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Nacho Libre (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:159
Fresh:62
Rotten:97
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: At times hilarious, but other times offensive, Director Jared Hess is unable to recapture the collective charisma of his Napoleon characters, instead relying on a one-joke concept that runs out of steam. Sure to entertain the adolescents, however.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $80,197,993
Synopsis: 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... 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, SCHOOL OF ROCK), 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. [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Ana DeLa Reguera, Hector Jiminez, Peter Stormare
Starring: Jack Black, Ana DeLa Reguera, Hector Jiminez, Peter Stormare, Darius Rose
Director: Jared Hess
Director: Jared Hess
Screenwriter: Mike White, Jerusha Hess
Producer: Mike White, Jack Black
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Nacho Libre
It's more outrageous than hilarious, yet Nacho Libre has the same kind of sweet poignancy its filmmaker Jared Hess brought to his 2004 cult hit Napoleon Dynamite.
Jared Hess's far too self consciously campy comedy that takes a one-note joke and beats that dead horse until it's a fine paste splayed all over the ground
Makes you stare first in bemusement, then in boredom, finally in slight nausea
Hess has the most languid sense of comic timing since Bill Murray at his peak.
Any production featuring Jack Black in spandex and showing off his belly full of stretch marks should never have made it off the drawing board in the first place.
Physical violence, silliness and gross-out moments (suspect gooey substances flow frequently) abound, but Nacho Libre is not without its occasional charms.
Gives you more reason than ever to love Black's death scene in 1997's The Jackal.
A film with a steady stream of laughter enclosed is a great cure for those with the "World Cup" blues.
There's a fine line between funny and stupid, and director Jared Hess can't find it.
This is all about Jack Black being Jack Black, funny and well-conceived wrestling action, and catch-you-off-guard comedy. Nacho has all of those things in a headlock.
Puts another monkey on Jack Black's back, but this time it isn't several stories tall, it doesn't have a thing for blondes and it doesn't famously destroy New York real estate. In this case, it's the script.
Nacho Libre a le mérite d'être une comédie désopilante faisant rire son public par des élans somme toute forts singuliers, mais inspirés, à défaut d'être très subtils
Beyond its sight gags and kitschy camp appeal, 'Nacho Libre' is a comedy that earns its underdog ambitions.
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