Nacho Libre (www.the-usher.com)

"Yes I am Nacho, NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Ignacio (Black) is a man who dreams of becoming a luchador but as the cook in a monastery he can't even think about wrestling, as it is a sin. As the orphans continue to ask for better food, Ignacio decides that he must do something to raise money for them. After meeting local bum (Jiménez), he decides to create a wrestling tag team that will take on all the local luchadors. For he is now Nacho and with God on his side, he will win.

When the writers of 'Napoleon Dynamite' and 'School of Rock' come together to produce a new movie, comedy fans should rejoice but will they be fighting for laughs?

Writer/director Jared Hess, his writing brother Jerusha Hess and actor/writer Mike White combine to write a comedy for cult actor Jack Black but instead of taking the normal romantic comedy or zany American comedy route, they head South of the border into Mexico and the world of the luchador. Mixing one of American best comedic actors and Mexican wrestling could be seen as a stroke of genius and for much part it is but the film suffers from a common complaint for most comedy films, most of the best gags are given away in the trailer.

The film is very much in the same comedic mould as 'Napoleon Dynamite'. The humour is very lethargic and laid back, with the odd injection of slapstick thrown in for good measure. It could even be classed as pretty basic in parts but the film really hits comedy gold when it comes to portraying the wrestling. The bouts are brilliantly staged and even more realistic than anything that the WWE but all the realism aside, this is pure slapstick comedy at its very best. Just watch Nacho and Esqueleto take on the beast wrestlers and you will be laughing out loud. The training sequences are also extremely funny but it is the in between moments that are not as humorous as they could have been. Where these 'quiet' moments in 'Napoleon Dynamite' where quirky because of the geekiness of the characters but Jack Black is a little cooler than Jon Heder character and it is hard to believe that he would lack confidence or feel awkward.

The character of Nacho, a friar who dreams of being a luchador is a great character for Jack Black to play. Already on his way to becoming a cult comedic actor and musician with his rock band Tenacious D, Jack Black has also stepped into mainstream Hollywood with roles in blockbusters like 'King Kong' but it is in his leading performances that he gets the chance to excel. As he did in 'School of Rock', Jack Black throws himself into the character of Nacho and creates someone who is instantly likeable and extremely funny. Never afraid of taking his shirt off, Black excels in the fight scenes loving every moment of Nacho's time in the ring and then brings his usual manic style to Ignacio outside of the ring. This highlights again that Jack Black is one of the best comedic actors working in Hollywood today.

Supporting the leading man are performances from two of Mexico best up and coming actors. Héctor Jiménez plays Esqueleto, the homeless bum who becomes Nacho's wrestling tag team partner. He is an excellent foil to Jack Black's Nacho, as he is the complete opposite, an extremely skinny man who believes in science and not God. The extremely beautiful Ana de la Reguera plays Sister Encarnación, Nacho's conscience and the Nun who drives him to focus on doing good and not falling into the trap of fame and money.

'Nacho Libre' might not be as quirkily funny as 'Napoleon Dynamite' or as commercially amusing as 'School of Rock' but it is nicely in between. The wrestling scenes are hilarious and the cast really have fun with their roles but while the quite moments may not be as funny as they could have been, the film is still destined to become a bit of a cult classic.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented well.

BONUS FEATURES

A Commentary by Jack Black, Jared Hess and Mike White
The star, the director and the co-writer come together to talk and have some fun while watching 'Nacho Libre'. While enjoying some Mexican food, the trio chat, reminisce and make fun of each other for what is a very funny and great listen for fans. This is an extremely well done commentary and one that is definitely worth a listen.

Featurettes (56.07 mins)
Director Jared Hess, producer Julia Pistor, co-writers Jerusha Hess and Mike White and stars Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, Héctor Jiménez, Darius Rose, Cesar Gonzalez, Carla Jimenez and Peter Stormare appear in five featurettes entitled 'Detrás de la Cámara', 'Jack Black Unmasked', 'Lucha Libre', 'Hecho en Mexico' and 'Moviefone Unscripted with Jack Black and Héctor Jiménez'. They take you behind the scenes of the production, taking you on location in Mexico, to the wresting ring with Jack Black and revealing the history of Mexican wresting. You also get star Jack Black and Héctor Jiménez interview each other and answer questions from the public. These are a mix of good and usual, as the behind the scene featurette is fun and very B-Roll but the interviews are your typical promotional material. A good mix however.

Jack Sings (6.18 mins)
Watch Jack Black rehearse and perform the songs 'La canción de Ramses' and 'La canción de Encarnación'.

Deleted Scenes (9.35 mins)
Entitled 'The Way of the Eagle', 'Poem for Ramses' and 'Ramses gets jumped', these deleted or extended scene suffer from the lack of an introduction or commentary to explain why they were delayed.

Promo Spots (1.37 mins)
Watch the TV spots entitled 'History of heroes', 'The fights…' and 'Action figures' that promoted the cinematic release.

Photo Gallery
View images from on the set, of the Luchadors and Nacho

OVERALL

The DVD treat of Nacho Libre is filled with fun featurettes and a great commentary track. This is worth renting/buying for Jack Black's contribution alone. Fans should be very pleased with this DVD.

DVD

Napoleon Dynamite

School of Rock

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2006