User:LancedSoul/sandbox/Twilight Zone: The Movie

Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt, Sean Covel and Jory Weitz, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the title character, for which he was paid $1,000. After the film's runaway success, Heder re-negotiated his compensation and received a cut of the profits. The film was Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca. Napoleon Dynamite was acquired at the Sundance Film Festival by Fox Searchlight Pictures, who partnered up with MTV Films and Paramount Pictures for the release. It was filmed in and near Franklin County, Idaho, in the summer of 2003. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. Most of the situations in the movie are loosely based on the life of Jared Hess.

Plot
In small-town Preston, Idaho, awkward teen Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) has trouble fitting in. After his grandmother is injured in an accident, his life is made even worse when his strangely nostalgic uncle, Rico (Jon Gries), shows up to keep an eye on him. With no safe haven at home or at school, Napoleon befriends the new kid, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), a morose Hispanic boy who speaks little English. Together the two launch a campaign to run for class president.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The plot is humorous and funny.
 * 2) The characters are likeable, such as Napoleon helping Pedro with his hair and helping him win class president. Pedro is funny and quiet, and Deb is sweet.
 * 3) The famous dance scene.
 * 4) Funny lines such as "Your mom goes to college", "I see your drinking 1%, is that 'cause you think you're fat?", "Go fix yourself a dang quesadilla!", "I like your sleeves", and "You gonna eat your tots?"
 * 5) Great ending.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Unlikable characters such as Uncle Rico, Trisha, Summer, and Don.
 * 2) A few boring scenes.

Reception
Napoleon Dynamite received mostly positive reviews, with a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was filmed on an estimated budget of a mere $400,000, and less than a year after its release, it had grossed $44,940,956. It also spawned a slew of merchandise, from refrigerator magnets to T-shirts to Halloween costumes.

On Rotten Tomatoes, 72% of 175 surveyed critics gave Napoleon Dynamite a positive review, with an average rating of 6.40/10. The site's consensus reads, "A charming, quirky, and often funny comedy." On Metacritic it has a score of 64% based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".