An OK wrestling flick with Jack Black

Rating: 5/10 (24 June 2007)

Jack Black plays a monk in Mexiko with dreams of making it big in the world of Mexican masked wrestling.
Now, Jack Black as a Mexican didn't bother me that much. It was even explained at one point in the movie. (his mother was a Scandinavian missionary) So it's not like they pretend that he doesn't have the ethnicity.
The story is a wee bit thin though, the writers probably decided to lean on the impulses of Black. Don't get me wrong, the first half of the movie has several good moments but after that the story get thin and sometimes predictable, a little more work on the story would have been in order. The writers probably wanted to avoid any form of already used "Rocky-like" movie formula, but maybe a little bit of formula would have helped. Having things constantly going against them may be funny for a while but it leaves you wondering how they are ever gonna reach their goal. A little transformation of the character would have been nice.
Jack Black delivers the usual Jack Black stuff, including some scenes with his trademark singing. Héctor Jiménez, not as much as acts as just has fun with his role, does a good job playing the homeless Esqueleto. Don't expect the comedy of the year, if all you are looking for is a Jack Black movie, look no further.