it 20 years later kinda misses the point. It was a bit of a cultural phenomenon when it came out. Of course it's not going to be the same now.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It was all everyone talked about in high school when it came out. It was funny, but I was 14. Now I dont think I would be able to watch the movie through without 7 drink breaks. Its not good.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

If you have to explain that to me to look at it from another point of view, then it's really that bad, you're just sugar coating it.

by PinApart 1 month ago

So if something isn't easily understood that makes it bad?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Why would you need to explain that a movie is good? The movie should speak for it's self shouldn't it? If an outsider says "oh but you're looking at it wrong!" Then it's just bad.

by PinApart 1 month ago

If you're going into an indie awkward teenage comedy thinking it's gonna be like anchorman then yeah, you're looking at the movie wrong. Different media is supposed to be viewed in different ways. You don't watch a horror movie in the same way you watch a comedy. Your expectations are different.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

O.o tbh I actually haven't watched Anchorman. I also hate the main actor.....

by PinApart 1 month ago

Well, you needed an explanation. Most people don't.

by Equal_Scratch_6766 1 month ago

What a dumb perspective.

by Any-Most3200 1 month ago

It's my take. Oh well.

by PinApart 1 month ago

Interesting take, my biggest issue with the movie was the stale and cringe jokes. They made this movie out to be the funniest movie to watch of all time when it came out. The biggest joke they ever did for this movie was make it.

by PinApart 1 month ago

Nah. People's sensibilities differ, and it can be illuminating to consider someone else's perspective.

by Zolacassin 1 month ago

Pedro offers you his protection

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Your mom goes to college

by Bashirianryley 1 month ago

Way to stay home and eat all the flipping chips, Kip!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I think you are kinda missing the charm, and based on what you do like, maybe it's not necessarily for you, as someone that grew up in eastern wa, it's perfect.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Even growing up some places that are really small in the Midwest, the nuance of everyday life and conversations is hilariously on point I feel like I've met every single character in that movie at some point

by Anonymous 1 month ago

As some one who grow up in LA. And never got to go to these other states I got VERY over. Every movie being in LA or NY I LOVED this movie because it in a smaller small town it just so cool !!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I grew up in NYC, and as a kid, my entire class at the time loved it.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Eastern, WA you say.... TriCities checking in

by earlene73 1 month ago

You're just jealous that I've been chatting online with babes, all day.

by AdNumerous6201 1 month ago

The bus and the gun is one of my favorite scenes of all time. That and uncle rico throwing the steak and knocking him off the bike. Classic.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

not sure if it was ever really written to be "laugh out loud", probably going into it thinking it's gonna be 90 mons of goofs and gags is what shot you here, its a very unique movie which inspires a pretty unique reaction. I love it but it never made me laugh out loud

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It was of its time. And when it came out it was very influential. Sure, if you judge it by 2024 standards it would feel a bit flat. But the zeitgeist is completely different now. It's like people saying Seinfeld isn't funny. That's because Seinfeld influenced a decade of comedy that came after it and we find the humour quaint now. There's been monumental cultural shifts since the 90s and early 00s

by collinsheath 1 month ago

Sorry. This is a pretty funny movie. But cringy to watch with kids actually. Still "Napoleon, give me some of your tots!"

by Mabelle97 1 month ago

No way! Get some tots of your own!

by sauermerl 1 month ago

You think anyone wants a round house in the face while I'm wearing these bad boys? Forget about it.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's cringe humor and has a certain crowd.

by carrollelouise 1 month ago

I'm the crowd. He is me when I was younger. I had them same boots that I'd wear to go out to the barn to feed chickens. This was even before the movie. He was based off of me (not really, but that type of small-town rural type stuff). I find it hilarious, but could see how someone would not enjoy it had they not had the same type of experiences.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

You think I'm a failure because I go home to Starla at night? Forgetaboutittt

by Money_Revolution8553 1 month ago

You think anybody wants a round house kick to the face while I'm wearing these bad boys?

by Ok_Squash 1 month ago

Break the wrist, walk away

by Adorable-Balance3824 1 month ago

Maybe you'd understand the movie after you " sign up to my 8 week program"

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I loved the movie and still do. My brother hated the movie and still does. Just different tastes

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's soooo much more enjoyable if you watch it with the right people. And it's doubly more fun to quote than to watch. IMHO. And make yourself a dang case-uh-dilla.

by Cheap_Principle_9151 1 month ago

When I went back and re watched it I couldn't believe how amateurish and slow it seemed. I still like it though. It's amazing that a movie like that somehow became not just a cult classic, but even a minor hit at the time it was released.

by Ok_Yogurt 1 month ago

It is ok to be wrong, happens to us all :)

by Regular-Recording768 1 month ago

Asking for the tots in his pocket like it's a completely normal action is never going to not be hilarious. Plus, everything with Uncle Rico, come on. And Tina. And that freaking chicken farm. Oh man, the whole film is just great, you're crazy.

by Osinskisaige 1 month ago

It was awful!

by schowaltercleme 1 month ago

It's a terrible movie.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's a horrible movie But god damn does it have some good liners

by makayla52 1 month ago

My friends and I still quote and reference uncle Rico pretty regularly lol

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Can you bring me some chapstick my lips hurt real bad

by Mhaley 1 month ago

"What the heck are you even taking about"

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Grandma broke her cocyx at the Dunes.

by Evalyn84 1 month ago

honestly napoleon dynamite and monty python feel very similar. like two sides of the same coin

by Comfortable-Plan 1 month ago

What's wrong with Monty Python?

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Ni!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I hated this movie so much.

by manley19 1 month ago

BOW TO YOUR SENSEI

by CautiousMention 1 month ago

My dog would always come up for pets and would kind of bow/stretch in front of me....and of course I had to say it...every time....my wife just rolls her eyes.

by Regular-Recording768 1 month ago

It was REALLY freaking funny in 2004 when I was 15. Doubt I would enjoy it much now.

by Marklang 1 month ago

Examples of "clever lines, delivered in the wrong tone"?Just to be clear: I don't like this movie much either. But your critique seems shallow. I'm curious what you mean by that.

by Exciting-Captain 1 month ago

"Freakin' idiot!"

by kraig52 1 month ago

Nah man. Never laughed harder in my life than Napoleon getting whacked by a whole ass steak.

by Ok-Pirate 1 month ago

The wrong tone is actually funny. But humor is in the eye of the beholder. Loved that movie

by KeyDrama8582 1 month ago

I despise this movie. Never understood why my fellow millennials liked it so much.

by Particular_Emu_8069 1 month ago

Uncle Rico

by bricetrantow 1 month ago

One of the best comedy characters ever

by Ok_Squash 1 month ago

When he crashed his bike, fell over the fence or whatever I lost it.

by Maleficent-Heron 1 month ago

I can throw that pigskin a quarter mile!

by Cheap_Principle_9151 1 month ago

throw a football over them mountains

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I remember there was a thing called the Napoleon Dynamite Phenomenon where a movie was well liked by a group of people who wouldn't normally like that type of movie. Seeing how there isn't really a big audience for movies like this one to begin with, this phenomenon would result in this movie having a lot of fans :p

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I argeee. That movie sucks.

by EnthusiasmOk 1 month ago

No, it's terrible. Couldn't get through more than 20 minutes

by Background_Group 1 month ago

Monty python and Napoleon are very different kinds of comedy. Idk how to describe it. My dad didnt like napoleon but loves monty python. Napoleon's comedy kind of just makes fun of stupid stereotypes, and doesn't really have any jokes Monty has stupid unexpected jokes.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

My enjoyment of the movie comes entirely from having grown up in the area. I went to the rival high school of Napoleon's and could see the mountains Uncle Rico could throw a football over from my house.

by Healthy-Call 1 month ago

I was in 8th grade and it was annoying because some people wouldn't stfu about it. I liked the people quoting Chappelle show better.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

"Dressed like Peter Pan!"

by Sad_Way2987 1 month ago

Agreed. Blades of Glory was so much funnier.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I don't really like the movie as a whole. Some of the scenes are just great though. Anything with Pedro's cousins and his dance scene at the end, especially

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I didn't find it funny. One line made me laugh but I've forgotten what it was. I think the latino kid said it.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Correct

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Stoner movie.

by felipe47 1 month ago

If you grew up in a rural area, you can relate a lot better to it.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's one of my fave movies 🤷🏻‍♀️

by Jaunitabeatty 1 month ago

Why are comedy movies so bad, like I probably would've listed them as my favorite genre years at some point but it's so hard for me to put any comedy movies above an 8/10. Meanwhile there is comedy media even shows I could put at 9 maybe even 10/10. Why is there no masterpiece comedy movie

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Gosh!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I grew up in Iowa in the 70s and this movie spoke to me.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Napoleon Dynamite is one of those "You just had to be there" things. When I was in high school everybody was quoting it

by Barton15 1 month ago

For me it was an instance of 9/10 the first time, 6/10 after. The originality of the tone and atmosphere was terrific, especially for people my age (40).

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Anchorman is swill.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Funny moments. Not laugh out loud funny.

by Fluid_Scale_2520 1 month ago

Gosh

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I liked that I watched it once but I will never watch it again because the first 30-40 minutes made me want to fall asleep. I'm glad it exists though.

by Acceptable_Push 1 month ago

Worst take ever. These movies are not meant to be competitive against each other. It's different and it's just not for you. You wouldn't understand .

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I don't understand a word you just said

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Do you think anyone wants a roundhouse kick to the face while I'm wearing these bad boys? FORGET ABOUT IT

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I agree, I find this movie in bad taste and full of cringe. I physically can't do it. .5/10

by PinApart 1 month ago

You think someone wants a roundhouse kick to the face while I'm wearing these bad boys? Forget about it!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

The reason it's regarded so well is becuz the performance from napoleon is unique and the setting hit home for a lot of people. Also, movies that are difficult to tell when its taking place time-wise tend to age really well. Also, personally after that movie a lot of people where i grew up started doing the whole ‘random' thing where u jus say random stuff for comedic effect, kinda like how alot of the lines from the movie were.

by Laverna53 1 month ago

I actually agree. I was in high school when this film came out and everyone loved it. I tried to watch it, and it ended up being one of the only films I've ever turned off before it was over. It was so painfully unfunny and Jon Hader was so damn annoying. I just couldn't understand the appeal at all.

by mathewreichert 1 month ago

The first time I watched it, I didn't think it was that funny but it's grown on me and I find it hilarious now.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I still remember when Netflix was getting started and working hard on an algorithm for what to suggest you have delivered next, they asked people to try themselves to make a good algorithm using I forget how many movies, not a ton but around 100. Then they would take that algorithm and apply it to people outside the users in the study to see how it performed. There was 1 movie that continually wrecked everyone's algorithm. napolean dynamite.

by Funkorlando 1 month ago

I first saw this movie ~8 years old & to this day my family & I regularly quote it. Classic!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Napoleon Dynamite is one of those movies that is terrible the first time around. The 2nd time it is amazing!

by Jed77 1 month ago

Okay, someone convinced me to watch it. I did. It was okay. That same person kept harping about how great it was and would impersonate the characters. I watched it again. And again. I ended up loving it but I think it was because she made it so funny.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Some of the most quotable lines of all time. But it's a low budget indie film. Never was really meant to make it big.

by Kaylee19 1 month ago

It is, you need to watch it again like 100 times. There are scenes that are so nuanced and funny you can't even process until the 10th time through.

by Slow-Cartoonist159 1 month ago

When it came out, the whole country was raving about it and I didn't see the reason for all the hype. Yeah, it's funny, but Superbad was funnier, in my opinion.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

But that's why it's funny...

by PerspectiveTall 1 month ago

I don't know who you've been talking to in order to come to the conclusion that it was ever really that funny. It's not a "comedic, laugh out loud" funny, it's more of a "quirky, charming" funny.

by SwimmingAdvance 1 month ago

It's over your head, friend

by Glass_Variation 1 month ago

Only people who I know liked it, watched it stoned.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I´m guessing you didn´t grow up in a small town!

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Go get your own tots Mason

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It was so stale, slow, painfully awkward and ugly. Was it funny? Only in looking at a strange, rural culture

by Familiar_While 1 month ago

I saw it like 6 months after it came out. I'm with you, I didn't think it was as good as the hype. It was ok. But just ok.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It wasn't funny then, either

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Tina come get some ham! Still say it to this day whenever it's time to call my wife or kids to mealtimes

by Lacy11 1 month ago

It's a unique work of genius

by Key-Mixture 1 month ago

You are 1000% correct. For 20 years the popularity has baffled me.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's a character driven narrative. Characters were born in this film that will live through eternity.

by Calm-Safe-8647 1 month ago

I had to turn it off after 15 minutes, no thanks

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's dumb af an I secretly judge people when they say they like this movie

by ArcherResponsible487 1 month ago

Napoleon Dynamite was so terrible, my girlfriend and I couldn't even finish it. And I was in my early 20s back then, arguably its target audience. It's just not funny.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It was fine? 6/10 maybe. Maybe there was a humor vacuum when it came out or something, but it wasn't anything special. "Stale" with a few clever and memorable lines is a good way to describe it. Could be that the people who saw and loved it had extenuating circumstances, like first dates, movie night with the family, drunk/high. I saw it stone-cold sober by myself when I was bored. Eh

by Famous-Basis 1 month ago

In my experience, even though it became a culturally relevant movie, it wasn't funny to plenty of people when it came out.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

The joke is that it's stale and awkward

by Alive-Win4293 1 month ago

What makes it funny is that towns like that actually exist

by Alive_City_481 1 month ago

I grew up an hour away and it wasn't a comedy, it was a documentary. I think you kind of misunderstood the movie. It's also better the second time.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

It's what middle aged jocks this is funny.

by gradymonica 1 month ago

My mom keeps watching that and Idiocracy and they're pretty close to the worst movies I've ever had the misfortune of partially seeing.

by Jaunitakohler 1 month ago

I like this movie, and I can also see your point. I definitely think it is paced too slow at times. It's like a 7/10 movie for me. I can understand why some people think it's a 10/10, and also get why some dislike it. The great thing is not everything appeals to all. If you make art for everyone, you make art for no one.

by FoxCute155 1 month ago

As a person who had felt like an other to the rest of my classmates. I felt the movie oddly inspiring. I don't really value the movie as a comedy, more of a vibe.

by Swimming_Tap 1 month ago

You sound like a character in napoleon dynamite.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

Nope, it's actually funnier!

by mcculloughward 1 month ago

I think Napoleon Dynamite is more small-budget charm and cleverness than genuine humor. I wouldn't say the film is funny, either, but it is endearing in a way because of its awkwardness and small-budget "intimacy" they were able to capture rather well. It's a 5/10, would watch if it came on movie.

by Anonymous 1 month ago

ND isn't my mom's usual brand of comedy by any means, but she was in tears the first time she saw it. While I found Holy Grail and Life of Brian to be clever, I never actually found them funny

by Comfortable-Tax-9955 1 month ago

Depends how many times you watch it and who with. My cousins and I watched it so many times. Would laugh quoting the lines. We started watching it muted just to laugh at the facial expressions and do the lines ourselves. Its a dumb movie but it is for sure hilarious

by laurine12 1 month ago

I didn't like it the first time and LOVED it every other time. Still watch it today.

by Aubree47 1 month ago

Totally agree. It sucks.

by Anonymous 1 month ago