--- title: "Napoleon Dynamite: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/napoleon-dynamite/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/napoleon-dynamite" critics_score: 55 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Napoleon Dynamite (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 55 from 10 reviews: 4 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative. The reviews are divided on Napoleon Dynamite, with praise clustering around its deadpan humour, eccentric small-town characters and willingness to let awkward encounters carry the comedy. Supporters find affection in its portrayal of outsiders and enjoy the loose succession of comic episodes. Total Film singles out Jon Heder’s performance, while The Guardian sees warmth in the treatment of the teenagers and their peculiar families and friends. The split is wide, and the central disagreement concerns whether these characters are treated affectionately or merely made ridiculous. The AV Club finds the rural caricatures repetitive and the awkwardness manufactured, with little reason to care about anyone. Reservations elsewhere centre on thin plotting, dull stretches and an uplifting ending that some find unearned, including among otherwise sympathetic reviews. The harshest responses find smugness and stereotypes where admirers see charm; there is little agreement on whether the deadpan approach produces enough laughs. ## IndieWire Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2004. Festival review. The piece highlights the film as offering the most laughs at Sundance in years amid mostly dramatic entries. It singles out the comedic energy and deadpan humor for praise. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/critics-diary-napoleon-dynamite-offers-most-sundance-laughs-in-years-dramas-like-maria-full-of-79194/) ## Time Out — DC Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic praises this low-budget indie as a subversive high-school comedy that proves small filmmakers can succeed commercially. The awkward, endearing central character and his gallery of eccentric small-town caricatures are singled out as the film's strongest asset. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/napoleon-dynamite) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2004. The critic calls it an uneven film that borders on brilliance, praising its ingenuity, adorably insane characters and Jon Heder's perfect performance while noting narrative problems towards the end. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/napoleon-dynamite-review/) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film a flawed but credible debut that should find cult success in the UK, praising the indelible characters and beautiful landscapes while noting the unlikeable lead, near-absence of plot, and meandering quirky set-pieces. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/napoleon-dynamite-review/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2004. The critic admires the commitment to a clear vision of rural America as a comic wonderland but finds it quickly becomes a one-note exercise in laughing at the yokels and artificial awkwardness. It singles out the consistent caricature and lack of emotional investment for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/napoleon-dynamite-1798199760) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 2004. The critic describes the odd, amusing debut as a small-scale deadpan film whose quirky, awkward characters and meandering observations are charming but lead to dull stretches and an unconvincingly uplifting ending that compromises its weird individuality. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/11/movies/film-review-a-nerdy-nobody-of-a-hero-who-proves-to-be-napoleonic.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Crust Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 2004. The critic finds the cartoonish paean to its uber-nerd antihero a simple collection of sight gags mining familiar awkward adolescence turf without originality, possessing a smugness that is irritating and a feel-good ending that does not ring true. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-11-et-dynamite11-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 2004. The critic finds the film pushes studied stupidity as humor and makes no attempt to make its hero likable or to function as a comedy. He compares it unfavorably to more passionate films about outsiders and notes the Sundance audience reaction. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/napoleon-dynamite-2004) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2004. The critic condemns the film as soulless and anti-humanist, placing it on par with the worst comedies and comparing it to Dumb and Dumberer. It singles out the shallow bumblefuckery, reliance on stereotypes, and lack of nuance or compassion for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/napoleon-dynamite/) ## Screen Daily 23 January 2004. Festival review. The critic hails the Sundance premiere as an off-beat comedy with cult potential, full of sly absurdities and a memorable über-nerd protagonist. Hess's affectionate yet droll portrayal of rural eccentrics and social outcasts is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/napoleon-dynamite/4016999.article) ## The Guardian — Simon Pegg 26 November 2004. The critic praises the film's quirky, vignette-driven story of a gawky Idaho teen and his eccentric family and friends as a charming sleeper hit. He singles out the deadpan comic performance and affectionate portrayal of small-town oddballs for particular delight. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/nov/26/1) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2004. The critic praises the film's eccentric yet positive portrayal of small-town high school losers who discover their skills. It highlights the hopeful message behind the quirky characters rather than mocking them. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/napoleon-dynamite-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/napoleon-dynamite.md