Nacho Libre
How can I free myself from the mundane tasks I’m now doing to become what God truly wants me to be? (And if it just so happens that I’m lousy at what I think God wants me to be, can I blame God for it?)
Those questions are at the heart of Nacho Libre, the new Paramount comedy by the writer/director of 2004’s cult hit Napoleon Dynamite. Nacho Libre literally means “free nacho,� and the 1-hour and 40-minute film follows the haphazard journey of Ignacio “Nacho� (Jack Black), an orphan turned friar. Nacho seeks to break free from his humble occupation as an orphanage cook to become one of Mexico’s greatest lucha libre wrestlers. Lucha libre, which means freestyle fighting, is a form of professional wrestling begun in Mexico in the 1930s, and this PG film captures some of its quirkiness. The script, co-written by director Jared Hess and his wife, Jerusha, has several funny situations, but seems more a collection of gags or sketches than a cohesive story.
En route to his dream, Nacho faces some obstacles. The monks and beautiful Sister Encarnación (Ana de la Reguera) think wrestling is ungodly and its heroes “false idols.� And then there’s Nacho’s own lack of talent. He keeps on losing, but the loser’s share of the purse helps him buy better food for the orphanage anyway. “I don’t want to get paid to lose. I want to win,� Nacho says, praying: “Precious Father, why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior?�
Nacho seems all style – bad style – and little substance. Just when it seems he’s on a path to victory and the crowd chants his name, he revels in the moment, ripping open his shirt rather than finishing the match. He gets clobbered and loses again.
Like many of us, Nacho searches for quick fixes to his success – a better outfit, “Eagle powers,� a professional classification – rather than having the discipline to work hard for what he desires. Yet what passes as training for Nacho is slapstick silliness. Although Nacho’s own songs are comical, he is like the songwriter who confess that “God gave me� the words to a song so bad that God couldn’t be the one to blame.
Nacho tries to keep his moonlighting a secret, but is discovered by one of the orphans trying out his lame pants. “Chancho, when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room,� he tells the boy. “It’s for fun.� When he is finally unmasked, he announces his desire to win for the orphans, “so the school could have a bus for fieldtrips.� The sister responds, “If you fight for something noble, something right, only then will God bless you.� But is that always the case?
This film’s namesake, nachos, are fun food – especially if they’re accompanied by other fun foods. But at about 50 calories per chip, they’re not very nutritious. They simply don’t deliver nutrition if you’re really hungry.
Nacho Libre has moments of sheer fun. But it neither captures the magic of Napoleon Dynamite nor does it present a coherent retelling of a hero’s journey. And if you didn’t like or get Napoleon Dynamite in the first place, you might as well stay clear away from Nacho Libre. But if this kind of humor is for you, then bring the salsa, melted cheese and bean dip.
Those questions are at the heart of Nacho Libre, the new Paramount comedy by the writer/director of 2004’s cult hit Napoleon Dynamite. Nacho Libre literally means “free nacho,� and the 1-hour and 40-minute film follows the haphazard journey of Ignacio “Nacho� (Jack Black), an orphan turned friar. Nacho seeks to break free from his humble occupation as an orphanage cook to become one of Mexico’s greatest lucha libre wrestlers. Lucha libre, which means freestyle fighting, is a form of professional wrestling begun in Mexico in the 1930s, and this PG film captures some of its quirkiness. The script, co-written by director Jared Hess and his wife, Jerusha, has several funny situations, but seems more a collection of gags or sketches than a cohesive story.
En route to his dream, Nacho faces some obstacles. The monks and beautiful Sister Encarnación (Ana de la Reguera) think wrestling is ungodly and its heroes “false idols.� And then there’s Nacho’s own lack of talent. He keeps on losing, but the loser’s share of the purse helps him buy better food for the orphanage anyway. “I don’t want to get paid to lose. I want to win,� Nacho says, praying: “Precious Father, why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior?�
Nacho seems all style – bad style – and little substance. Just when it seems he’s on a path to victory and the crowd chants his name, he revels in the moment, ripping open his shirt rather than finishing the match. He gets clobbered and loses again.
Like many of us, Nacho searches for quick fixes to his success – a better outfit, “Eagle powers,� a professional classification – rather than having the discipline to work hard for what he desires. Yet what passes as training for Nacho is slapstick silliness. Although Nacho’s own songs are comical, he is like the songwriter who confess that “God gave me� the words to a song so bad that God couldn’t be the one to blame.
Nacho tries to keep his moonlighting a secret, but is discovered by one of the orphans trying out his lame pants. “Chancho, when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room,� he tells the boy. “It’s for fun.� When he is finally unmasked, he announces his desire to win for the orphans, “so the school could have a bus for fieldtrips.� The sister responds, “If you fight for something noble, something right, only then will God bless you.� But is that always the case?
This film’s namesake, nachos, are fun food – especially if they’re accompanied by other fun foods. But at about 50 calories per chip, they’re not very nutritious. They simply don’t deliver nutrition if you’re really hungry.
Nacho Libre has moments of sheer fun. But it neither captures the magic of Napoleon Dynamite nor does it present a coherent retelling of a hero’s journey. And if you didn’t like or get Napoleon Dynamite in the first place, you might as well stay clear away from Nacho Libre. But if this kind of humor is for you, then bring the salsa, melted cheese and bean dip.
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