I liked Napoleon Dynamite.
I found it funny, at times hilarious, both in its scenes and the utter inanity of it all.
Yet people I respect (and who used to respect me, I gather) can't fathom its humor. They're simply in awe that anyone, much less the lion's share of an entire youth culture, would find it funny.
And I can't blame them. I've heard people argue (not quarrel) about the merits of the movie. The non-fan just shakes his head and says it's stupid. The fan says it's hilarious, but can't articulate the reason. I've always said, “I found it funny, but I'm not proud of it.” I often told people who hadn't seen it: “If you're not laughing within twenty minutes, just turn it off. It doesn't get any better.”
The Napoleon phenom intrigues me because it deals with humor: why is it funny? On the face of it, it isn't funny or interesting. Yet it's both.
I should disclose that I haven't read any analyses of the movie. Not one, other than a few stray e-mails from friends, saying they hated it or liked it, and none of them analyzing why.
I suspect the analysis is fairly simple: The mind is moved by incongruity.
