Napolean Dynamite … Better than chatting online with babes.

Jordan saw a sneak preview last week and could not stop quoting the film in character. So, I signed up for the next free screening in Vegas last night. It was worth the ridiculously long line to get in.

All of the sweetness of Sixteen Candles. All of the smarts of Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. All of the quirkiness of Beavis and Butthead Do America. Mix in a bit of the randomness of an episode of Kids in the Hall and you have Napoleon Dynamite.

From the masterfully understated art direction to the dead-on deadpan of Jon Heder in the title role, I cannot think of a movie I’ve enjoyed more in the last five years (Lord of the Rings trilogy aside).

No performance is off, everyone nails their weird characters brilliantly. There has never been a better portrayal of the completely unaware dorkiness of fringe teenagers. Most importantly, the film follows no clear Hollywood formula which makes the jokes and storytelling devices entirely fresh and surprising. Napoleon Dynamite puts Dodgeball, White Chicks and every other big studio comedy of the last 3-5 years to shame. It is an instant classic.

See it now before you are sick of people quoting it at the office cooler. Soon, you will be considering a master class in Rex Kwon Do and chatting with babes online all day like Napoleon’s older brother Kip.