Movie review - "Nacho Libre" (2006) **1/2

On one hand its admirable the director of Napoleon Dynamite didn't sell out with his follow up. Despite a high concept sounding idea (Jack Black as a Mexican wrestler), the film goes along its quirky style, confounding expectations (a romantic interest that's unconventional, his wrestler loses most of his games, the final scene), a quirky (sorry I can't think of a better word) sense of humour. It is not American at all - although Black plays an Anglo he's a totally Mexican-ised one, complete with accent, and there are no other American characters or actors. Mexico looks authentically ugly and repressive. I enjoyed the fights, particularly the ones with the two midgets, the weird training montage, and also the fat orphan (how directors love to cast fat kids but I guess it works). I have to admit I would have liked it had it been a bit more Hollywood.