A fun movie, but more for the characters and situations than for the actual jokes.

Rating: 8/10 (13 April 2007)

How bad is the situation with the big Hollywood movies if a movie that isn't entirely successful in it's execution can entertain me so much that I would almost consider it a masterpiece? Put Nacho Libre up against some of the legendary comedies and it probably wouldn't stand a chance. But when you put it in the ring with some of the recent successful 'comedies', Nacho Libre all of a sudden seems like the epitome of all things funny.
Now let me clear up one thing before I go on: It isn't really fair to use Nacho Libre as an example in a discussion on how average Hollywood comedies are nowadays, because it's really a fun, well made picture. The thing with this second movie from Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess is just that, when it comes down to it, it really isn't as hilarious as I had hoped. I'm a huge fan of Napoleon Dynamite, and even though Nacho Libre shares certain style elements with that earlier picture, the movie never really graduates from 'something that is fun to watch' to 'something I want to see over and over again'. I'm sure I'll pop in the DVD someday in the future, it just won't be in the 'watch over and over' pile next to my TV that Napoleon Dynamite is still in.
In Nacho Libre, Jack Black plays Nacho, a friar in a monastery somewhere in Mexico, who feels it's time to start following his dream. All his life he has wanted to be a luchador, a wrestler, and when he sees a poster for a local tournament for new talent, he decides the time has come. He teams up with a local petty thief to form a tag team, and it soon becomes apparent that they are two of the most hopeless wrestlers in the history of wrestling. Still, the money is good, and Nacho feels like his day to shine in the spotlights might still come. Of course, Nacho has to keep his identity a secret or he will be kicked out of the monastery, even though he would love to reveal how much of a real man he is to the new sister at the monastery, the lovely sister Encarnacion.
More than anything, Nacho Libre seems to be an exercise in style. Music, images and pictures combine to create a melancholy mood, which gives this movie a bittersweet vibe that was also evident in Napoleon Dynamite. But while Dynamite complemented this with some scenes that were absolutely hilarious, in Nacho Libre there is never really a standout moment that makes you crack up as much as you would like to. Make no mistakes about it, Jack Black is brilliant as the main character, as he is perfect in the role of outrageous, lovable loser Nacho. And many of the other supporting roles are also perfectly cast, like Hector Jimenez as Black's partner Esqueleto, and Ana de la Reguera as Sister Encarnacion. And sure, the movie has plenty of moments that will make you smile, most of the comedy coming from small things like Nacho trying to show off his body to Sister Encarnacion while they are talking to each other, or the dimwitted Esqueleto telling Nacho he has never been baptized because he only believes in science. Maybe Nacho Libre will improve in repeat viewings, and at the very least you will always have Danny Elfman's wonderful music to listen to.