![]() Taking a break from monastery tedium, Nacho ventures into a nearby village where he befriends the scrawny, faintly effeminate Esqueleto (Hector Jiménez). Unable to court the Sister, Nacho channels his energy and emotions into caring for the kids, especially the chubby and adoring Chancho (Darius Rose), and seeking a way out of his pathetic situation. The film might even whip up the curiosity, if not the appetites, of fans of specialty smash Napoleon Dynamite, as Nacho marks the follow-up of Napoleon husband-and-wife team Jared and Jerusha Hess.Īt least it looks like Black is having a good time as Brother Nacho, who slaves away making nauseating food for the orphans at a bleak monastery and hungers after the very beautiful but chaste Sister Encarnación (Ana de la Reguera), a new arrival. Add to the Black name Paramount's huge marketing push that must have cost at least three times the film's modest budget (all-Mexican locations helped), plus huge doses of unrelenting Latino/Mexican flavor, and there just may be an audience for Nacho Libre in Gringo-land beyond easy-to-please kids and male teens. Then again, I might be biased as it’s well-known that I looooove nachos! Dassa joke.Marquee magnet Jack Black, empowered by the recent blockbuster King Kong, the riotous School of Rock, and his High Fidelity breakthrough, might be a surprisingly potent draw for this otherwise dopey comic tale about a luckless monastery cook who becomes an overnight sensation as a luchadore, or Mexican wrestler. It also doesn’t outstay its welcome…short and sweet. ![]() This film exaggerates for effect, it features a man of God bouncing off the ropes in a wrestling ring dressed as a superhero goofball, and at the same time, manages to develop a believable rapport between himself and a (hottie) nun and the orphans under his care. ![]() The cute fat Mexican kid also reminded me a lot of the cute fat white kid from BAD SANTA, while the film as a whole had that certain “Wes Anderson feel”, somewhat RUSHMORE-ian (although obviously, not as tight or serious). That said, the main two things that I really enjoyed about this film were its unique nature, set in the world of the Mexican Luchadores, and the always amusing antics of Jack Black, who continued his odd behavior here, and just cracked me up with many of his physical moves, as well as his over-the-top enunciation of certain words. On the aside, I was sure that the girl playing the part of the nun was the same (hottie) girl who played the maid in SPANGLISH, but I was wrong. Sure, this might offend those with religion pumping through their veins, but for me, I recognized the whole thing as a “movie”, and enjoyed it for what it was: a fun time. Oh, and let’s not forget the cute romance between Black’s character (a friar) and the local (hottie) nun. I loved much of what I experienced, including its many catchy songs (loved Black’s ode to Sister Encarnacion), the odd yet genuine camaraderie between Black and his sidekick Hector Jimenez, whose character was also quite funny (love that smile), as well as the film’s basic storyline which had a big heart at its center. ![]() This film definitely isn’t for everyone and it certainly isn’t jam-packed with laughs, as its promotional items would have you believe, but for someone like myself, a fan of Senor Jack Black and his over-the-top goofy antics, someone who appreciates a totally original idea as a movie concept and someone who appreciates a little sweetness along with their silly humor (not sure how many someone’s like that there are out there, but I’m one of them!), this film sure is a fresh breeze compared to all of the rehashed remade TV show-movies out there, with a quick runtime, a handful of funny moments and memorable lines, and of course, Jack Black in tight spandex! Like I said before though, if Black doesn’t “do it” for you, if quirky flicks set in Mexico with a bunch of unique characters – many of which are exaggerated for laughs – aren’t your cup o’ Joe, you’re best to stay away from this movie, as you’ll likely not enjoy its goofiness. ![]()
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