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Nacho Libre will definitely be remembered in the first bunch. Black's Mexican accent is horrendous, but his childlike, vulnerable character is note-perfect otherwise. Ignacio is an innocent with a simple dream, a man who takes his responsibilities to the orphaned children ridiculously seriously ... Read review
Nacho (Jack Black) is a man without skills. After growing up in a Mexican monastery, he is ... more
now a grown man and the monastery's cook, but doesn't seem to fit in. Nacho cares deeply for the orphans he feeds, but his food is terrible - mostly, if you ask ...
Celebrating the triumphs and tribulations of the lovable loseris no easy thing, but ... more
filmmaker Jared Hess seems to thrive in thisspecific cinematic exercise. Working fresh off the success ofNapoleon Dynamite, Hess finds a similarly endearinghero-without-a-clue in Ignacio, played by Jack Black (School OfRock, King Kong), the title character in Nacho LIbre. Ignacio, growing up in a poor monastery in Mexico, has dreamedof being a professional wrestler since childhood. This obsessionhas led him to a thankless adult existence as monasterywhipping-boy and chef, serving stale, day-old nacho chips tofinicky orphans. In an effort to earn the respect of new nun-hottieSister Encarnacion (Ana De La Reguera) and escape the monasteryinto the greedy excess of pro wrestling, Ignacio enters a localamateur competition. Along the way, he picks up the notably scrawnyyet tough street urchin Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez) as his tag-teampartner. The duo hilariously loses badly and repeatedly to allmanner of local wrestling oddities. It is only when Ignaciorecognizes a higher goal than money and glory that he can trulycompete with his professional idols, including the dreaded and evilchampion Ramses. Co-written with Hess's writing partner and wife,Jerusha, and noted screenwriter Mike White (Chuck & Buck, TheGood Girl), Nacho Libre is stocked with real-life wrestlers doingtheir thing. Jack Black's over-the-top physical humor blends inperfectly with repeated viewings of his "stretchie pants" andtimely flatulence. In concert, the elements fuse to distill acomedy that should appeal to all ages eager to be pinned down in afull-nelson by laughter. Special Features (TBC): Audio commentary with Jack Black, Jared Hess and MikeWhite Behind The Scenes Featurette Deleted Scenes Photo gallery Jack sings! Nacho Libre comic book and luchador mask creatorfeaturette
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Director: Tony Dow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: John Challis, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tessa Peake-Jones, Gwyneth Strong
Advantages: Hilarious, Jack Black under control Disadvantages: Incredibly silly, naturally
...Orange County.
Nacho Libre will definitely be remembered in the first bunch. Black's Mexican accent is horrendous, but his childlike, vulnerable character is note-perfect otherwise. Ignacio is an innocent with a simple dream, a man who takes his responsibilities to the orphaned children ridiculously seriously but whose eyes frequently betray utter disatisfaction with his lot in life.
The pastoral scenes of life at the ... ...The gallery of grotesques that Nacho and Squeletto encounter as they struggle towards the big time are a particular highlight of the film. Whether they're genuine wrestlers or the result of the costume designer smoking some particularly potent crack, I have no idea, but they are brilliant, from the midget monsters up to the imposing lipstick daubed colossus Rameses.
One of my favourite aspects of the film is the way in which the two ... more
Ignacio is a tubby Mexican friar in charge of cooking meals for the orphans. He's a simple man who harbours a secret ambition, to become a famous wrestler. Increasingly frustrated by the lack of fresh ingredients for his orphans' dinners, he teams up with a local urchin to try and earn some cash.
It's just occurred to me that I've just described The Blues Brothers for the wrestling world, and that's not a bad way to look at the film. There's an awesome soundtrack (Mr Loco's 'Religious Man' permeates a lot of the film and it's been stuck in my head ever since, but in a good way), a fat guy and a skinny guy, and lots of bizarre scenes which don't really make much sense in terms of the plot but which are all sorts of fun. And they're saving the orphanage.
Jack Black is a man with patchy form, to say the least. He can either be brilliantly manic or punchably irritating, sometimes even in the same film. Until now, his career highs have been generally regarded as King Kong, High Fidelity, School of Rock and that Foo Fighters video where he's an airline steward. Lowlights have included Shallow Hal, School of Rock again and Orange County.
Nacho Libre will definitely be remembered in the first bunch. Black's Mexican accent is horrendous, but his childlike, vulnerable character is note-perfect otherwise. Ignacio is an innocent with a simple dream, a man who takes his responsibilities to the orphaned children ridiculously seriously but whose eyes frequently betray utter disatisfaction with his lot in life.
The pastoral scenes of life at the orphanage also contrast magnificently with the faux glamour of the Mexican wrestling circuit. The gallery of grotesques that Nacho and Squeletto encounter as they struggle towards the big time are a particular highlight of the film. Whether they're genuine wrestlers or the result of the costume designer smoking some particularly potent crack, I have no idea, but they are brilliant, from the midget monsters up to the imposing lipstick daubed colossus Rameses.
One of my favourite aspects of the film is the way in which the two heroes at no point become magically gifted. This is no Billy Elliott or Karate Kid, Nacho and Squeletto are hopelessly outclassed throughout the film, despite training their socks off. The worst thing about films about loveable losers is that you love them less as soon as they stop losing, and seeing Jack Black get mauled repeatedly does at least compensate for all those films where he is, as I mentioned, punchably irritating.
The love interest for the film is also great, a nun who looks like Penelope Cruz if you squint a bit, only possibly a little bit hotter (I don't care how bad Captain Corelli's Mandolin was, she's stunning). In what can only be a scene demanded by Jack Black's agent, Ignacio sings a song in praise of her that's just hilarious, and there's an even better version in the closing credits...
If you've watched Napoleon Dynamite, you'll have your own ideas about what to expect from this film. And you wouldn't be far from the mark. Although there's a bit more plot than Jared Hess's debut, the film's full of little subplots that never really go anywhere, most notably the 'magic eagle powers' sequence and many of the bizarre training scenes. It's a great style in that it gives you the feeling of occupying the same world as the characters, and it's the kind of approach that rewards repeat viewings (this is the first film this year that I saw twice at the cinema).
The dialogue is great, although hidden behind thick Mexican accents, and endlessly quotable. I shan't quote it at you, for that is boring writing, but I imagine there will be a fair few Nacho Libre t-shirts accompanying the 'Vote for Pedro' design that followed Napoleon Dynamite.
With additional emphasis on slapstick humour though, the whole family will get a lot out of the film. It's a 12A but remember that film classifications are fascist pieces of censorship that actually have their roots in fire safety laws, so ignore that useless piece of information. Each time I've watched it, I've come away feeling indescribably good about the world, it's got a real bouyant feel to it. And that's got to be a good thing.
Ah, I utterly and unreservedly love the film. From the title sequence, with a kid who looks more like Jack Black than Jack Black himself does, to the forced baptism and all the many many silly wrestling matches. At one point two main characters sit and eat toast for a solid minute and I even love that too. It's unremittingly funny, endearingly silly and frequently bizarre enough to touch even the most jaded and cynical reviewer. So if you're going to put a comment saying 'nice review lol but not my kind of thing', don't, because you're wrong and we'll all laugh at you.
Advantages: Jack Black is great as always; it's just a relaxed, funny comedy Disadvantages: Too many fart jokes, not much plot
Nacho Libre is the second film from director Jared Hess; his first, Napoleon Dynamite, was a strange indie comedy which became a huge cult classic. This film stars Jack Black (previously seen in School of Rock, King Kong, and the rock band Tenacious D) as the Nacho in question, and a supporting cast of relative unknowns.
Jack Black plays Ignacio, a monk in a Mexican monastery/orphanage. He enjoys looking after the young children, but his cooking ... ...he becomes his alter ego, Nacho (which I think is short for the name Ignacio, in case you were wondering); complete with stretch trousers, red pants, a cape and mask.
Needless to say, the pair are, at first, pretty bad, even after some extreme training in the wilderness. They're getting paid fairly handsomely just for losing, but they want to win, and even turn professional - so they sneak into a party held by the number one luchador (wrestler), ...
l-m-n-o-p 03.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nacho Libre (DVD)
Advantages: Laugh-out-loud funny slapstick shenanigans Disadvantages: You'll hate it if you're looking for a story or highbrow comedy
...chuckle. So when you see Nacho speeding along on his motor-trike gazing around, you know he's going to go flying over a cliff and he does. Though the comedy may be broad and the characters exaggerated, Hess still has clear affection for them, which means you root for Nacho and his wrestling partner throughout. Hess revels in the ludicrousness of the world of Lucha Libre in all its tights and mask-wearing glory. Nacho and Esqueleto's opponents are ... ...realise that. Why else would Nacho and Esqueleto spend their time catapulting melons at each other and having bee hives thrown at them? There are all manner of odd touches that bring up the strange count in the movie, from the corn cob lollies beloved of Nacho's partner, the way Nacho first entices him out of hiding, to the bizarre costumes (check out the ecclesiastical jumpsuit at the end) and the real determination to fulfil tiny ambitions. Then ...
afy9mab 10.10.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nacho Libre (DVD)
Advantages: Jack Black in the wrestling scenes Disadvantages: Story, plot, characters..everything really!
...the orphanage to teach and Nacho now has another distraction in his once small and isolated little world. How will he cope with his normal jobs, hiding his training from the other monks, the actual training and the way he feels about the Sister.
It is hard to imagine exactly what audience Nacho Libre is aimed at, it is not as outrageously over the top as previous Jack Black films, or as non pc as such fare as Old School, Anchorman etc. Its audience ... ...a much better script than Nacho Libre had to be the complete focus of a film. Jack Black is a fine comedic talent, no doubt about it, but Nacho Libre doesn't have the belly laughs you expect from a Jack Black movie. It is amusing, that is true, but amusing doesn't really cut it for me. What Nacho Libre reminds me of is the early films Jack Black made where he stole the scenes his character was in but he was only a support character. The supporting ...
Ailran 12.10.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nacho Libre (DVD)
Advantages: Funny, easy, Jack Black Disadvantages: Predictable, little apart from Black
...up this should work brilliantly. Nacho Libre was released in 2006 with Jack Black as the star of a wrestling themed religious comedy that was loosely based on the life of a real life reverend in Mexico. Directed by and written by the Hess Brothers (Napoleon Dynamite) the movie featured a pretty highly rated set of comedy personal (which also included Mike White or School Rock fame) as well as the backing cast of a lot of Mexican actors and actresses.
... ...orphanage where Nacho (Black) plays a lowly priest and has the role of cooking for the children. Sadly however with their being no money the children get given some disgusting gloop for their meals. When a new nun comes to the orphanage Nacho starts to feel even more worthless and at the chance sighting of a Libre Wrestle and the respect they get a childhood dream comes back to him and he decides to give it a go. After being paid he gets food for ...
iamasadlittleboy 09.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nacho Libre (DVD)
Advantages: Some good funny bits Disadvantages: Could have been so much better
I had been a bit undecided about this film as it has had mixed reviews but as I quite like Jack Black I finally thought I would give it a go. Well I am pleased that I have now watched it but have to say it was not a good as I was expecting. Jack Black plays the role of Ignacio who as a young boy looses his parents so is bough up in an orphanage run by Monks. He grows up loving wrestling and always dreams of becoming a wrestler. Now Ignacio is a grown ... ...time cooking for the children. Secretly Ignacio becomes a wrestler so he can raise some money to buy fresh ingredients for the children’s meals. He enlists the help of a scavenger man called Esqueleto or ‘The Skeleton’ and they start their tag team wrestling. Will they be any good and will Ignacio be able to keep it a secret from the monks and the new Nun as wrestling is classed as a sin?
I thought that this film was Ok but for some reason I was ...
sewbizzie 14.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Nacho Libre (DVD)
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Advantages: brilliant comic acting, great extras on DVD Disadvantages: not enough extras bloopers!
Anchorman is a hilarious film, a showcase of American comedic talent. Will Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy, an anchorman in 1970s San Diego. The new woman on the team, played by Christina Applegate, throws a spanner in the works and some hilarious moments follow, including Ron Burgundy playing Jazz Flute, Jack Black in a cameo role as an angry biker and a big street fight between all the news channels.
If you like this kind of humor (think Dodgeball, Zoolander or NachoLibre) then you will love Anchorman and it will have you crying with laughter. The extras on the DVD are definitely worth a look, with 25 minutes of deleted scenes, a commentary on the film by Will Ferrell and the Director Adam McKay and some hilarious outtakes. ...
cora_95 11.11.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Anchorman (DVD)
Director Jared Hess employs an offbeat aesthetic in keeping with his previous offering... Black's infectious, slapstick energy is also a great asset (Sight & Sound, 20/09/2006)
Director Jared Hess employs an offbeat aesthetic in keeping with his previous offering... Black's infectious, slapstick energy is also a great asset (Sight and Sound, 09/20/2006)
There's sweetness in the slapstick, while the director mines his missionary past to present a Mexico as eccentric and off-beat as the small-town America lovingly mocked in his first film (Total Film, 20/09/2006)
DVD Description
Celebrating the triumphs and tribulations of the lovable loser is no easy thing, but filmmaker Jared Hess seems to thrive in this specific cinematic exercise. Working fresh off the success of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, Hess finds a similarly endearing hero-without-a-clue in Ignacio, played by Jack Black (HIGH FIDELITY, KING KONG), the title character in NACHO LIBRE. Ignacio, growing up in a poor monastery in Mexico, has dreamed of being a professional wrestler since childhood. This obsession has led him to a thankless adult existence as monastery whipping-boy and chef, serving stale, day-old nacho chips to finicky orphans. In an effort to earn the respect of new nun-hottie Sister Encarnacion (Ana De La Reguera) and escape the monastery into the greedy excess of pro wrestling, Ignacio enters a local amateur competition. Along the way, he picks up the notably scrawny yet tough street urchin Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez) as his tag-team partner. The duo hilariously loses badly and repeatedly to all manner of local wrestling oddities. It is only when Ignacio recognizes a higher goal than money and glory that he can truly compete with his professional idols, including the dreaded and evil champion Ramses. Co-written with Hess's writing partner and wife, Jerusha, and noted screenwriter Mike White (CHUCK & BUCK, THE GOOD GIRL), NACHO LIBRE is stocked with real-life wrestlers doing their thing. Jack Black's over-the-top physical humor blends in perfectly with repeated viewings of his "stretchie pants" and timely flatulence. In concert, the elements fuse to distill a comedy that should appeal to all ages eager to be pinned down in a full-nelson by laughter.
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