Fun, though slight

Rating: Null/10 (3 July 2006)

Jack Black is a friar in a remote Mexican village who deep in heart longs for the glory of the Mexican Wrestling ring. It is what it is -- a very light slapstick comedy -- but what it is ain't too bad at all. Jack Black, firmly upholding the tradition of the Goofy Fat Guy in comedy, mugs for the camera and does a lot of silly things with brio. The theme, such as it is, of not denying your gifts but using them for God, not personal aggrandizement, is an oddly sweet one, and the whole winds up in a cheerful, almost old-fashioned kind of way. Very smart movie-making from a commercial point of view, it threads the gaps between a lot of America's current poles expertly. Recommended, it's hard to know who wouldn't like this, actually.