It’s been a long time in the making. Eight years, to be exact. No one expected it, but the creatorsey decided to give it to the fans. I’m, of course, talking about Napoleon Dynamite, the new Fox animated series based on the 2004 movie of the same name. Making social awkwardness cool, Napoleon Dynamite shows audience just how quirky he can be in skinny jeans and fuzzy winter boots. Fox was kind enough to premier two episodes on Sunday night’s Animation Domination. So just how does the show hold up to the source material?
My main worry was that Fox would step in and create a show not unlike their other leading animated shows, The Simpsons and Family Guy. Given that these two shows are so popular, one can understand why they would want to emulate their success. However, the world already has a Simpsons and Family Guy. Well, I can happily say that Napoleon Dynamite has managed to find its own humor.
The writer’s decision to follow through with an animated series as opposed to a live-action sequel was a wise one as it gave them the opportunity to really ramp up the absurdity in the humor. While watching Jon Heder take a faceplant into the concrete after riding up a shoddily built bike ramp was funny, Napoleon Dynamite the animated series allows us to see Napoleon doing push-ups on set of monkey bars, or driving a jet-ski around a backyard pool. The writers no longer have to rely on funny-looking characters or mere one-liners to sell the humor. They can make the situations as outrageous as possible, which should open up a whole gamut of possibilities.
It was great to hear the entire movie cast again as they reprised their roles. After adding so much to the characters of the film, it would have been a huge disappointment to hear any other voices. Luckily, all of the film’s cast were on board for the animated series…which is definitely a plus for the show. Jon Heder is, of course, on par with Napoleon. Efren Ramirez does fine work reviving Pedro. Even Aaron Ruell’s Kip Dynamite, Napoleon’s older brother, adds charm to the show. I wasn’t expecting to see Kip as big a character as he turned out to be, but now I couldn’t imagine it with any less of him. Sadly, one of my favorite characters from the movie, Uncle Rico, just seemed to fall flat in the series. His character just seemed to be jammed in, forced to fit with the others, and used when he wasn’t needed. I’m hoping the writers find a way to make better use of Rico in future episodes.
Not long ago, we here at Comic Booked aired our concerns about the new Napoleon Dynamite cartoon. Afterall, given the peculiar humor, it’s a wonder whether the show would appeal to mass audiences. After seeing the first two episodes, I’d have to say my concerns were not unfounded. Many of the one-liners were just rehashed from the movies. Some of the characters really stood out while others were just included because they were part of the film. However, my worries about the show have been quelled…slightly. Though the movie managed to leave audiences in one of two categories, love it or hate it, the animated series managed to fall in a more mediocre class. Though it managed to entertain me a lot more than I expected it to, it has a long way to go to establish the same level of success the film did. Hopefully, the writers have a few tricks up their sleeves to accomplish that.
Did you get the chance to catch the premier of Napoleon Dynamite? Think my opinion is full of crap? Let us know in the comments, or you can head over to the forums and really tell me off.
Tags: Aaron Ruell, animated series, Animation, Efren Ramirez, Fox, Jared Hess, Jon Heder, Kip Dynamite, Michael Wirth, Mike Scully, Napoleon Dynamite, Pedro, Review, Television
About the Author
Written by Michael Wirth
Hailing from the armpit of America, New Jersey, Michael has been collecting comic books since the age of 10. Now, he deigns to keep his finger on the pulse of pop-culture, keeping up with every passing fad or iconic innovation, never losing sight of his comic book roots.
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