Hilarious and Heart-wrenching

Rating: 10/10 (15 August 2006)

Without seeing any previews or hearing much talk about it, I went to the theater without any expectations of this movie.
When I walked out of the theater, I felt like a different person.
The plot is another golden nugget of genius for Jared Hess. Just like Napoleon Dynamite, it is a wholesome story that parents can take their children to. Not a single curse word and all generations can understand its humor.
I didn't find this movie at all predictable and in fact I marveled at its uniqueness. Inserting gut-busting Jack Black humor which was equal only to his compassion for the orphans he feeds, I laughed throughout and cried at one point and I left feeling optimistic about the state of humanity.
On setting the story in Mexico, it's about time somebody inserted Mexican life into American pop culture. It was a bold move considering the current tensions between the two countries. Mexico isn't all about wrestling and monasteries, but the movie proves that the tension isn't everywhere, and hopefully this unifying spirit will manifest into further facets of American life in the coming years.