Movie Review: Nacho Libre
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What Parents Should Know
Parents should know this movie contains a lot of comic
action - including some training sessions where Ignacio gets
splattered by food and attacked by bees -- and some violence in
the wrestling ring (body slams, flying leaps, one character
gets a corn cob in the eyesocket). Basically, the stuff
11-year-old boys everywhere will love with nothing to alarm the
parents. Some of Nacho's opponents are quirky characters,
including some feral dwarf wrestlers.
Families can talk about the importance of helping others. Do you have particular gifts (i.e. music, art, ability to talk with others) that could be used to help others? Is it ok for Ignacio to become a masked wrestler, even though the church elders frown on it? Are his motives - helping the orphans - a good enough reason to become a masked wrestler? And how does the Lucha Libre wrestling bring the Mexican community together?
Common Sense Media Review
In the '80s, Jake and Elwood Blues were on a mission from
God to save the orphanage where they were raised. Wacky hijinks
ensued, and the movie lives on in cinematic history.
Now, director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) is on a similar mission, only this time, Jack Black is saving the orphans by moonlighting as a Mexican wrestler. This movie is funny, silly, and sweet, with some of the best writing and characters around. And it may be the only movie with "stretchy pants" that will leave a warm spot in your heart.
Black (who also produced the movie) stars as Ignacio, a cook at the Mexican monastery where he was raised. But he just doesn't fit in. He cares deeply for the orphans he feeds, but the food is terrible. He decides to come up with a plan to make money to buy better food for "the young orphans, who have nothing." And if he can also impress the lovely Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera) at the same time, that would be a big plus.
When he's struck by the idea to earn money as a Lucha Libre wrestler, he discovers he has a natural talent for wrestling (and, indeed, Jack Black is surprisingly agile in the ring!). So he becomes "Nacho Libre," a masked wrestler who takes matches for cash. His training partner, Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez, the scene-stealing "Pedro" of this movie) puts him through his paces, but not without inflicting bodily harm during training sessions gone awry.
A major flaw in Nacho's plan is that wrestling is strictly forbidden by the church elders at the monastery. So he's forced to lead a double life, concealing his true identity with a sky blue mask and painfully tight wrestling garb. For the first time in his life, he fits in and has something to fight for. He tries explaining this to Sister Encarnacion, but she tells him, "Wrestling is a sin. When you fight for someone who needs your help, only then will God bless you."
Given the offbeat nature of the director (Napoleon Dynamite), the star (School of Rock), and the writer (Mike White, who wrote The Good Girl and School of Rock), this movie is destined to go down as a cult classic, with lines you'll be quoting for years. And even if you don't "get" their goofy brand of humor, this is still a sweet movie with a good message about caring for others -- even if Jack Black in tight pants is an image you'd just as soon forget).
Families who like this movie will also like Napoleon Dynamite and School of Rock .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
