SYNOPSIS

Ignacio (Jack Black) was raised as an orphan in a remote Catholic mission in rural Mexico. He’s always dreamed of becoming a Mexican “Lucha Libre” wrestler named Nacho but has apparently been forced instead into becoming a monk at the orphanage. He’s not really accepted by the other men of the cloth, however. And in spite of his love for the children, he grows resentful of his task of making soup every single day. Worse, there’s never enough money even to make decent soup.

After getting beaten up by the skinniest criminal in Mexico, Ignacio decides that the time is right to join forces with his attacker and become Nacho the “luchador.” The two enter a tag-team wrestling match and lose, but they still get paid because the crowd loves them. While Nacho tries to keep his nighttime excursions secret from the rest of the orphanage, he begins a flirtation with a new teacher/nun at the orphanage and sneaks in time to prepare for a big fight. The winner of that match will get the opportunity to battle Ramses, the greatest fighter in Mexico, and become a pro wrestler.

Review by
STEVEN HARRELL

“Nacho Libre” is a perfect example of the sophomore (sophomoric?) slump. After “Napoleon Dynamite,” writer/director Jared Hess literally had his pick of studios, budget, talent, anything he wanted. He chose (wisely) to work with Jack Black and screenwriter Mike White, whose Black and White Productions was behind the wildly successful comedy “School of Rock.” With all of the potential Hess has as a future Hollywood player and the established credibility of a star like Jack Black, “Nacho Libre” had the makings of an absolute smash hit.

Unfortunately, it turns out the film is just one bad joke. It’s got a great set-up, but the punch line (or lack thereof) is overwhelmingly disappointing. Just like anyone else, I laughed at the trailer and got excited about a film where Jack Black gets to squeeze his wildly unimpressive physique into light blue tights and throw himself around a wrestling ring. But once you’ve seen the trailer, you expect something more. Hess’s film just doesn’t deliver. What made “Napoleon Dynamite” so great was the cast of hilarious characters and hundreds of quotable lines for the taking. “Nacho Libre” is more like a “SNL” sketch turned movie. It’s one joke, repeated over and over again.

I felt sorry for Jack Black. I wondered if the insanely talented funnyman read the whole script before he signed on the dotted line for this picture. At only one or two points was he able to break free of the script and become the guy America loves to laugh at, but even then it just seemed like a confirmation that the movie itself wasn’t funny enough.

Also, I’m not usually a guy who gets easily offended, especially by a completely non-serious film like “Nacho Libre.” However, a few jokes are especially unfunny because they make punch lines of sacred Christian elements like baptism and preaching the Gospel. I get it: Ignacio is tired of being a monk and wants to be a wrestler. But that doesn’t make good comedy out of flirting with a nun (who has vowed herself to celibacy) or performing a ninja-like baptism of his unwilling wrestling partner who “only believes in science.” Even if your faith isn’t insulted, your intelligence certainly should be.