A full-bodied comedy with respect for the audience and homage to the past.

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2006)

Nacho Libre features nuanced performances by John Belushi, Bob Hope, Steve Martin, Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey all in one "expansive" Jack Black package. Here is the impossible: a silver screen comedy for a broad spectrum of viewers that is innovative yet knowledgeable about the history of the genre, silly yet grounded in real life settings and concerns, over- the-top yet punctuated with subtlety, self-parodying but mindful of the audience. I believe this movie was made by people who grew up knowing/learning how to find humor in the moment, and then knowing/learning when and how to share it. This means Jack Black and Jared Hess but I'm sure there are others responsible. Bravo!
Attend this movie for the realism of people and places of Oxaca state in Mexico. Or just enjoy it as a musical with Pythonesque lyrics to original songs which creates a great, perhaps unintentional, American Idol parody coupled with the best Danny Elfman score in a long time. Or analyze it for "Is it a satire or is it not?" view of the whole professional wrestling field of entertainment. Perhaps it was time for a light-hearted version of the "Rocky" story - is this it or is this a shameless put-down? Regardless of the expectation, you, we, they will emerge from this movie with memories - a song, a laugh, a stunt, an image, a perception, a concern for orphans.
In my list of one thousand favorite/best movies there are few comedies (Take The Money And Run, Monty Python and The Holy Grail, The Odd Couple, The Jerk, Airplane!, Play It Again Sam, Repo Man, Time Bandits, to name some) but I am certain I will watch Nacho Libre again and it just might make the list.