Nacho Libre

Rating: 5/10 (18 April 2009)

I knew it was a film with a wrestling theme with a difference, and I knew the lead star, so I decided to give it go, from director Jared Hess (Napolean Dynamite). Basically Ignacio (Jack Black, also producing) grows up as an orphan in a Mexican monastery, and has become a cook feeding orphans. He dreams of become a wrestler, and when meets love interest, nun Sister Encarnación (Ana De La Reguera), he decides to don a mask and cape to try and impress her. He also finds a sidekick in skinny street urchin Esqueleto (Héctor Jiménez) to help him out. Even being not very good at wrestling, Ignacio, aka Nacho gets paid for losing, but really he wants to be paid for winning to help the children. Of course the monastery heads were bound to find out about Ignacio's "sinning", and there is the moment of doubt, but he pulls himself together, finally wins a fight with a grand prize, and buys a new bus with it. Also starring Darius A. Rose as Chancho, Moises Arias as Juan Pablo, Carlos Maycotte as Segundo Nuñez, Richard Montoya as Guillermo, Cesar 'Silver King' Gonzalez as Ramses and Peter Stormare as Emperor. Black with that Mexican accent and a singing moment is an appealing and likable underdog, and while the story is nothing exciting, I suppose you could give a go, make your own mind up. Worth watching!