Summon your eagle power

I’m a huge Jack Black fan. I’ve always been partial to this self-deprecating, hilarious comedian’s antics on the silver screen and I’ve enjoyed laughing like a hyena watching his movies and his other comedic stints. I also recently was introduced to his musical side as half of the duo Tenacious D and I am so hooked on them right now it isn’t even funny. I nearly keeled over watching the videos of Tribute and Wonderboy. Indeed, Jack Black is one of the many comedians I love watching and I make it a point to see all of his movies.

I was truly excited to watch his latest film offering, Nacho Libre, the story of young friar Ignacio who chases his dream of becoming a famous wrestler in Mexico. Young Ignacio has always dreamed of being a famous luchador, but having grown up in a monastery he has been told his whole life that wrestling is a sin. So he becomes a monk and fulfills his priestly duties at the monastery and while he loves the orphans he cannot help but be disappointed at the outcome of his life as he exists in scheduled monotony. He is also frustrated that he cannot provide better food for the young orphans, the other monks, and a beautiful young nun named Sister Encarnacion. But then fate steps in when a local wrestling competition offers a cash prize. Ignacio sees it as an opportunity not only to provide for everybody but as a means to fulfill his lifelong dream as well. Enlisting a local homeless man as his partner, they become Nacho Libre and Esqueleto — an amateur tag team looking to make it to the top.

It’s a really simple plot actually written by Mike White (of School of Rock) and directed by Jared Hess but the movie is truly greater than the sum of its parts. This is largely due to the fabulous performance of Jack Black as Ignacio/Nacho and I’m not just saying that because I’m a fan. He truly brought this loveable eccentric character to life on the screen and instantly endeared himself to everyone. Everything he does is hilarious and memorable, including his mobile eyebrow expressions and his perfectly strange Mexican accent. Not to mention, he has a huge stockpile of quotes that will surely be quoted long after the movie hits DVD. As a matter of fact, I’m still quoting him now! Indeed, no one could have played Nacho Libre like Jack Black: "That eagle egg was a lie! It gave me no eagle powers! It gave me no nutrients!"

The rest of the cast was excellent as well, especially Nacho’s loveable but thoroughly strange and quite grotesque sidekick Esqueleto played perfectly by Hector Jimenez. This bone-thin (hence the name) tag-team partner is the perfect antithesis to Nacho’s strong belief and warrior of God ways. I cracked up when he kept reiterating that he was simply "a man of science" and his many insane but played-down costumes perfectly played against Nacho’s out-there looks. Not to mention their rapport is excellent and watching them fight in the ring is a laugh a minute especially during their first few fights when they are totally whooped! "Remember that one time when the crowd was chanting my name… and I used my strength… to rip my blouse…"

Being shot in Mexico, the movie really looks like an independent Mexican film. You can truly appreciate the bright reds, yellows, vivid blues and greens that make up so many Mexican films. I think this really made the movie work and set the stage perfectly to bring together all the other elements of the film.

Everything in this movie fits together, producing a piece that is hilarious but warm, personable and thought-provoking as well. The timeless message of following your dreams is, of course, present but is not portrayed in the conventional way. Basically, the sum of wrestling, monks, orphans, toast, blouses, corn, stretchy pants and improvised songs equals a comedy that is totally worth watching.

I have to give kudos to the director (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) for keeping this movie PG. These days, while so many comedies lean towards excessive toilet humor or over-the-top sexual innuendo, Nacho Libre is able to make people laugh just as hard with simple good, clean (albeit weird) humor. I was actually quite surprised when I heard the film got mixed reviews. For me, it was simply excellent and in my mind those critics who gave it bad reviews simply couldn’t understand it or lack the faculties to appreciate that kind of out-of-the-box humor (poor them!).

Nacho Libre was fantastic!