Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. I typically watch films with audio description. There is no known description for this film.

The audacity. I often just get a screener, and I watch it. I don’t always get press notes, and i don’t always know what I’m watching. So, I got Tapawingo, and jumped in figuring it needed my consideration at this time of year. I found myself sitting there, wondering in 2025 who would have the audacity.

It isn’t just one audacious item either. there’s first the audacity of making this film, and it being basically “What if Drillbit Taylor had been a vehicle for Jon Heder instead?” Heder, who leapt into pop culture permanency with some chap stick and a vote for Pedro, is playing a character here that is just an older version of Napoleon Dynamite. In a world of legacy sequels, it feels like someone tried to pen one, and the creators of Napoleon Dynamite said No, but they made it anyway and just changed some characters names around. Heder is still playing an awkward man child who ends up becoming a low rent bodyguard for a bullied teen. That’s basically the plot, but he’s got all these various supporting characters to interact with.

The other audacity is Jon Heder reteaming with billy Zane after the dreadful Waltzing With Brando. I’mall about us having differences of opinions, but the voice of God couldn’t convince me that was a good film. I actually think both Heder and Zane are better here, even if this is an odd duck of a film.

I could throw this film away casually just based on lack of audio description. Napoleon Dynamite was a very visual film with very specific designs, and that is what Jared Hess went for. He’s not in the director chair here, though it feels so inspired by very film he made, from Nacho Libre to Gentleman Broncos. I would love to know what Hess thought of this.

Hess, of course, is busy doing A Minecraft Movie, which he oddly found no room for his launchpad actor, but did squeeze in his Nacho. So, Heder is thrust back into obscurity where he gets offers to co-star with Billy Zane? Like I said, I could throw this film under the bus, but I’m not. I think there’s a place for this, for people who really loved Napoleon Dynamite, and it does have a return to form for Heder, who is far more appropriately cast here than he was in Brando. even Zane, in a smaller role, is much better.

You don’t need to rush to this, but if you’ve been wanting Jon Heder to get his Napoleon mojo back, this is that film.

Fresh: 6.0/10