Before heading into the theatre to see Nacho Libre, one might ask an important question: how does a director follow up a movie like Napoleon Dynamite?  As one of the runaway independent hits of 2004, the movie has gone on to develop a huge and rabid cult following. By the time the movie hit DVD, Napoleon Dynamite quotes were flying left and right, and Jon Heder had somehow become an unlikely MTV poster boy.

Now it’s time for filmmaker Jared Hess to prove that he was not just a one-hit wonder. With a bigger budget and a well-known star, could he still produce the same kind of contagious and weird comedy? Or is it simply unrealistic to expect another breakout hit?

Having Jack Black on board as an overweight Mexican wrestler certainly seemed like a stroke of genius and the elements were in place for Nacho Libre to become another cult classic. I mean, how could you possibly take such a concept and make it unfunny? Watch the movie and you’ll find out.

Despite the potential for hilarity, somehow Hess finds a way to stifle Black’s creativity and fails to deliver on the film’s premise. Maybe he was trying too hard or maybe it just wasn’t a concept that could work for 90 minutes. Whatever the reason, Nacho Libre is a definite let down. If you go into this movie looking for another Napoleon Dynamite, you’re not going to find it.

That’s not to say Nacho Libre doesn’t bear many of the same trademarks to Hess’ last movie. In terms of the visual style, silly humour, and even the basic plot, it’s not hard to spot similarities.

Nacho is a young orphan who was raised at a monastery and now works as a cook there. He dreams of one day becoming a wrestler. When a Lucha Libre tournament is advertised in town, he recruits a tag team partner and moonlights as the masked luchadore Nacho Libre. He plans to use the money he wins to help out the orphanage, but he also secretly hopes to impress the beautiful Sister Encarnación. The movie is loosely based on the true story of Fray Tormenta, a Mexican priest who secretly wrestled to make money for his orphanage.

One question that may be worth raising here is whether or not Jared Hess has a Mexican background. He certainly has a weird, kitschy fascination with Mexican culture - first with Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite and now an entire movie about luchadores. This movie was cast almost exclusively with lesser-known Mexican actors and real wrestlers.

Although it’s nice to see a lot of outside talent being given a chance to shine, I have to wonder if Hess’ only goal was to milk unintentional humour from their accents. I’m not saying the movie is racist, but only that Hess seems to think exaggerated Mexican culture is inherently funny, which is not the case (particularly not when everyone in the movie is Mexican except for Jack Black). He also assumes the campy and playful world of Mexican wrestling will bring automatic laughs, without realizing you need something more to keep people watching.