Napoleon Dynamite (2012) User Reviews (22)

Napoleon Dynamite hits TV

[jonathondenesi · 7/10 · 22 January 2012]

The return of Napoleon Dynamite, is it all it is cracked up to be? Given the movie premiered around 6-7 years ago, It became a great underdog hit, the one that gave Jon Heder his acting career. The movie was a 'hate it or love it' type of movie as I say, and I had always loved Napoleon Dynamite for its awkward, quirky humour. The TV show doesn't fall short of the same type of humour, but rather it is filled with even more ridiculous and unpredictable outcomes. The TV show still has the great characters, and as far as I know, the same actors doing the voices, and same creators. With this being said, it gives Napoleon Dynamite the same creativity it had a few years back. Seeing that they were airing the TV show on my Canadian Global channel, I had rather low expectations. I remember starting to watch it thinking, Napoleon Dynamite was a one time only thing, and should have been kept like that. However I would be rather enjoyed with the airing of the first episode, though it is hard to compare to a movie, it was still rather funny. The awkward moments and odd humour still seemed to amuse me, and they seemed to still keep it rather fresh. The only thing I was not a big fan of was the unexpected, totally random, family guy type of moment. However I will not hold that against the show, it keeps me entertained, and that was the point. I also can't think of anything else they are missing, that falls short of the original Napoleon Dynamite, it seemed to me it was well integrated into a TV show.

The point of the show was to entertain with the same awkward humour as the original, it does not fall short. Though some moments may be misplaced or ridiculous, it was still worth a watch.

7/10

Napoleon Dynamite (2011)

[DylanRoberts51 · 7/10 · 22 January 2012]

Napoleon Dynamite(2011) was actually surprisingly funny. Is it like the movie? Not entirely. One of the things that made the movie hilarious was it's use of realism and lack of bending reality. This on the other hand, is actually using the same brand of humor, but in a different shape. It has the feel of other animated television programs, but still holds that brand of somewhat deadpan, Napoleon Dynamite humor. Though it may focus more on gags somewhat, there still is something for everyone to enjoy. It may not be as high-brow as Bob's Burgers, or as outrageous as Family Guy, it still holds that same key element of the character's goofiness. And that's what the show's key thresh-hold is. A seven out of ten.

Not bad

[jadenironman · 6/10 · 14 June 2020]

Napoleon Dynamite is a d*mn classic. One of my favorite comedies all time. But it didnt need a follow up and i never though it would. And i discovered this like 2 years ago. The trailer looked horrible and the first episode was awful. But me and my sister (another person who loves the movie) still kept watching out of curiosity. And overall i think its okay. No where near on the level of the movie but i will admit there are some laugh out loud moments but also some cringe moments. So not too bad.

Better than Allen Gregory

[thahar · 6/10 · 17 February 2012]

I never watched the film (though I might in the near-future) but I think this show is above average. The first few episodes have certainly kept me interested and the plots feel original and creative, with no clichés. The jokes can be funny at times, the writing is consistent, the voice-acting is top-notch, and the animation is high-quality. It probably is a bit too late to make a TV show out of it, because the film was released almost a decade ago. But I'm just looking at it as a TV show in its own right. What's weird though is that the TV show is animated, and that it could've easily been live-action if it wasn't over-the-top at times. It is nice to have something fresh on FOX's Animation Domination lineup of animated shows that is better than the abortion Allen Gregory was. I also think it's just as good as Bob's Burgers. This show should last at least 2 seasons, with plenty of character development along the way, and not have the fate of "Clerks: The Animated Series" (based on the film "Clerks") which was cancelled on ABC after 2 episodes.

Netflix should reboot this one

[jsoderborg · 10/10 · 4 May 2019]

Netflix should reboot this one. This made my family laugh hard.

Not bad, could have been better

[konandevries · 6/10 · 26 March 2022]

This animated series is much less subtle than the movie, the humor is more streamlined (standard animated comedy material) and, on the whole, the main characters gain nothing from being expanded upon in new story lines. Kip is arguably the character that works best here - with Deb on the other end of the spectrum: the animated Deb is just bland (a lovesick "I want him but he doesn't notice me" stereotype that doesn't do the charmingly oddball movie version justice at all), and gets far too much airtime. Grandma is alright (pretty standard - you've seen her character a million times before, but it's well enough done and she works nicely in tandem with Kip), as is Napoleon himself. Rico is okay too (but like all the other main characters, he suffers from being "standardized").

All in all, though, this is well worth watching for anyone who liked the movie.

An example of trying to milk something to death

[Ekul1021 · 5/10 · 14 June 2012]

When Napoleon Dynamite came out, it was a sleeper hit with making big bucks. What does the studio do? The studio thinks they can milk the movie into a cartoon series and it all goes down the big giant hole.

The positive about the series is most of the cast from the movie are in here with the exception of Don which I wish he should have sign on.

Nonetheless, the cartoon just doesn't take off at all like the movie and most of the humor from the cartoon is so borrowed from the movie that its just playing the same rabbit in the hat trick over and over again.

The studio should have just completely left this cartoon on the shelf and not waste any money with it. Too bad the show got canceled and the cast and producers are left pondering what to do next. Making Napoleon Dynamite into a franchise, well some stuff are just best left alone.

Quirky and fun, just like the movie

[lightdee · 8/10 · 16 March 2012]

If you liked the movie, or King of The Hill, you will probably like this show. The characters are awkward and goofy. They make some funny references to the movie, like when Napoleon tries his dance act to distract an angry crowd. When the crowd ignores him, he says "I don't even know how that worked the first time" The show is not rude, raunchy, offensive, like the Family guy, etc - you can watch this show with your kids. I was glad to see Fox try another animated series without all that junk. Also has faster-paced laughs and some social commentary like other modern animated series. The pilot episode was absolutely hilarious, and also Ligertown. Most of the voice acting is spot-on, and I enjoyed hearing Jemaine Clements as Professor Koontz. Hopefully it will get renewed - I look forward to seeing more.

Mediocre animated series that doesn't capture the essence of the original movie

[Rectangular_businessman · 4/10 · 15 May 2012]

"Napoleon Dynamite" is one of those films that one does either hate or love.

I liked that film, but I never considered the possibility of it having a sequel, even less an animated series based on it, mostly because the original film has a satisfying conclusion and there wasn't very much that could be added to the story.

However, the first time I heard about this series, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, even when I didn't like very much the character's designs or the animation style.

After seeing it, I have to say that I'm very disappointed. The main reason of why this series doesn't work for me is that it doesn't feel at all as the movie in which it was inspired: Here, all the slice of life aspects from the film are replaced with some unconvincing "wacky" humor that just feels forced and dull. The personalities from all the characters are noticeably changed, so they are either meaner (With Napoleon being the main example of this, lacking of almost all the likable traits that he had in the movie) or dumber (Uncle Rico and Kip receive this treatment)

I admit that there are a few amusing or clever moments in this series, and the voice acting is pretty good (Mostly because the original cast from the movie is providing the voices of the characters) but that's the best that can be said about this cartoon, which basically turns the original "Napoleon Dynamite" story into some sort of "Family Guy"(Albeit way more tamed) wannabe.

This is just not good enough.

Delightfully Nostalgic

[aklatte · 10/10 · 26 October 2012]

Napoleon Dynamite came out in my high school graduation year and I immediately became obsessed with it. Everyone did. For the two years after the movie came out it wasn't out of the ordinary to hear people imitating Napoleon's catch phrase "Idiot!" or use the slow sigh to show they were annoyed. I still have a "Vote for Pedro" sticker on my CD player. It is certainly a movie I will always look back on as a signal of my youth and where I was at that time in my life. When the cartoon Napoleon Dynamite can out, I was so excited I was giddy. Not only was the cartoon just as delightfully random as the movie, but it brought back a lot of old memories from my high school days. It was finally a way to find out what other random excursions Napoleon, Pedro and Deb could get in other than what was in the movie. When I learned that it had been cancelled after only the first season, I was devastated. It was such a slap in the face to learn that they had kept Bob's Burgers and dropped Napoleon Dynamite. Who know's, maybe this show will come back like Family Guy did. I hope so.

Bland and lacking in every aspect

[steven_oliver · 1/10 · 21 May 2012]

Anyone comparing this show to the immaturity and off kilter humor of shows like Family Guy or The Simpsons needs to understand what comedy is. This show isn't funny, regardless of who it's target audience is. The jokes are more sterile then an emergency room during rush hour, the plot lines are dumb and pointless, and has already gone the way of Allen Gregory, which in itself was an absolutely horrible show that lacked in the funny department. You see, the vast majority of people who like animated comedies, like the immaturity of the jokes, not trying to fill the plot with social awkwardness. Napoleon Dynamite tries to take everything that was marginally decent about the movie and make it into an animated show. Guess what one thing animated shows have the live action films don't? The ability to go beyond the sense of logic and maturity in order to stretch the bounds of comedy. Whatever panel at FOX (and Global for us Canadians), approved this show, needs to get their funny senses fixed, as animated comedies should all be funnier then this bland show. Seth MacFarlane and Matt Groening got it right with their shows, the geniuses who wrote this garbage took what was a decent movie and bastardized a one time hit by trying to make an animated comedy out of it.

An absurdist masterpiece

[cbvb · 10/10 · 8 July 2018]

This show was just too hip for middle America... It is in fact an edgy, Dadaist style comedy animation show in the style of Futurama and the trippier episodes of The Simpsons.

Why now?

[AussieGuyShano · 1/10 · 29 January 2012]

Where to begin? It's been 8 years since the movie and not a sign of anything Napoleon. FOX then announces that they are doing an animation. Why the big gap? because any network and studio know that Napoleon is a money pit. The Movie was a fluke. The movie and show are about social rejects for social rejects. The only people who seem to enjoy both the movie and the show were those creepy kids who picked their scabs & nose and ate it. We were tortured for years after the movie came out with losers quoting unfunny lines yet being accepted by other losers. The first episode of Napoleon scored 4.4 in ratings but that "glory" was soon to pass as within half an hour and the second episode only scored 3.3 that's a massive drop and nearly 2 million viewers. Time has yet to tell how much lower the 3rd episode has fallen in ratings but the future seems clear that Napoleon is heading the way Of Allen Gregory. I'm sure after the 6th episode has aired it will be the last we hear of Napoleon Dynamite.

Best Show Ever

[regenesis-kr · 10/10 · 27 February 2012]

Napoleon Dynamite is the best animated comedy show ever. Along the lines of King of The Hill. It blows away the others such as The Simpsons and The Family Guy. I'm not much for comedy but I never miss an episode. It is so creative, funny and original. Not much sex, violence, drugs, stupid humor, etc. maybe that is why the critics slammed it. I will be a die hard fan until the end, which looks near. We need more shows like this not less. Long Live Napoleon Dynamite. The characters and story lines are so unpredictable. Of course my all time favorite is Napoleon, then Grandma and Kip. We as a society need humor like this especially in a time like this. Life is serious enough so relax and enjoy some laughs with Napoleon Dynamite.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME!

[ejpellerin · 1/10 · 16 April 2019]

I WOULD GIVE IT A 0/10 IF IT WAS POSSIBLE! IF YOU FIND ANY PHYSICAL COPIES OF THIS INCINERATE IT EMEDENTLY! DO NOT WATCH! WARNING!

Yo Yo Yo!

[owenwday · 10/10 · 14 February 2019]

Best thing on tv I've seen on tv in quite sometime. I would even say on the same level as the movie.

It was just awful fox production on a great movie turned into an animated series

[mlgnazi · 1/10 · 9 September 2016]

Honestly, I was excited to see this ever since it was first announced, how ever when i watched the first episode it grabbed my attention as just another immature family oriented TV show with only some minor dark humor and plots. This show went the way of the later family guy series being calm and timid rather then up your face with comedy. If adult swim decided to make this show it would have been a lot better that is why i gave this a 1/10 stars because the entire series was just a huge bore and kind of mocked at me as an adult for watching it. If this series had a little more dark humor and some genuine human interaction and less unrealistic moments i would be more into it.

Bring it back!

[robertjdrach-15147 · 10/10 · 20 January 2022]

This show is a perfect addition to the movie. It's just as hilarious as the movie. I would give anything to bring this series back! It's a disgrace that they only had 6 episodes. Napoleon Dynamite forever!

Why

[TF_IMDb_Account · 2/10 · 26 April 2021]

It abandons most of what makes the movie special and tried to be its own sort of sitcom yet it fails to offer anything that separates it from the surplus of sitcoms. Please don't watch this.

Fantastic!!!! People who hate this show, probably hate Family Guy, Southpark, simpsons, etc.

[conorblauer · 10/10 · 19 June 2018]

I randomly saw this series on hulu, i had to click the link and watch. OMG this show is fantastic!!!! To the negative reviews, aparently you do not watch cartoons, nor do you enjoy good wholesome humor. I loved Napoleon Dynamite as a kid when i saw the movie.... Years later, this shows up... SO MUCH BETTER! This show is fantastic.

Its Great

[elewisstarwars · 10/10 · 20 September 2021]

Its amazing, though yes it doesn't completely match with the movie, the show is meant a joke its not meant to change the original story at all. Which if you ever dislike or didn't get the movie, it can take 2-3 times just to figure it all out but once you do you'll be laughing about it till the end of time. The show is more of a hilarious mockery of king of the hill or family guy. But better than those and much cleaner.

I am one of the few people who likes this.

[CristianFishbeck · 10/10 · 6 July 2022]

I enjoyed it for what it was. I was just disappointed to learn that the show was canceled after only 6 episodes. I wish the show returned. It basically had the same concept of the original 2004 movie. In fact, I saw this animated series first before I knew they even had a Movie. Both are good.