Nacho Libre (2006) User Reviews

Based On A Real Character, Fray Tormenta

[metroskyradio · 6/10 · 21 October 2006]

This movie is based on a real priest, Rev. Sergio Gutierrez Benitez. who has been in over 4,000 matches over the past 23 years. His ring name is Fray Tormenta ("Friar Storm" in Spanish)and he does wrestle under the mask in Mexico to support an orphanage. The story was on the CBS evening news and a couple of the news magazine shows several years ago. Every now and then you either see, or read something about him.

I watch movies to be entertained. If I wanted "deep thought" I'd go to a library. This is Jack Black being Jack Black. The dialog is crude, humor slapstick, and storyline so, so. But it's funny.

I wouldn't buy it for my personal collection, but it's good for an evening of rental movies at home.

if you like weirdly sweet Mexican wrestling comedies this is the film for you

[Pasafist · 7/10 · 23 June 2006]

It's good to know that farce is alive and well in the world. Since the mid 90's it feels like film makers have lost their grip on truly great weird comedy. Movies that speak to the few and turn off the rest. It seems that even as the tools to unlock our imaginations get flashier and flashier, and special effect budgets grow and grown, American film grow static and stale. Then when it seems like all hope is lost, a film like NACHO LIBRE comes along.

Somewhere in Mexico, a young priest named Nacho (Jack Black) longs to be recognized. He's tired of serving the same bland food to the young boys in his charge. He's tired of being disrespected by the other priests. He longs to be a luchadore (a Mexican wrestler), and to gain the affections of the stunning Sister Encarnación (Ana del la Regura). Then when all hope is lost he teams up with a new friend named Esquelta, and takes the Mexican wrestling world by storm. Will the orphan boys get better food? Will Nacho win the heart of Sister Encarnación? Will he lose everything he has, on a quest to become a great warrior? Giving this movie its due will provide those answers and more. The movie not perfect. It's a little overlong and some of the jokes fall flat on their face. But there is an earnestness and a sweet gentility in the film that will win you over. You cannot enter this movie with the wrong attitude and if you don't like weird movie its not for you. But if you let it entertain you and if you give into the fact that it really bizarre, it will work. You have to take every scene with grain of salt and logic must be thrown out the window. But if you turn off that part of your brain that strives for everything to be plausible, than this film will entertain.

Then for no apparent reason the movie does something I didn't quite expect, it begins to tackle a serious subject. Behind all the silliness is a story about how legalism traps us in a place of boredom and predictability. Whether it be religious legalism or secular legalism, NACHO LIBRE is about a misfit who succeeds because he goes out on a limb. He doesn't give up his religious fervor when the chips are down, when his atheist friend tells him to give into science and logic, and he doesn't give up on God because men of cloth treat him badly. He stays true to his faith and not his religion. This message is not beaten over the audiences head. This is not a religious picture. But it gives the film a dimension that I didn't expect.

Director Jared Hess, doesn't stray to far from his Napoleon Dynamite roots. But that's okay. It works here and he hits the right comic tones. I can't wait for the DVD because I'm convinced that the film really needs to be viewed a second time. Knowing what to expect allows the audience to settle into Hess skewed comedy. The film is very dry and if you don't know what to expect its easy to dismiss the comedy and think the film is horrible. You have to work at it a little bit and let it sink in. But when you get it you'll love it.

If you're looking for an hour and half of silliness you can't go wrong with NACHO LIBRE. It's cute, sweet, and you get to stare at Jack Black's upper torso for far too long. Trust me if you like weirdly sweet Mexican wrestling comedies this is the film for you.

Fans of "Napoleon Dynamite"....enjoy the show

[guyfromjerzee · 7/10 · 17 June 2006]

"Nacho Libre" contains much of the same dry, deadpan humor that made "Napoleon Dynamite" so much fun to watch. I'm sure Jared Hess's brand of humor is not for everybody. We're living in an era where Dane Cook is our top comedian. So if you're expecting the same loud, obnoxious gags you see in most comedies nowadays, you'll probably be disappointed. I, on the other hand, love this type of humor. Just like in "ND," the actors don't try hard to be funny. Jack Black is not very convincing as a Mexican. With his skin so white, he sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the cast. But that's no big criticism. This is a comedy farce, and if his accent didn't sound so phony, I doubt his character would be nearly as funny. As an extra treat for all the "ND" fans out there, his character is paired off with a soft-spoken Mexican buddy. They make a good comic team, with Jack being so short and fat, and his buddy being so tall and thin. I tend to just roll my eyes at many of the crude gags I see in movies nowadays, but I even enjoyed the bathroom humor in this movie. I found myself laughing most of the way through, and this is one of the rare cases where I felt that the film lived up to its trailer. Some of the funniest gags were given away in the trailer, but there are many other funny gags that weren't. If I have any complaints, the movie does sort of drag in the third act. But all in all, "Nacho Libre" is good fun for the entire family. I can't wait to see Jared Hess's next project.

Chancho, when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room

[tieman64 · 4 February 2012]

"Your only job is to cook! Do you not realise I have had diarrhoea since Easters?!" - Senor Ramon

Thus far, all of Jared Hess' films have been about likable weirdo losers who become likable weirdo heroes with a little help from their likable weirdo friends. "Nacho Libre", which finds actor Jack Black playing a Mexican monk/cook who enters the world of wrestling to make money for a local orphanage, continues this trend.

The film was heavily criticised upon release, but Jared Hess makes cult films which tend to appeal to a select few and tend to get funnier and funnier with multiple re-watches (the "Lebowski Effect"). They're designed for the kind of viewer who likes weird intonations, bizarre nuances, freakish characters and lines like "Those eggs were a lie, Esqueleto. A LIE! They give me no eagle powers! They give me no nutrieeeeents!" spoken absolutely dead-pan in ridiculous accents by odd cartoon characters. You know who you are.

Much of the film's humour plays like a weird riff on Catholicism, with wrestlers being viewed as false idols and wrestling being deemed innately sacrilegious ("Wrestling is ungodly Ignacio. People cheer for him because he is a false idol!", "It is in the Bible not to wrestle your neighbour!", "I don't believe in God, I believe in Science!").

Some have viewed the film as being anti-Catholic, but Hess is a devout believer and paints religion, and indeed most of his cast, with a warm glow. The film co-stars the sublime Ana de la Reguera as a fetishized nun. Our hero wants her to praise his heroism by break her vows of celibacy, but she's oblivious to his yearnings and instead gives him a hilarious thumbs up.

The film, surprisingly, doesn't exploit Jack Black's singing gifts. He's given one funny song - he hums "Piel Canela" with a mariachi band - but most of his other songs are truncated or interrupted.

8.5/10 - See "Eagle vs Shark". Multiple viewings required.

Jack plays a good face!

[The_Dinosaur · 7/10 · 30 October 2006]

If you didn't know a face is the good guy in wrestling.

I'm a big fan of wrestling and I was afraid this movie might do wrestling a injustice but I was surprised by how good this movie was. It can be a bit slow and awkward at times but this is a excellent film.

It is hilarious at times but as I have said at other times it can be a bit slow. It comes from the same people who made Napolean Dynamite and School of Rock, both two of my favorite movies and so I thought this should be similar, and it was but there were differences from those two films in terms of humour.

Jack Black is, like in many of his other films, excellent in this. The rest of the cast is good and most of them were unknowns.

It is laugh out loud funny and even if you don't like wrestling you will probably like this if you liked Napolean Dynamite.

Wait for DVD

[ricketts-2 · 4/10 · 13 July 2006]

What can I say about this movie? well it was one of the worst movies I have seen in my short 25 year life span, what is the point? I have no idea! OK so there was a story, Nacho (Jack Black) wants to be respected so he decides to be a mask wrestler. He joins forces with a homeless man (Héctor Jiménez) and together they become the worst tag team in the world! Nacho ends up going up against the world's greatest masked wrestler, I won't tell you how it ends, well I should because it would stop you going to see it. But I won't. I say again don't go and see this movie it is the worst movie of all time!

So in finishing I just want to say that I am a Jack Black fan and I am saddened by this movie.

Wait for it on DVD

Funny in parts; not bad overall

[omit0 · 6/10 · 7 March 2006]

I saw this movie last night at a screening on the Paramount lot. There are some laughs throughout, but the writing isn't particularly great. Much of what we're expected to find funny is the nuance in Jack Black's performance, which has its appeal. He is a great performer and very graceful in the wrestling ring.

The movie will probably do okay at the box office, just due to Black's appeal and the cult status of Napoleon Dynamite and Mike White. If it was as low a budget as everyone on the bulletin board here claims, the movie will make money and everyone will be happy. I don't think that it will be a huge hit, though, even on the order of Napoleon Dynamite.

Also, I'm curious to know what fans of Lucha Libre will think of this movie. It doesn't explain anything about the sport and some may even find it insulting, in that it often goes for laughs at the expense of the luchadores.

My expectations were too high

[ant3 · 5/10 · 3 July 2006]

I really liked Napoleon Dynamite and I think Jsack Black can be funny. After reading a few user reviews I went in expecting this movie to be hilarious and ended up with only a few chuckles. It's a shame it could have been funny but was just average. I can't really recommend paying to see it. The character development and story were basically nonexistent. I just can't believe some of the comments about this film being non stop laughs. If I stayed home and watched some spongebob squarepants reruns I would get more laughs! If it was not for the success of Napolean D this film would be straight to video in the cult films section.

I know I know I know, but it's still pretty great

[debchavez · 9/10 · 8 March 2019]

Just, watch the movie. It may seem like a dumb 2006 comedy movie with Jack Black, and that's exactly what it is. It's completely ridiculous and nonsensical, but if you have the right mind set (that being that this is a dumb movie with dumb jokes) you'll most likely enjoy yourself. It doesn't try to be something that it's not, it knows it's a stupid comedy with completely ridiculous jokes and it just is what it is. It's nothing great, really nothing special, no hidden meaning or religious messages it just kind of exist to exist. Just appreciate it for what it is. It has some outrageous jokes and some mediocre acting, but actually has a nice enjoyable plot with the main actors being as ridiculous as possible and honest a great soundtrack. Just trust me when I say to give it a watch, it's on Netflix and is short so you're really not wasting yo much of your time if you don't like it. A lot of great memorable moments and very nostalgic for me, and for me and my family it's a cult-classic.

A unique treat for everyone.

[Rex_Stephens · 6/10 · 16 June 2006]

I have fallen asleep every time I watch Napoleon Dynamite. Without fail. But aside from embarrassing myself to every reader, I have to say that I did not mind Nacho Libre at all. The dialog is fine yes, and fart jokes are strategically, if not diabolically, placed from scene to scene. But Nacho is very much a visual film. A treat for the eyes where, with the obvious exception of Ana de la Reguera, actors are not beautiful or glamorous or drowned out in makeup but are real. Their faces have more expressive character than anyone in Hollywood does and, with that foundation, you can build a comedy around that, package it, and let the talent do the rest. With that in mind, I have to say Nacho Libre is a fantastic movie in its own right and Jack Black, well, he just runs wherever the script lets him.

Ignacio grows up all his life wanting to be a luchador. The monastery slaps a ladle and pot in his hands and makes him cook to make some kind of use of him. But inspiration returns to him when he sees a chance at making money in the sport he so often wanted to do.

Jared Hess made a smart move by letting Jack Black run around with the film. From making Ignacio sing for Encarnacion or Ramses, the comedy comes from Black's wit in knowing how Hess wants the film. Extra thumbs up goes to Nacho's partner, Esqueleto, who lets Hess run wild with his unusual imagination. No one knows really the hows or whys of Esqueleto's stance on science, or relationships, or even orphans for that matter but Jimenez delivers the punches. I recommend Nacho to everyone who loved Dynamite. Hess delivers a Hollywood ending, but throws it so over the top that only your inner 4yr. old might laugh for it. Visually, I enjoyed the real world look of Nacho Libre, with the comedy being a plus. But if you look for consistency and you lack the patience of what could be a generally silent film, maybe wait till it comes out for the home.

Off The Charts BAD.

[this_movie_blows · 1/10 · 4 July 2006]

I argued with a friend about whether to see this film. He won. We went. We didn't laugh. Nobody laughed. I have a feeling Jack Black and Mike White are laughing...

You know things are getting bad culturally speaking when a movie studio can actually make money selling a movie like this.

IT'S NOT FUNNY. Period.

I thought I was having a dream as I watched this it was so awful. It was that surreal of an experience. The script is a joke. The accents are painful to listen to. There is NOTHING unpredictable about the plot. Jack Black phoned in his performance and I'm afraid is just NOT FUNNY ANYMORE.

Slapstick south of the border ... in tights

[halincoh · 8/10 · 16 June 2006]

Much to my surprise, as I begrudgingly went to the movies with my 12 yr old son, I LOVED this film. I expected nothing, yet in return, I received a wonderful 1 hour and 40 minute respite from the real world, filled with slapstick humor and total silliness. Slapstick humor always walks a tightrope between bad taste and belly laughs. The Three Stooges are mind-numbingly inane: most laugh intensely and some never get the joke. Laurel and Hardy isn't for everyone either. Nacho Libre is not filled with Woody Allen irony, it doesn't have Christopher Guest's drollness, and it's not James Brook slick. It's not sophisticated humor! How can any film featuring Jack Black as a Mexican friar/fryer/wrestler/wannabe wooer ... all for the "good of the orphans" be taken seriously? It's simply for the 12 year old boy in all of us who laughs when Moe hits Curly and laughs when fat guys, even with over the top Mexican accents, are paired with skinny guys ... in a wrestling ring ... with stretchy pants.

I originally wrote this as a reply to a poster who asked if the mean IQ of people who liked this was 93, but the post was subsequently deleted. But to him I say, "By the way, I'm a physician and my IQ is a tad over 93. But even if I had no job at all and even if my IQ was 93 ... who cares ... I laughed, with my son, eating popcorn, in the dark. And that's the joy of sharing a movie like this." No es?

Silly Fun

[pjkdog · 7/10 · 14 June 2006]

Nacho Libre is good family entertainment. That pretty much wraps up the film in a nutshell. Does this mean it's a kids film? No, not really, I have no kids and enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean that kids that see it won't be cracking up either. The humor in this film is a bit more from the toilet, there are lots of funny accents and there's wrestling. You can't find a better formula for kids.

Jack Black seems to be really enjoying himself in this film, and his portrayal of Nacho is just as fun to watch. This film might be the closest big screen foray into showcasing the comedic strengths that Black has displayed in really funny SNL sketches and his Tenacious D persona, and maybe that's what made it so fun for him.

The best part of the film though is Esqueleto(Héctor Jiménez), a homeless man turned wrestler and only friend of Nacho. Jiménez is total scene stealer and thankfully they give him plenty of screen time. It's as if someone took the best parts of Taylor Negron and Felix Montano and created the ultimate comedic sidekick.

I thought Glitter was the worst movie ever- Then along came Nacho Libre.

[spoon7777 · 1/10 · 2 July 2006]

A movie this bad comes along only once in a lifetime. This is truly the worst movie I've ever paid to see. Careers need to be ruined because of this film, starting with Jack Black. My 15 year old son dragged me to the theater to witness this celluloid train wreck, (he has subsequently lost movie picking privileges forever). I did however go into the cineplex with an open mind, as I usually enjoy mindless entertainment, but not this mindless. Flush your 8 bucks down the toilet rather than wasting hard earned cash on this debacle. In case you did'nt figure it out by now, I really hated this movie. No animals were harmed in the writing of this comment.

A lighthearted but touching movie.

[RatedVforVinny · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

A funny Mexican comedy about a monk who dreams of becoming a prize wrestler, whilst at the same time wants to cohabit with a hot, new arrival Nun. The costumes are very authentic to the real Luchadors of mexico. Along with the obvious slapstick is an endearing, romantic tale.

Nacho misses his big moves

[El_Guapo9 · 4/10 · 30 June 2006]

Jack Black really isn't all that funny in this movie. That's all there is to it. It's got a few scenes which are pretty funny, but most of the jokes are played out and just not very funny. I wasn't expecting much from the storyline but what I got was even less. Some of the wrestling sequences are alright and are well-filmed, but as a whole I just didn't think this movie delivered.

Some scenes are overly done intentionally to get a laugh, but in many (if not all) of these scenes they just completely miss their mark. Nacho, for some reason, has a tendency to pass gas at any opportune time (and there are many in the film). I'm sure this is an example of something that is supposed to be funny, but it just doesn't work.

The story is uplifting at least, and there's a good message with Nacho trying to do his best to help out the poor orphans that he cooks for, but the movie is ultimately very passable.

4 out of 10.

Poor Jack

[StuntsForFilm · 6/10 · 30 June 2006]

Perhaps being a huge Jack Black fan led up to my disappointment. Honestly, I think he did the best he could with what he had. The script had room for jokes but they never came. Whenever a film has to resort to a fart to make the audience laugh, there just isn't much to entertain you. Jack is an actor that feeds off support and he had none in this film. He was literally walking the plank while trying to deliver humor. Good guy triumphs and everyone leaves with a warm fuzzy feeling. I left wondering why Jack Black took the part. I think the idea was to come up with a new "Napoleon Dynamite" for the Summer but this one fell short.

Ouch...

[mbl102 · 2/10 · 30 July 2006]

I hope that Jack Black and every person involved with the production of this movie has my home address so they can send me a written apology for my time spent in the theatre. What do you do when you just had a big hit movie and one more joke? You get a backer and make a one note bad film.

Husband and wife Jared and Jershua Hess, the creative team behind "Napoleon Dynamite," join forces with Mike White and Jack Black, the team behind "School Of Rock," to try and drop kick another hit with the tale of Nacho Libre. The concept, perhaps the most interesting and funny aspect of the movie, has a Mexican Friar Ignacio (Black) as a man of the cloth that has to turn to Mexican Wrestling to make enough money to feed the orphans.

While the film does have a couple of great guffaws and it's share of slapstick antics to shock us into laughing, the bulk of the movie relies on Jack Black's ability to carry the weight of the entire film on his back and suplex it. He can't do it with one joke, but what an effort he puts in. Jack Black does his worst "typical" Mexican accent and body slams his signature style of quick quips effectively, but it just is not enough to make the whole movie work .

This is the kind of movie that catch phrases come from, but I'll put a figure-four leg lock on anyone that tries to repeat these lines to me. Some times this kind of movie works, but that is when the star has a cast to support him. The script only introduces one other comic character into the movie… and he only has one joke too… and it's the same one Jack Black is telling.

In what could have been a very funny scene with Black singing to the current wrestling champion, the director ends the scene way too short. I'm sure they has a great time filming this movie, but during the editing process someone should have noticed that the film just wasn't working. In the middle of the film is a sequence of scenes that seem to be put in just because the director "thought" they were funny. Not only do they not follow the plot or progress the story at all, but they don't even stay in the same genre of comedy. There are two jokes that would have fit into "Airplane!" and others that wanted to be in a dark Wes Anderson-esquire comedy.

Some positive things I can say is that the costumes and set design was meticulous and perfectly hilarious. The location shooting in Oaxaca, Mexico is beautiful and sets the mood wonderfully. By using the full use of the natural beauty, with the cinematography to capture the amazing work of all the technical aspects of the film, this film was visually compelling.

When I left the theatre I saw some younger people still laughing outside, maybe this unfocused film would be funny for someone that has not been jaded by watching intelligent and inspired comedies. Sorry Mr. Black, but I have seen great comedies and this is not one of them.

He may be the champ, but I will not step back in the ring with Nacho Libre.

It really is the perfect movie

[trent-christiansen · 10/10 · 20 October 2019]

I go back to this movie time and time again. I love it

I didn't get it, but it's hilarious.

[rooprect · 6/10 · 16 December 2009]

OK, let me say up front that I come from the older generation of comedies. Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, When Harry Met Sally, all the way up to & including Airplane. Nacho Libre presents a new & very different style of humour. You don't get big punchlines, witty comebacks or rapid-fire dialogues. If I had to describe it, I'd say it's "deadpan" to an extreme. You really have to key in on subtle signals like facial expressions, odd phrases, or just situational weirdness to understand the jokes.

Not expecting that, I watched this movie all the way through and only laughed twice. I kept waiting for punchlines that never came.

After watching it, I came to the IMDb message board and read through the thread of "Funniest Lines". Sure enough, I didn't get the jokes there either, but seeing how everyone was cracking up, I realized that those lines were funny.

After that, I found myself talking to people in everyday life, quoting Nacho Libre and getting big laughs. Suddenly I think I get it. I'll probably watch this film again, knowing what to expect, and I bet I'll get a few big lols out of it. Maybe even a rofl or 2.

A few laughs don't make a comedy

[alvinvigil · 2/10 · 13 June 2006]

Time is so precious. Undeniably precious. Too bad I will never have that one hour and forty minutes that it took to sit through this dreck, back. Given the fact that Nacho Libre was directed by Jared Hess, who directed one of my favorite films of 2004, Napoleon Dynamite, I was looking forward to some great comedy. But instead, I got a pile of poo-poo. Jack Black plays Nacho, an orphan raised as a man who becomes the cook of a Mexican monastery in Oaxaca, Mexico. The monastery is on the brink of financial ruin, but Nacho finds it in his heart to become the greatest 'Luchardore' there ever was, also known as a Mexican wrestler, to earn money for the monastery and to feed the children. Enter the lovely and beautiful Sister Encarnacion (Ana de le Reguera), who he tries to impress and takes a special liking to her.

There's no doubt about it... Jack Black is very funny. His Mexican accent is pretty much played for laughs. And we do laugh when he speaks. Hector Jimenez plays, Esqueleto, Nacho's skinny little sidekick. His facial expressions are perfect for comedy. But there's no story here. No explanation about the sport. Nacho Libre is a complete mess and seemed to be edited five minutes before the screening I attended. I do give kudos to Black for being a sport about wearing tights and having his enormous belly hang out for most of the movie. He just seems so out of place here. The four kids who were sitting right behind me were having a field day with the slapstick humor and fart scenes. And to a point, so was I. But I'm still longing for that precious hour and forty minutes that are gone forever.

Nacho Libre

[imadivad · 10/10 · 29 August 2018]

This is one of the funniest movies ever. I can see how Nacho Libre's unique and comedic delivery, resonates with a lot of Napoleon Dynamite viewers. But, really, it's not even close. Every single scene in Nacho is outrageously funny, and Jack Black is BRILLIANT! The supporting cast was awesome too. With a ridiculous premise, arduous plot, and inconceivable message, I chose to watch nothing instead. Many times. I chose...poorly, because the director/cast/comedic gods of this flick have gone and made the impossible possible. Nacho Libre is "dee-based"!. See it, please.

As a Jack Black fan, very disappointing

[farceurmich · 23 October 2006]

This film reminded me of the TERRIBLE "Young Einstein". LOVED School of Rock; never laughed one time while watching Nacho.

Wouldn't it be funny if a friar wanted to be a "pro" wrestler? Could be... but not here.

Wouldn't it be funny if he drove an odd motorized shopping cart? (Answer: no.)

Wouldn't it be funny if, while driving the odd motorized shopping cart, he (off camera) runs off the road! (Answer: no.)

Wouldn't it be funny if... (Answer: no, no, no.)

His facial expressions are always excellent. I love Jack Black. I hope he's embarrassed by this film and as a result, shoots for higher standards in the future.

Jack Black as a Mexican priest/wrestler - what more need be said?

[pyrocitor · 7/10 · 17 June 2006]

It would seem these days that Jack Black can do no wrong. His winning combo started with his star making turn in 2003's The School of Rock, and his popularity was barely swayed with relative misfires in Envy and Shark Tale. 2005 saw Black starring in Peter Jackson's adventure epic remake of King Kong, and proving him able to harness his trademark manic energy and channel it into a more dramatic performance than his usual goofball comedy roles. But here, Black returns to what he does best - ridiculous, forgettable and extremely funny comedy.

Ignacio (Black), a cook and friar at a local orphanage has never felt like he fully fit in. In an attempt to find some sense of self, as well as to win money to provide better food for the children... and perhaps also finally win some personal glory and potentially impress fellow orphanage worker, the beautiful Sister Encarnación, Ignacio creates a larger than life wrestling persona, the dynamic Nacho, and enters the ring as a Luchador.

It's safe to say that the movie revolves around Black and his genius comedic talents, but it is also quite the quality mix of modern comedic talents - Jared Hess, director of last year's cult hit Napoleon Dynamite, brings a similar sense of quirky, offbeat and understated humour to play here, as does scriptwriter Mike White, who also penned School of Rock and Orange County, both starring Jack Black.

The odd mix between the three different styles of humour seems to work surprisingly well, and Nacho comes to play as an oddball, quirky yet very funny comedy. It's just a bit disappointing Hess and White found it necessary to include some very childish fart jokes, which seem very out of place. Nacho also comes across as surprisingly unmemorable, with few lines as endlessly quotable as Napoleon Dynamite, but what Napoleon lacked was the power of Jack Black, who seems able to evoke roars of laughter from his audience just from a facial expression or jerk of his head.

Black also receives able support from the quirky and very funny "sidekick" role of his fellow wrestler, "Elsqueleto", an odd looking fellow with a grotesque smile and memorable scream, and Nacho's "love" interest, Sister Encarnación, who has a very limited role in the story but makes good use of her screen time and shallow character. Also look for a cameo from Swedish character actor Peter Stormare as a sage gypsy who helps Nacho on his quest to become the world's greatest fighter.

All in all, Nacho Libre seems the perfect prescription for a night of summer movie entertainment. It may not be terribly memorable and don't search for any profound deeper meanings, but Nacho is a return to form for Jack Black in the field of offbeat comedy, which makes it a must see for fans of his in itself. Be warned: expect to use the term "stretchy pants" for quite some time afterwards.

-7/10

The most hype and worst film of the year!!

[kimc21 · 1/10 · 19 June 2006]

We loved School of Rock and Jack Black. We couldn't wait to go and see this movie. It was the only time in my life the movie was so bad I wanted to walk out. My husband hated it too. The only funny parts were in the trailers. My husband and I wanted to stand outside the movie theater and tell people to save their money. The writing was awful. It had every terrible stereotype of Hispanic people who should be utterly offended. The movie wasn't that long but to us it seemed like an eternity. The people in the theater were so restless and silent it was like watching paint dry. I made my husband stay because I was sure there would maybe be some redeeming parts, but there weren't. Save you money and your time.