A Terribly Awesome Jack Black Movie Is Leaving Netflix
Jack Black is one of the best slapstick comedians out there, and his best offering of that style is soon to leave Netflix, so watch the movie before it disappears.
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Jack Black is one of the best and most zaniness actors in the world. He often puts a ton of energy into his roles, offering up a high level of slapstick comedy like the old greats. One of his best and most notable characters is that of Nacho Libre, which is set to leave Netflix in just a couple of days, so make sure you take the time to watch this “terrible on purpose” comedy. The slapstick and wrestling film will be taking its leave on April 1st, so make sure to watch one of the most charming films from 2006.
Nacho Libre was made by the same director of Napoleon Dynamite, Jared Hess. His style and delivery are that of Wes Anderson, with a ton more of the classic slapstick style of comedy. There are plenty of people falling, getting hit, and generally hurting themselves for the humor of the audience. And no one does that better than Jack Black. Black plays the titular role of Nacho, who is a monk that has bigger aspirations of becoming a Lucha Libre wrestler. Though he is responsible for feeding all the kids at the orphanage he works for, he often spends time with his head in the clouds dreaming of a different life among the crowds of the arena. His wild and only friend, Esqueleto, becomes his tag-team partner once they begin to wrestle. However, the pair often lose, though they are the crowd’s favorites. Nacho also has the love interest of the beautiful, Sister Encarnación, though they cannot be together due to their vows being taken for the church.
A fun fact about Nacho Libre is that Jack Black wrote all the songs that he sings in the film. Black is a known musician and has a band known as Tenacious D, which pairs him with fellow comedian, Kyle Gass. One of those songs is that of Encarnación, which Nacho sings in the showers to Esqueleto. The lyrics were all of Black’s design, though there was drama for the score of the film being shared by both the comedian and famed composer, Danny Elfman. Black was charged with writing the score of the film, which director Jared Hess had recommended, but Paramount was worried about the music, so they brought in Danny Elfman. Through some tough negotiations, Hess didn’t allow Black’s music to be forgotten and only used 2/3 of Elfman’s score, leaving the men to share credit at the end of the day. You can see a video of Black’s lyrical genius below:
Jack Black also reportedly did most of his own stunts in the film, one of which left the man severely injured. After attempting to jump from the wrestling ring, Black fell onto a chair, which resulted in a black eye and laceration that required stitches. There is a ton of great moves and moments in this film, and it adds an even higher level of respect for his commitment to the slapstick humor of this film.
Nacho Libre was only able to reel in just under $100 million in worldwide box office numbers, with a $35 million budget, making it seem like a bit of a box office flop. However, the film became a cult classic and has been talked about as one of the best Jack Black movies ever made. The Rotten Tomatoes scores for the film are not pleasant either, with a 40% critic rating and 54% audience rating. Though all these details make this film sound worse than it is, it is meant to be terrible on purpose. The film is very aware of its own silliness, and that is why it has turned into such a huge cult classic. You don’t have to take Nacho Libre seriously at all, and that is where the charm comes from.
Nacho Libre is currently on Netflix, but fans and those who have not seen it, only have two more days to watch a film that truly shines in its attempts to not take itself seriously. The premise alone is enough to showcase those facts. A monk who wants to be a wrestler is the perfect combination of the skillset that Jack Black possesses. Watch the film now before it disappears on April 1st.
