Nacho Black.

Rating: 6/10 (2 July 2015)

Nacho Libre (2006): Dir: Jared Hess / Cast: Jack Black, Hector Jimenez, Ana de la Reguera, Richard Montoya, Peter Stormare: Often funny take on wrestling as a monk who cooks terrible meals for orphans dreams of becoming a top Mexican wrestler. This is so to afford better food for the orphans under his care. Hilarious idea follows formula with awkward training and losing bouts until the predicted championship fight that hasn't the comic payoff that it should have. Nacho Libre and his partner were funnier when they were paid as losers. Directed by Jared Hess who had great success with the independent comedy Napoleon Dynamite. Here the budget is bigger but the screenplay isn't as effective as the simple delivery of the other film. Jack Black as Nacho is the strength of the film while Hector Jimenez plays a street bum who would become his partner and together they make a great losing combination. Why the film couldn't play out more on this level as oppose to creating winner, is beyond me. Ana de la Reguera is flat as a new teacher Nacho falls for. Her function is to do nothing more than be a conquest that is never convincing to begin with. Peter Stormare has done grittier roles of far more quality than this. He plays a character billed as Emperor and that is about it. Amusing view of wrestling and the adrenalin to be something more than the screenwriter seems to arise too. Score: 6 / 10