Overall Rating
  Awesome: 14.29%
Worth A Look: 23.02%
Average: 11.11%
Pretty Bad: 22.22%
Total Crap: 29.37%
11 reviews, 60 user ratings
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| Nacho Libre |
by William Goss
"Lucha-D'oh!"
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With 'Nacho Libre,' writer/director Jared Hess follows the titular oddball (Jack Black) as he pursues his desire for a wrestling career in an effort to simultaneously earn the affections of the new nun and earn money for the orphans of the Mexican monastery where he cooks. However, Hess is less interested in the token underdog approach, instead opting to chronicle Black as he tries too hard to bring a manic excitement to a series of peculiar episodes that were intended to be humorous yet rarely are. Not so much a sophomore slump as it is a sophomore slouch, the antics before and behind the camera wear out their welcome faster than the elastic lining of Nacho’s stretchy pants.There are certainly moments of undeniable hilarity, ranging from an abrupt locker room baptism to the humorous acrobatic antics of tiny tag-teaming fiends, but as the silliness continues, these nuggets only become increasingly infrequent as the formerly dismissed narrative comes to the forefront and reminds one of just how flimsy and overdone the underdog sports comedy is between each eccentric episode. For a relatively family-friendly farce, there are several scenes that could easily prompt parents to give pause, particularly with the sudden shot of an eye impaled with a corn cob (snort-inducing indeed, but apropos for kids?) and the striking inclusion of the word “douche,” that call the film’s PG rating into question. Many jokes are simply prolonged to an exhausting degree, such as the rampant narration of the X’s and O’s on a letter, and when the proceedings become especially desperate, Black and friends go for the gut and primarily its egress with sporadic fart gags and even the senseless union of feces and face, all of which seem aimed at the fans of other Nickelodeon productions and anyone else who’ll laugh at just about anything.
Hess, teaming up on the screenplay with wife Jerusha (Napoleon Dynamite, also co-written and directed by Jared) and previous Black collaborator Mike White (School of Rock, Orange County), continues to obey the juvenile logic and tacky sensibility that contributed to his previous film, perhaps doing so with a greater eagerness to mirror the cult sensation of its predecessor and/or simply spoiled by the financial influence and subsequent pressures of Hollywood to duplicate such success. The era and location remain curiously timeless, while characters manage to be too immature and naïve to write off as innocent. The tone is so similar to that of Dynamite, one wonders exactly what contribution White makes to the whole deal, save for his position as producer alongside – gasp! – his buddy Black. While not so much a screenplay as a scenario from which their lead can improvise and trot around his pudgy profile in tights as often as he pleases, Hess just points the camera in the same strange manner as before, never knowing when to pick up the slack. (And how would one exactly waste an appearance by scene-stealing Peter Stormare? Watch and learn.) Even the individual efforts of Danny Elfman and Beck on the soundtrack front manage to be similarly lackluster.
Hess opts to let Black loose, who then rarely attempts to actually portray Nacho as little more than a caricature. Instead, he’s always just Jack Black, armed with the most out-RAGE-ous accent this side of Monty Python, mugging in every other frame, and even going so far as to bust out a few of his Tenacious D trademarks. Just because Larry the Cable Guy smuggled in a few of his stand-up staples into Cars doesn’t make it right, and eventually, it seems that Black has nothing more to offer than the same old schtick which, not unlike Vince Vaughn, works in fits (School of Rock) but is ultimately ineffective. Ana de la Reguera’s heavenly nun, an amalgam of Penelope Cruz and Paz Vega, manages to sit pretty as well as anyone could possibly ask for, providing a dual voice of reason and object of desire with suitable grace. However, Héctor Jiménez’ sidekick, named Esqueleto (“The Skeleton,” after his gangly features), displays his toothy grin on cue, endures the majority of awkward abuse, and repeatedly whines out lines like “I don’t believe in God. I only believe in science.” to the point where certain creative forces appear to be striving to recreate their prior success with pre-packaged quotes and zany non-sequiturs. Like it or not, Napoleon’s humor worked because of convincing characters and believable performances, which is where Nacho’s nuttiness ultimately stumbles.
One wonders if matters would be any better without the occasional promise of ideal idiocy shining through, such as the startling relocation of Esqueleto’s hefty admirer or Nacho screaming “Get that corn out of my face!,” proving that there may be potential, most of which has been squandered by numerous gas emissions and simply unbridled lunacy. (Black’s priceless reaction to the apparent resurrection of the practically deceased is presented in the trailers, yet is swiftly spoiled by so little as an alternate angle in the final product.) For a good while, the gags are generally hit-or-miss, but the halfway point marks a noticeable decline, dissolving into a frustrating display of eccentricity without energy. While claims of racism are slightly strong, that particular notion isn’t hard to argue; of equal near-offense is the treatment of the religious aspects. Yet, even in spite of those factors and in consideration of the alleged frivolous demeanor, the intelligence level is one of questionable condescension. Silly and stupid need not be synonymous, but try telling that to Black, White, and Hess.This is all coming from a guy who would otherwise find it difficult to begrudge any movie in which a character declares that they hate all of the orphans in all of the world. However, a few cumbersome chuckles and startling snickers do not a solid comedy make, and 'Nacho' manages to develop into something beyond scattershot and beyond derivative, a thoroughly madcap effort that is occasionally smirk-inducing and rarely anything more.
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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=14549&reviewer=409
originally posted: 06/24/06 10:13:44
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2006 CineVegas Film Festival For more in the 2006 CineVegas Film Festival series, click here.
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USA
16-Jun-2006 (PG)
DVD: 24-Oct-2006
UK
11-Aug-2006
Australia
14-Sep-2006
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