If you're looking for some sort of epic or life-enhancing entertainment, don't go see "Nacho Libre."
But if you feel like turning your brain off for about two hours in an air-conditioned setting with cozy seats under your butt and cupholders on each side, then "Nachoooooooooo" it is.
The plot: Ah, nothing really special, but "Nacho" does come through in four zany categories of cinematic sweetness.
First category of sweetness:
Similarity to "Napoleon Dynamite."
If you like the humor in "Napoleon," then you will like this film. Jared Hess, co-writer and director of "Napoleon" and "Nacho," is no dummy. He uses the same sort of techniques in both films to get laughs off-the-wall props, plenty of great one-liners and a good balance between subtle and outrageous jokes.
And just like Napoleon, Nacho likes to draw. Plus, most of the cast besides Jack Black are unknown actors. So the film has a nice, pure quality like the actors had in the old "Star Wars" and recent "Napoleon" films. These actors have everything to prove and nothing to lose, so they're giving it their all.
Second category of sweetness:
The soundtrack.
The Beck songs are awesome and fit into the film like a glove, really complimenting each scene. Black sings a couple ditties that bring about side-splitting laughs. It's especially funny when he bursts into an impromptu jam with a mariachi band.
And if that's not enough, Danny Elfman (composer for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Chicago" and the main theme of "The Simpsons") kicks in with the rest of the soundtrack, composing some great action tunes for anything from wrestling to church scenes.
Third category of sweetness:
The wrestling.
The wrestling scenes utilize ultra-creative moves and are very funny. At one point, Black gives a wedgie to another wrestler wearing gold underwear.
Fourth category of sweetness:
Jack Black.
You can say, "Oh, I don't like that Jack Black character. I don't think he's funny except I guess he was kind of funny in 'Saving Silverman.'" But he really kicks it up a notch for this film.
Just watching him parade around in his ridiculous wrestling costume is something else. And it's great how he does this goofy little hop, skip and a jump thing before he runs anywhere. He delivers some wonderfully hilarious one-liners in a broken Spanish accent.
To top it all off, he even pulls off a couple fart jokes. Everyone knows that when a fart joke is pulled off properly, you can't help but crack a smile that builds into a chuckle.
So if you're looking for a good way to beat the heat, go see "Nacho Libre," and enjoy a couple good belly laughs.