Falls short of expectations

Rating: 4/10 (26 June 2006)

I have to preface this by saying I'm a huge Jack Black and Tenacious D fan. I also loved Napoleon Dynamite. This movie just fell short of what I had hoped it would be.
When it wasn't trying to make you laugh with slapstick humor, it felt like it was trying too hard to be subtly funny. It was like a couple of Hollywood Execs got together and said "What if we combine School of Rock and Napoleon Dynamite." Then someone else said "yeah, and it would be funny to put it in Mexico. And put Jack Black in a wrestling costume." The concept is funny, but in order to make a movie, you have to have substance which this film lacked.
There were a few chuckles here and there throughout the movie but it did not live up to its promise. I felt very much like I did after walking out of the movie Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan's sophomore effort). You have a great first film that audiences love, followed by a second film that tries to recreate that magic and instead leaves a stale taste. By the time the movie gets to the gratuitous Jack Black moment (a la Tenacios D) they had already lost me as an audience member.
One last note. The movie is labeled as a Nickelodeon Picture. That should give you an idea of who the movie was geared to and how the script was written. If you have a pre-teen boy absolutely take him to see it, he will love every minute of it. If you are looking for a movie with the magic, style, and humor of Napoleon Dynamite, do yourself a favor and just rent Napoleon Dynamite.