Jack Black has no shame, of that we can be sure; but we cannot help but to love him for it. His brand of comedy is spastic, abrasive, and often dances along the fine line between funny and annoying; but his fans are loyal and his eccentricities (for the most part) make us laugh. The same can be said for writer/director Jared Hess, who burst into the mainstream with the odd but intriguing Napoleon Dynamite.
The fact of the matter is that with either of these two, you either love them or you hate them; but if you love them, you really love them. So wouldn't it make sense to combine the talents of two such people in order to make a summer release comedy that will draw huge crowds and possibly a large following? If you answered "yes," then apparently you are on the same page as the folks at Paramount Pictures.
And this is the premise upon which Nacho Libre was made, the awesome drawing power of Jack Black and Jared Hess. Libre is the story of a jaded Mexican priest (Black) who dreams of becoming a famous luchador, or wrestler, in order to earn the respect he feels those around him have never given him. Unfortunately for him, he is stuck in the kitchen of the monastery, cooking slop for all of the little orphans who live there and is told wrestling is a sin.
Of course in the world of slightly predictable plot-lines, we know he will not just buckle under the guise of being sinful, but will rise up to become a luchador and ultimately fight in order to make money that will help provide for a better life for the orphans. A pretty simple plot, I know, but that is what we have come to love from Jared Hess; a simple plot and a very unique attention to detail.
That brings me to the first thing that I enjoyed about Nacho Libre; the fact that it is downright hysterical. In order to get a good frame of reference, you have to have seen (and liked) Napoleon Dynamite. That said, think of Nacho Libre as being similar to Napoleon Dynamite, but with more of a point.
Hess was able to carry over all of the things that I loved about Napoleon into this film without making it so similar that I lost interest. The awkward interactions between the male lead and the female love interest we there. The excessively tacky wardrobes were there as well. There was even room in Nacho for the odd, socially uncoordinated Hispanic sidekick, played out in this film by the very expressive Héctor Jiménez. Jiménez delivers a character that is the lovable, peaceful opposite to Black's energetic Nacho; a relationship that creates moments of unpredictable and uncontrollable laughter for the audience.
Article comments
1 - Donna A.
I never saw ND. Only bits and pieces. But I do like Jack Black. I will most likely rent this when it comes out.
Donna A.