Today’s quick review: Nacho Libre. Nacho (Jack Black), a friar at a Mexican monastery, has dreamed his whole life of becoming a luchador. He finally gets his chance when he spots a flyer for an amateur wrestling league. Donning a mask, Nacho teams up with Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez), a scrawny beggar he met on the street, to fight for fame, for the money to support the orphans, and to impress the beautiful Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera).
Nacho Libre is an underdog sports comedy starring Jack Black. Nacho Libre tells the story of an underappreciated friar and his forbidden passion for lucha libre. Unfortuantely, the movie falls short of its ambitions. The characters are more loser than lovable, the humor misses the mark, and the romance, such as it is, is irredeemably awkward. Slow pacing, a static presentation style, and a flat story arc put the nail in the coffin.
Nacho Libre has the makings of a fun movie, but it has a hard time following through. The comedy is a mixture of physical humor, underdog scenarios, and the skillfully awkward antics of Jack Black, with a splash of toilet humor for good measure. But there are only a handful of gags that hit home, and even the best ones are muted thanks to the long setup and cooldown for each joke. The film never keeps its momentum for long.
From a story perspective, Nacho Libre makes a few key mistakes. Nacho is not a sympathetic protagonist. He’s an underdog whose redeeming features are buried under a thick layer of erratic behavior and ineptitude. The recipe is right but the proportions are wrong: Nacho is a joke first and a character second, giving him little room to grow and robbing the story of its heart.
The plot has similar issues. Nacho Libre strips away too much of the classic underdog story and ends up taking away most of its drama. Even as a light, almost flippant take on the genre, the movie would benefit from a touch of drama to tie everything together, make Nacho more sympathetic, and keep the plot moving along. The romance is similarly stunted. Nacho’s impossible love for a nun is played for laughs, but it’s another blow to the film’s core.
Watch Nacho Libre only if you are a die-hard fan of Jack Black or goofy, awkward comedies. Nacho Libre has its moments, and its particular flavor of humor will catch some viewers the right way, but most will be better off skipping it. For a funnier, more heartfelt movie starring Jack Black, try Be Kind Rewind. For a sillier and more successful comedy in a similar vein, try Dodgeball or Zoolander.
5.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for a weak story and humor that misses the mark.