"Nacho Libre" - On DVD

Left: Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez) and Nacho (Jack Black) confer on tactics.


I missed "Nacho Libre" when it came out last year, but I looked forward to seeing it. Reminded me of my childhood, when all Albuquerque children used to skip past the religious programming on Sunday morning to watch local wrestling matches on KOAT-TV (Jack London was the promoter, I believe), and in particular to watch our local hero, Ricky Romero, pound various obscure out-of-towners into the mat.

Of course, Mexican wrestling has become far more bizarre and fantastical over the years. It is truly a very odd sport, and wildly popular in Mexico.

But who is this Jack Black, and would he do the subject justice?

I don't think the movie (Jared Hess, Director; Jerusha Hess Writer) does the subject justice, but that's not the intent. Instead, a heart-warming and simple story line is wedded to colorful locations in Oaxaca, Mexico, and some truly erratic and bizarre happenings. This movie is the first in a long time to make me bust out laughing!

Here is the story line, from imdb.com:

Nacho (Jack Black) is a young man who was raised in a monastery in Mexico and now works there as the cook. Fueled by his passion for wrestling, he dons a mask and cape and picks up a partner to compete in a local Lucha Libre tournament to try for the $200 prize so he can buy better food for the kids and achieve respect. When a new nun, Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera), arrives at the monastery, he tries to win her adoration as well while attempting to prove that being a Luchador isn't a sin and win the grand prize at a battle royal tournament so he can buy a bus for the kids.

The music was very odd - neither Mexican or American, but from some altogether different dimension. The reason is apparently that Danny Elfman composed much of it.

A fun fact: "During some of the wrestling scenes they used blow up dolls to replace some of the audience. Supposedly, they cost much less than extras and they looked real."

Here are some quotes, many involving Nacho's tag-team partner, Esqueleto (Skeleton, played winningly by Hector Jimenez) and the orphan Chancho (Darius Rose). The quotes seem very Mexican, somehow. Makes me wonder if they also did a parallel movie, in Spanish. It would seem logical to do so, but quien sabe?:

Nacho: Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun.

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Esqueleto: I don't believe in God, I believe in science.

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Nacho: I'm a little concerned right now. About... your salvation and stuff. How come you have not been baptized?
Esqueleto: Because I never got around to it ok? I dunno why you always have to be judging me because I only believe in science.

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Nacho: Ok. Orphans! Listen to Ignacio. I know it is fun to wrestle. A nice piledrive to the face... or a punch to the face... but you cannot do it. Because, it is in the Bible not to wrestle your neighbour.
Chancho: So you've never wrestled?
Nacho: Me? No. Come on. Don't be crazy. I know the wrestlers get all the fancy ladies, and the clothes, and the fancy creams and lotions. But my life is good! Really good! I get to wake up every morning, at 5AM, and make some soup! It's the best. I love it. I get to lay in a bed, all by myself, all of my life! That's fantastic! Go. Go away! Read some books!

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Nacho: Those eggs were a lie, Esqueleto. A LIE! They give me no eagle powers! They give me no nutrients!
Esqueleto: Sorry.
Nacho: I don't want to get paid to lose. I wanna win!

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Nacho: I'm not listening to you! You only believe in Science. That's probably why we never win!
Esqueleto: We never win because you are fat!

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Nacho: Beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man, we find his... nucleus.

A great, heartwarming film! Check it out!