Nacho Libre

Sound:

"Nacho Libre" is presented with Dolby Digital English 5.1 and both French and Spanish 5.1 soundtracks. English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles are also provided. The 5.1 multi-channel surround mix is decent enough, but practically identical to the standard definition release. Most of the soundtrack is contained in the front three channels. Dialogue is very clean and clear, though I didn´t follow what some of the ring announcers were saying. The .1 LFE channel and the rear surrounds are hardly used by the film´s soundtrack. Environmental or ambient sound effects are sparse through the film. The film´s score and musical selections are carried nicely through the front channels of the film. The film´s wrestling sequences, which do not last very long, are meant more for a few quick comedic moments than they are to present an audio experience. Hard hits on the mats would have been great moments to exhibit a little bass, but these sequences hardly challenge the Dolby Digital format. In the end, "Nacho Libre" was about as flat in its soundtrack as the film was in its laughs.

Extras:

Having been billed as a "Special Collector´s Edition" on DVD, the moniker was dropped for the High Definition versions, though the special features are the same slate. If there is any redeeming quality to the home video release of "Nacho Libre," it is the decent number of supplements packed onto the release´s single disc. The Dinner and A Commentary by Jack Black, Jared Hess and Mike White finds the film´s star, director and producer munching down on some authentic Mexican food and delivering a commentary track discussing "Nacho Libre." The commentary track provides tasty morsels on the making of the film and also a couple of laughs. Jack Black is an interesting character and he delivered better lines in the commentary track than he did in the film. With three people taking part in the "Dinner and a Movie" discussion, there were entirely too many moments where they simply sat back and watched the film with a viewer. The scene where Jack Black goes searching for an Eagle Egg was almost completely absent of comments by the trio.

Five featurettes follow the commentary and provides roughly an hour of footage on the making of the film. Detras de la Camara runs for twenty nine minutes. I´m going to guess the title translates to "Making of the Film." I could be wrong. Featuring hand camera footage and more polished views on the making of "Nacho Libre," this featurette is easily the best supplement of the release. Jack Black Unmasked! is a thirteen minute EPK style vignette where Jack Black takes viewers on a tour of the making of the film and was apparently shown on Nickelodeon. The quick Lucha Libre takes a quick look at Mexican wrestling. Hecho en Mexico shows the locales used for the making of the film. "Lucha Libre" and "Hecho en Mexico" run for about six minutes combined. Finally, Moviefone Unscripted with Jack Black and Hector Jimenez is a nine minute chat with the film´s tag-team wrestling partners where they interview each other with audience supplied questions.

A number of smaller, yet still entertaining features are found after the featurettes. Jack Sings finds Jack singing the songs "La Cancion de Ramses" and "La Cancion De Encarnacion." He sings these songs in the film, but these are more ´cut-loose´ performances with some behind-the-scenes moments pertaining to the songs. Three Deleted Scenes are provided – "The Way of the Eagle," "Poem for Ramses" and "Ramses Gets Jumped." Running for nine and a half minutes, the scenes have a couple laughs, but don´t really add much to the storyline. Three Promo Spots, an El Tigre Promo Spot and a Photo Gallery finish off the supplements for "Nacho Libre."

Closing Comments:

"Nacho Libre" was not very Nacho Grande for this reviewer. I was disappointed, as I mentioned in my review of the standard edition DVD. I did not look forward to watching it yet again on the high definition formats. But for journalistic purposes, I sat down and watched it twice more. In all honesty, I was able to swallow the film a bit easier with each repeated viewing, but this may very well be simply because my hopes were already dashed and I was just fitting into a familiar pattern. If you watch something enough times, you can find yourself comfortable doing so and I tend to believe after enough viewings, even "Salo: 120 Days of Sodom" can become pedestrian. As was the case with the DVD release, the Blu-ray release is unimpressive in its story, visuals and sound and hardly outdoes the standard definition release. Fortunately, it does contain a decent number of supplements. I´d expect a lot of others would find equal disappointment in "Nacho Libre" and ultimately cannot recommend this film.

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