“I can’t imagine anyone liking the movie.” – Jared Hess

Well, Jared was completely wrong. People do like Napoleon Dynamite, and what could have been just another independent film quickly became a phenomenon. Though the theatrical run of the film was fairly limited, at least at first (a mere six screens) and it wasn’t the type of film that was really hyped as much as multi-million dollar blockbusters, the DVD release is what turned the film into a groundbreaking achievement. Napoleon Dynamite became so popular among fans in fact that soon, merchandise of all varieties began to show up from talking pens to t-shirts and even action figures. People don’t just like the film, they absolutely love it and for some, they can easily identify with it.

Napoleon has already been released on DVD as well as UMD, but with the magnitude that the movie has reached, it only seems right that it get a special edition as well, something that receives both praise and disdain from DVD collector’s worldwide. We’ve already taken a look at Napoleon Dynamite in the past from the UMD release, and that review can be found here, but the purpose here isn’t to rehash what’s already been written, but instead to simply look at the special edition of the film because it is, after all, Like, the Best Special Edition, Ever!

Dang, you can’t like even fit everything that this new version of Napoleon Dynamite onto one DVD. What would you do in a situation like that? Well, I can tell you what Fox did, and that’s make this a two-disc version. Is it hot? Heck yeah it is. The first DVD has the movie on it of course as well as the original commentary track found on the initial release of Napoleon Dynamite featuring Jared Hess, Jon Heder and producer Jeremy Coon. There is also an all-new commentary featuring some of the cast members including Aaron Ruell (Kip), Jon Gries (Rico) Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and Tina Majorino (Deb.) The new commentary is actually very good and getting the insight from the cast and discovering what they find funny about the film, pointing out little things that you may not have noticed (and I’ve seen the film a number of times and still found new things thanks to the cast) and plenty of background on making the movie. I probably never would have known that the Happy Hands Club really exists were it not for the commentary.

The second DVD is all about the special features, though some of these were already found on the first DVD release, like the extended and deleted scenes (and I really wish that the thrift store/lottery ticket sequence was put back into the movie.) There are other features on the DVD however that fans have never seen before. There is a new behind the scenes documentary that features 40 minutes of on location shooting from the movie. The set up for this feature is done extremely well and features various angles for scenes as well as split screen looks and even comparisons from the raw footage to what is scene in the film. You will also find World Premier Footage featuring Jared Hess at Sundance, and hearing what some of the critics had to say (as Hess recounts) would be enough to have any director doubting his work.

It isn’t often that you get a look at the casting, but with this edition of Napoleon Dynamite, the audition footage of Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez and Haylie Duff are all included, though they are a bit brief in some instances, and Jory Weitz, the casting director for the movie, also has an interview. Every movie generally has some kind of influence, and Napoleon Dynamite is not any different. While some of the characters, their mannerisms, and even events in the film do come from the director (and some of the casts) real experiences, Napoleon was also inspired by a short film by Hess called Peluca. The short has the option of commentary featuring Jared Hess, Jon Heder, and Jeremy Coon and it’s interesting not only to hear their take on the short and now it evolved into Napoleon Dynamite, but also seeing the differences in Jared’s style of filming and directing.

The success of Napoleon Dynamite led to a number of appearances. In the Napoleon Sightings section you will find segments with Jon Heder doing guest appearances on TRL, SNL, the MTV Movie Awards and even commercial spots for the Utah State Fair. Plus, if you’ve seen it, who could forget about the “secret message” from the 2005 Spelling Bee? Not Fox, and that has been included as well. The clueless commentators are one of the funniest parts about this Napoleon reference. There is still a bit more however included a still gallery, promotional spots that ran on MTV for the film and The Wedding of the Century, a short that reflects on the marriage sequence that was added into the film.

You might already own Napoleon Dynamite, but if you’re a true fan of the movie, this new edition is a must have, even though some might say that this is like the worst video ever made. No, this is Like, the Best Special Edition, Ever and while it might not help you score hot babes all day, it will make you laugh and give you even more features and behind-the-scenes footage of everyone’s favorite nerdy hero.

Peace out!
 

-mike-