Charger Arts & Entertainment

Liger: a cross between a lion and a tiger --It's like, my favorite mythological animal

Paige Bowman, Associate Editor

“So, what are you going to do today, Napoleon?” asks a kid on the school bus. “Whatever I want, gosh,” replies Napoleon Dynamite. Then he preceeds to throw an action figure tied to a string out of the window and let it drag behind the big yellow bus. This is how the film Napoleon Dynamite begins.
Napoleon Dynamite, played by Jon Heder (Peluca), lives in Idaho with his grandmother and thirty-one year old brother, Kip. His grandmother gets hurt riding a four-wheeler-type vehicle in the sand dunes, and his Uncle Rico comes to take care of them. Uncle Rico is basically a loser who lives in the past, cursing his football coach for not putting him in the big game, thus ending what could have been a “big career.”

Napoleon does not like Uncle Rico, and just about no one at school likes Napoleon. Maybe it is his awful fashion sense involving high-waisted jeans and a pair of crazy boots. After calling his house in an attempt to get picked up from school, Napoleon comes across an administrator talking to a new student. Napoleon is enlisted to show him the cafeteria, and that is how Napoleon and Pedro become friends. Their friendship is cemented when Pedro agrees to let Napoleon have his tater tots, which he puts in the side pocket of his MC Hammer style pants, so he can eat them later during class.
One day while sitting at home, a girl named Deb, played byTina Majorino (Andre; Corrina, Corrina), who is selling key chains to raise money for college knocks on Napoleon’s door. “Why would I buy one of those when I’ve made about a thousand?” asks Napoleon when she offers him one of the keychains. Deb ends up running from his doorstep. Deb is also a glamour shot photograhper, which has its laugh-provoking purpose later in the film.

While Napoleon and Pedro try to find ways to get dates for the upcoming dance, Napoleon’s older brother Kip is busy chatting with his on-line love, La Fawnduh, who later comes to meet Kip. They are an odd, but cute, couple.

After being rejected by Summer Wheatley (Haylie Duff), Pedro asks Deb to accompany him to the dance. Napoleon decides to ask Starla. He draws a portrait of her and later tells her, “It took me three hours to do the shading on your upper lip.” Starla’s mom forces her to go with Napoleon, but she promptly ditches him to hang out with Summer. During Napoleon’s dance with Deb comes one of the best parts of the movie. While they sway to the music he says, “I like your sleeves; they’re real big.”
The real conflict of the film arises when Pedro decides to run against Summer for Student Body President. During Summer’s post-speech skit, Pedro realizes that he did not know he had to prepare a skit. Being the good friend that he is, Napoleon throws himself on the chopping block and does an insane dance that he learned from the video Dancing with D-kwon.

Ligers, llamas, tetherball, time machines, and glamour shots comprise this hilarious movie that is sidesplitting. Not many movies can boast the ability to make the audience laugh when the characters are still and silent.

Napoleon Dynamite is rated PG. It should be rated A for amazing. Just do not forget to stay until the credits are done rolling to see a bonus scene that is well worth sitting for a few extra minutes.