Tolerable

Rating: 6/10 (14 September 2006)

I've liked JB ever since his rare appearance on Mr. Show, but it seems like all he does these days is make bad movies because (apparently) he needs the money. Maybe someone needs to tell Mr. Black that the reason he's hired for movies with no jokes is that he's a comedian and the casting director expects him to adlib all the movie's jokes on set.
So the biggest problem is the script, which reflects its origin as a Nickelodeon production by not being funny. Worse is the outright assault on Christian Ascetism, which I find offensive because it's never actually or honestly dealt with. Supposedly the nonviolence issue is resolved by the statement that Luchador-ing is moral when the money won goes towards a good cause (like cute orphans), which is a total antithetical corruption of actual Christian nonviolence teachings. The final fight sequence has JB beating up the bad guy as the song lyrics "I am a very religious man" play in the background, for G-d's sake. As for the Vow of Chastity monks take, the movie ends with Nacho's lust still active but without resolving the question of whether he or the nun will break their vows. I don't mind disagreeing with a set moral outlook, but it annoys me when a traditional viewpoint with centuries of literature is grossly and obviously misrepresented or the movie cops out rather than offend anyone either way.
I still liked the movie because 1) Jack Black has enough charisma to polish this t-rd into watchability and 2) RASSLIN'! The wrestling scenes are all well done, and The Free Chip might as well be marketed as an action movie instead of a kid's comedy. The midget duo are played for laughs but those little guys have got some MOVES. There's also a move I've never ever seen before, where two wrestlers get behing our heroes, hook their legs with their own and their armpits with their arms, and roll onto their stomachs to hyperextend the heroes' backs; it's very rare for me to see any new fighting move, so well done.
All in all, one of Jack Black's better movies, but please, please tell some actual jokes next time.