A quiet little gem

Rating: 8/10 (27 September 2006)

Most fans of Jack Black (or so they call themselves) often come to expect the same thing over and over of him- stupid humor, and they're always let down when they don't get it. I can't count on both hands the amount of times I've seen someone claim to be a fan of Jack and then put down everything that doesn't attempt to offend at every turn. Perhaps if more fans of Jack could take a step back from their South Park style hopes and realise that Jack is capable of so much more, films like Nacho Libre would get the recognition they deserve.
Luckily for the punter who expects more, there aren't that many crude moments, and most of them are fairly well developed enough to add to the picture. (Who would've thought there could be such a thing!?) Nacho Libre is a wonderful little flick- the script is simple and reminiscent of low-budget Spanish films, the visual style is fantastic, and the supporting cast are all so natural that quite a few times I forgot they were actors! Don't let the fact that it's compared to Napoleon Dynamite trick you into overlooking this one- everything missing in that film (likable characters, a plot with some dimension, funny jokes etc) can be found here.
This film is very much like Jack himself- it's sweet, funny, sincere, highly amusing to watch and great to look at, all laced up under a mask of incredibly funny jokes. Again, like Jack, it has some stunted moments, almost as if it's not entirely sure of itself and decides to break out into something off-color or out and out weird, just to keep itself in check. But it all comes together nicely.
Again, the only thing that could have made this better would be to edit out that perennial stand-by, the fart joke. Sure, once is funny, but once is enough. This film is worth so much more than these frat boy body humor jokes, though admittedly were probably only there to entertain those who came to see the film expecting something vapid and moronic.
You don't have to be a serious Jack Black fan to like this film. If you can get past the immature stuff, you'll love it. And hey, sometimes gross-out jokes aren't so bad!