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Outstanding, simply amazing. I don't know how people can't like it, not every film ever made has to be compared constantly to others of the same theme or genre. Blah blah blah this is better than that blah blah blah. Really, I loved it, and everyone should see it. 5/5
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Jul 27, 2004 17:11
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As an Idaho resident, (Born and raised) I believe I can put a little bit of perspective on this movie. First of all, as several people have mentioned, this film seems to have an ambagious setting. That's not entirely true. It's definitely set in Idaho. This state has the amazing ability to seemingly exist in several time periods at once(Idaho’s state moto is, “It is perpetual”). I drove through a suburb of Boise once. Looking around I realized there was absolutely no proof I wasn't in the 70's. All the cars were from that era, none of the houses suggested any sort of modern building techniques, and the people all fabulously isolated from style. Which brings me to my favorite part of Napoleon Dynamite: The movie captures life in Idaho so perfectly, not just the visions, but the feelings. Everything about this movie just feels so true and honest. Many people compare Napoleon Dynamite to the nerd movies of yore. This movie never struck me as being in the same vein (or even attempting to be in the same body) as films like Revenge of The Nerds. In my eyes Napoleon wasn't a nerd, he was simply Napoleon Dynamite. None of the main players in this movie are contrived cliches, and the ancillary characters only fit into a mold for purposes of satire and efficiency. Can you imagine how much this movie would drag if all the characters' nuances had to be introduced without the aid of stereotypes? Many people are quick to criticize this movie by saying that it has no plot. Thankfully I slept through most of 10th grade literature, so I hold no false inclination to only liking stories with a set-up, climax and resolution. Napoleon Dynamite certainly has a plot, it's a few days in the life of a human being. Catch-22, Journey to the End of the Night, and several other masterpieces of literature can claim nothing better, why can't this movie? 5/5.
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Jul 29, 2004 02:06
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I think Vonnegut hit it on the head. If anything, the story is about being true to yourself, doing whatever you do because you enjoy doing it, and for no other reason. By the way, I actually got a chance to talk with the producers and a couple of the actors in the movie. They wanted to make a movie with a lot of true stories that happened in their lives, so that's part of the look. It is clearly Idaho as well. It was even filmed there. They hired a company to find them a bunch of local people to help out acting wise (the small parts) and also to find the settings, like Napoleon's house. They said a lot of things in Idaho still look like they're from 1986, they didn't change anything about the house they filmed most of the movie in, it just "came" that way. The director/writer/main actors and producers are all mormons from BYU film school, if that matters at all.
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Jul 29, 2004 03:23
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It's amusing, but not as funny as I thought it would be. I chuckled through a few scenes, and had a smile on my face through most of the movie, but it didn't have a major effect on me. 3.5/5
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Jul 29, 2004 07:29
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This movie had its ups and downs. The plot took a backseat for random humor and rather pointless skits. Some were funny and some sucked. Within the first 20 minutes I felt disappointed with the complete lack of plot but as it continued on I became drawn in to the this incoherent and new way of "story" telling. While I thought I was going to be in for a lame comedy central 80's-esque movie I ended up getting something quite a bit better; I'm even tempted to call it "original" despite what other critics have said. Oh and there is a scene near the end featuring some pretty intensive booty shaking and pelvic thrusting that ends up being one of the most amazing scenes in movie history, that alone winning making me feel that I got my money's worth. Anyway. 4/5 Wickedcapedkid fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Jul 30, 2004 |
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Jul 30, 2004 06:27
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"There are a buttload of gangs here. I got asked to join one 'cause I'm really good with a bo staff"
your lovely eek fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Jul 9, 2011 |
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Jul 30, 2004 16:10
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quote:Caleçon came out of the closet to say: "girls only want guys with skills....num chuck skills, bow hungting skills, computer hacking skills...."
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Jul 30, 2004 20:56
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I saw this tonight with the wife, at the suggestion of the guy selling me the ticket. I was in the mood for your standard run-of-the-mill Comedy (read: Anchorman), and after realizing it wasn't playing at the theatre I was at, I ended up at this movie after being unsuccessful in persuading my better half that "Harold and Kumar" was a good choice. So did I like this movie? Heck Yeah! This was one of those little movies that was just a basic "high point of life" movies - it felt like the Truman Show in a way - we just "met" Napeleon, followed him through a few weeks in life, and left us to wonder what he's going to end up doing. Anyway - good comedy, good characters, and surprisingly entertaining. Voted Pedro. 4.5/5
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Jul 31, 2004 09:54
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As many have said, this movie is virtually plotless. To call it 'episodic' would be an insult to episodes everywhere. It is more a loosely connected series of sketches with the same characters. Having said that, it is mildly amusing thanks to the natural performances. Just don't go in expecting anything new or original: there is nothing here that hasn't been done in a thousand teen films before. Except for the use of the A-Team music, which bumps it from a 2.5/5 to a 3/5.
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Aug 1, 2004 02:49
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The best movie I could expect to see from MTV Films. Ergo, "3.5: Above average" Imagine Azumanga, or Amelie, except with all the major roles played by pencil-necked geeks, and you've got Napoleon Dynamite spot on. I think that about sums it up for my review. If you hated Eurotrip, you'll probably like this.
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Aug 1, 2004 04:15
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This was everything I could have expected and more. Very entertaining, and even though it seems like there isn't a significant plot, it's okay since this movie isn't as much plot driven as it is character driven. I was very impressed in it's ability to keep you laughing throughout, and while it seemed like the most pointless movie I had seen all year, it was by far the funniest. 5/5
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Aug 1, 2004 05:02
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Has the bar gone down for what passes as a good movie nowadays? Because I am completely mystified as to why this movie is getting an almost unanimous good review. I'll have to agree pretty much completely with ford here. You know, if you envision a movie as a landscape, you'll get valleys and peaks, highs and lows corresponding to emotional or important plot points in the movie. This movie is entirely flat. No character development, no story arc, and whimsical poo poo thrown in just for the sake of being whimsical. It just felt like a bunch of random skits about ND strung together, and when the movie ended, I was left thinking, "that's it? But the movie hasn't even begun yet!" You know why Rushmore and Welcome to Dollhouse succeeded, right? Because while Max and Dawn did do some antisocial things, they were still human and had human emotions. You could understand the motivation and empathize. Napoleon in contrast is like some sort of uber-nerd golem, brought to life by some producers who thought they were too clever for their own good. There were a handful of geniunely funny moments though. Plus I kind of dug how everybody looked like a Dan Clowes character come to life. 2/5
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Aug 1, 2004 08:51
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eh, It was okay. I got bored rather quickly and the movie just seemed to drag on for me. I agree somewhat with what he said. ^^^^^
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Aug 1, 2004 23:17
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This is the only movie I've seen more than once in theaters. Strangely enough, these are the lines my friends and I keep repeating: "She pretty goo' looking!" - Pedro "Why is that?" - Kyp, in the diner, with the gay voice "So are you and Tammi still together?" - Kyp again 5/5. One of the best movies ever.
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Aug 2, 2004 02:21
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It's theater experiences like these that I pine for. Seeing a movie that just has you stepping quietly out of the theater and riding home in silence, not talking about what you'd just seen. This happened to my wife and I. I broke the silence during The Simpsons when I muttered "What the hell was up with that scene with the time machine?" and suddenly it hit us. That movie was extremely funny. The whole thing. It's a slow burner and you'll laugh at the obvious jokes, which are kind of cheap. Such as Napoleon getting in a last slap on Kip before answering the door. But those are easy to laugh at. The absurdity of the situations take a little while to set in and will most likely be the kinds of jokes that wake you up in the middle of the night and suddenly dawn on you, resulting in a fit of laughter before you crash out for the rest of the night. The humor of Napoleon's job at the chicken farm isn't an immediate gag. As a matter of fact, it's kind of gross, but recalling it later on seemed to make it a lot funnier. Definitely a great movie that will go down in cult history. 5!
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Aug 2, 2004 03:08
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This is one of the few movies that I actually went back to see twice. It truely is the greatest incoherent and random movie since the Big Lebowski. 5/5 Wait, I forgot to put in the crystal.
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Aug 2, 2004 05:55
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I found this movie pretty drat entertaining. I'd swear it was the 80's if I didn't keep hearing the word "internet" and "chat room." And Lafawnda is an angel! 3.5/5
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Aug 2, 2004 16:31
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I'm still pretty torn on this movie. It's either one of the best movies I have ever seen or one of the worst. It's definitely odd for the casual movie goer like me to enjoy, but I did have a smile on my face the whole time I watched it. 4/5... I think?!
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Aug 2, 2004 19:22
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Horribly overrated and overhyped. Just like any other pretentious cult-wannabe, this movie is embraced by a clique of phony intellectuals who like to claim that others simply don't 'get' the movie, so they can feel mentally superior. They fail to see that the movie, apart from the rare joke that does hit the mark, is very, very boring. To those that say 'But this movie is just like living in rural Idaho': Why, in God's name, would I want to waste my time looking at a place where nothing interesting happens? I can find plenty of boredom in real life. Voted 2/5 because I did manage to watch it till the end.
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Aug 3, 2004 07:44
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Voted 5.5. Not only because it's the funniest movie I have ever seen, but also im related to the geek, the actor of napolean dynamite, jon heder.
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Aug 3, 2004 22:11
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Really great movie. I didn't even realise it had no plot until the end because I was so entertained. 5/5 Sophy Wackles fucked around with this message at 10:56 on Aug 5, 2004 |
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Aug 5, 2004 07:54
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quote:Horribly overrated and overhyped. Just like any other pretentious cult-wannabe, this movie is embraced by a clique of phony intellectuals who like to claim that others simply don't 'get' the movie, so they can feel mentally superior. Too many people are going into this film thinking, "Where's the plot? Where's the orginality? Where were all the other intergal elements it is surely missing, so I can complain about their ommitance?" That's the wrong mindset, because you should be loving this film for what it has: funny scene, after funny scene, after funny scene. This is literally the most times I've ever burst out laughing in a movie theater. 5/5.
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Aug 5, 2004 08:36
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Although I can see why some people may not love this movie, I honestly do not understand how somebody can hate it. I mean, how can any movie with lines like, "Don't be jealous because I've been chatting online with babes all day", "I caught you a delicious bass" and "I made like infinity of those at scout camp" possibly be bad? What about when Napoleon threw Summer's button? Or when he slapped Kip? This movie wasn't made to "wow" anyone. It wasn't meant to make a statement. It wasn't made to deliver a powerful message, and it certainly isn't pretentious. It was made to be funny and weird, and that's exactly what it is. 5.5/5
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Aug 5, 2004 09:26
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Crippitty Crap. 1/5
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Aug 5, 2004 11:08
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"and his uncle Rico who cannot seem to move on from the early Eighties." Seriously, I couldn't figure out what time period this movie took place in, many things made it feel like the 80's, and few things made it feel like present day. Vry odd.
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Aug 5, 2004 17:03
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3/5 Some funny points, but it fell quite short of its obvious goal of imitating Wes Anderson. Napoleon himself got very stale within the first half of the movie, and the dance scene gets an A+ for effort but still fails to redeem the character's shortcomings. Needs more plot to be what it wants to be. quote:Captain Corny came out of the closet to say: Penguin fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Aug 5, 2004 |
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Aug 5, 2004 20:28
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I thought this was a boring, unfunny, and horribly unentertaining movie. There were a few moments where I chuckled, but that's about it. On the whole, very disappointed. Voted 1/5
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Aug 5, 2004 23:17
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I heard good things about this movie and decided to see it. The lack of plot does not subtract from this movie, as others have said it is more like a series of short skits. What kills this movie is that 2-3 funny jokes and characters who try too hard to be unusual (ending up unbelievable) do not make a good movie. The ridiculous characters make the movie barely tolerable for the first few minutes but the gimmic gets annoying the 17th time the uncle messes with Napoleon and he replies with some "down syndrom-like" response and look. Intentionally "stupid" dialog is just as unfunny as the bathroom hummor in other teen movies. .5/5
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Aug 6, 2004 00:51
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so I reluctantly went to see this movie because I had nothing better to do and my friends wanted to see it. I thought okay I have been hearing some good things about this movie. I have heard that it is non-stop funny. BOY WAS EVERYBODY WAY OFF!!! At no point in this movie was amused. By far the WORST movie i have EVER seen in my entire life. This is the one and only movie that I actually considered walkin out of. PLEASE FOR YOUR OWN SAKE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS HORRIBLE HORRIBLE EXCUSE FOR A MOVIE. Thoes who made this movie happen should never be allowed to anywhere near another movie and should be shot immediatly!! MY RATING: 0.5/5
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Aug 7, 2004 07:54
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quote:nabeshin came out of the closet to say: AWESOME! Are you mormon too, and what's your relation to him? I just have to add the best scene in the movie that you guys should look for if you're seeing it again. When Rex asks Kyp to get him, Kyp does this horrible, slow, spin kick move that's straight out of Street Fighter. It's hilarious.
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Aug 7, 2004 08:05
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I was a little disappointed in this movie...my standards were too high. I saw this movie as being a movie of FYAD. But it was funny, a not-funny-yet-hilarious funny. 4/5.
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Aug 7, 2004 19:34
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quote:Liface came out of the closet to say: This was indeed one of the best scenes. Or, maybe "This one's defect is bleach." 4.5/5
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Aug 7, 2004 22:24
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poo poo post
Somebody fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Aug 11, 2004 |
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Aug 8, 2004 00:59
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I'm pretty disappointed at how often 5's are given to movies around here. If a film, especially something independent such as Napoleon, gets the least bit of buzz, 90% of the reviews are "555555555." This completely undermines the system. That said, this was a great movie. While it does take after Rushmore in many respects, the most unique element is the fabulous "environment" the film creates. For anyone who went to public school in the 80's, hundreds of little touches will be brilliantly nostalgic for you. The title character is quirky and, oddly enough, startlingly realistic. He is arrogant, angry, socially inept, and funny-looking - not to mention fabulously acted. I can't wait to see more of Heder. His supporting cast does great as well, especially Tina Majorino, who also appeared in such films as Waterworld and Andre (the only movie ever made about a seal). Unfortunately, aside from exquisite characters and spot-on setting, the movie is quite dry. Unlike Rushmore or Revenge of the Nerds there is little in the way of a "quest" for the characters. Pedro runs for class president, with the help of Napoleon, but it is an empty endeavour - with little explanation or depth. Furthermore, there are dozens of character interactions that are left wide open - in short, the film relies on the characters' quirkiness, and then leaves it at that. I recommend seeing it, however, if only for the 1980's ambience it creates so well. But this is not a movie that most people you meet on the street will enjoy - it has an inherent dullness that many will not appreciate. The humor has sparse appeal outside of a limited demographic. If you don't like a lot of the self-important independent crap that floats around these days, you won't enjoy this. However, I personally do like self-important independent crap, so there you go. RATING: 4/5 (because I'm not a douche-bag who votes half the movies "5 or 5.5" and the other half "1 or 2") PROS: Fantastic acting and characters. Catch-phrases that will echo across SA for the next year. CONS: The plot is thin and fractured, so a great many people will become bored with it. Much "quirkiness for its own sake," probably contributing to the cult bandwagon this film enjoys. GOD DAMMIT PEOPLE: Come up with a system for your ratings. Assign 1 point for each of 5 qualities. Anything systematic will do, but I'm finding the entire rating system useless, since everyone picks one thing they love or hate about the movie and base their entire rating on that. If you pick more than a few 5's in a single year, you can't rate anything for poo poo. There are few movies I don't enjoy. Very few movies would earn a 1 or a 2, or at least I'd probably never watch such movies. But some of you seem to constantly expose yourself to films that leech the very substance out of your soul, judging by your responses. For fucks sake, I know it's trendy to polarize your response to EVERYTHING on SA, but try and be loving useful, at least in this forum.
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Aug 8, 2004 06:24
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Overrated as hell and programmed for arthouse pricks to laugh at. None of the characters seemed very genuine, and Napoleon was a contrived and unbearable protagonist. If awkward, nerdy people doing awkward, nerdy poo poo sounds like a good laugh, rent Real Genius, skip Napoleon Dynamite. Two.
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Aug 8, 2004 07:51
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I absolutely loved this movie. It's kind of Seinfeld-esque in that virtually nothing happens, and what does happen has little to no influence on the outcome of things. Plus, I have Napoleon hair, which means that I have a Halloween costume this year. Yesssssssssssss. 5/5.
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Aug 9, 2004 06:14
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I rated this a 2 out of 5. The movie has no point at all... there are funny moments, but they are few and far between. Things are supposed to be funny because they are weird. The characters are supposed to be funny because they are average... No redeeming value at all, would not recommend this one to anybody. HELLO I LIKE BRAGGING THAT I STOLE MOVIES Somebody fucked around with this message at 01:53 on Aug 11, 2004 |
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Aug 9, 2004 22:41
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This movie is an instant comedy classic. There is so many great scenes and the characters are hysterical. It's oslidly funny all the way through. All in all, one of the best comedies to come out in the last 5 years, easily. 5/5.5
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Aug 10, 2004 06:36
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The strength of this movie was the fact that it WAS about nothing. No story, just comedy. Napoleon Dynamite is a great character. I hope they don't make a sequel, I'd bet on terribleness. 5/5: Funny as hell.
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Aug 10, 2004 07:49
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quote:NADZILLA came out of the closet to say: Except he's exactly like about 4 people I knew from school. Thats what made this so good to me, Every character in this movie is EXACTLY like somebody I know in real life. 4.5/5 "I caught you a tasty bass" Everyone in the theater died when they heard that line.
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Aug 10, 2004 23:21
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