Fabulous Film & Friends
A podcast for the true cineaste. This podcast examines the impact great or memorable films have on us both personally and culturally. If you've ever bonded with someone or joined a lively discussion circle based on your love of cinema, this is the podcast for you.
Fabulous Film & Friends
Ep. # 102 - A MINECRAFT MOVIE v. Nacho Libre: The BEST of Jared Hess Part II-Enter Jack Black
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Welcome to our 102nd Blockbuster Episode, The BEST of Jared Hess Part 2: Enter Jack Black where we will discuss and dissect the afore-mentioned actor and director pairings starting with 2006’s Nacho Libre starring Jack Black, Héctor Jiménez, Ana de la Reguera, Darius Rose and Peter Stormare compared to 2025’s megahit blockbuster A Minecraft Movie starring Black again, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, Danielle Brooks Dawn, Jennifer Coolidge and Jemaine Clement.
My solitary guest tonight is the only muchacho bold enough to help me fill our pockets with cinematic diamonds — a man worthy of a hearty Roman forearm handshake. Please welcome fellow former Treasure Valley dweller and ultimate fighting challenge boss, Dr. David Johnson, DMD.
Before we enter that rickety old mineshaft, the synopses:
In Nacho Libre:
Ignacio, A humble Mexican monastery cook dreams of becoming a word famous luchador to earn respect and help the orphans he cares for. Against all odds — and with plenty of epic fails — he embraces his destiny in the wrestling ring.
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
Siblings Henry and Natalie, new residents in the town of Chuglass Idaho, along with has been gaming world champ Garrett Garrison and their realtor Dawn, arewhisked into the blocky Overworld, where they must team up with Steve—a legendary Minecrafter—to survive and find their way home.
How do these two films rank in Jared Hess’ filmography?
Find out!
Watch the video on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/-gj94ElQobk
And now it's time for fabulous filming friends. Welcome to our 102nd blockbuster episode, The Best of Jared Hess Part 2, Enter Jack Black, where we will discuss and dissect the aforementioned actor and director pairing starting with 2006's Nacho Libre, starring Jack Black, Hector Jimenez, Ana de la Raguera, Darius Rose, and Peter Stramari, compared to 2025's Mega Hit Blockbuster, a Minecraft movie, starring Black again, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Sebastian Dean Hansen, Danielle Brooks Dawn, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jermaine Clement. My solitary guest tonight is the only Muchacho bold enough to help me fill our pockets with cinematic diamonds, a man worthy of a hearty Roman forearm handshake. Please welcome fellow former Treasure Valley Dweller and Ultimate Fighting Challenge boss, Dr. David Johnson DMD. Welcome, Dave.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Happy to be here.
SPEAKER_00Uh, you got anything funny, quippy to say to start us off?
SPEAKER_02Um You know, as as I was watching Minecraft, um Jack Black! You know, that's that just reminded me. That's all I got, you know. Sorry. What the hell was that?
SPEAKER_00I thought you were the chicken jockey! You sound sounded like a preteen.
SPEAKER_02Preteen in the front row trying to raise my voice. Like Jack Black!
SPEAKER_00Okay. That's the best I got. That's alright. That's better than Alex any old day. Uh before we enter that rickety old mine shaft, the synopsis! In Nacho Libre, Ignacio, a humble Mexican monastery cook, dreams of becoming a world-famous lucador to earn respect and help the orphans he cares for. Against all odds and with plenty of epic fails, he embraces his destiny in the wrestling ring. A Minecraft movie, siblings Henry and Natalie, new residents to the town of Chugless, Idaho, along with has been gaming world champ Garrett Garrison and their realtor Don, are whisked into the blocky overworld, where they must team up with Steve, a legendary Minecrafter, to survive and find their way home. How do these two films rank in Jared Hess's filmography? As and Jack Black's, for that matter? Find out! Alright, Dave, you are fresh from Minecraft, and I assume you've you're fresh from watching or re-watching Nacho Libre. Which film is better?
SPEAKER_02Ooh. Um I I I really like Nacho Libre. But um I like Minecraft better. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Alright.
SPEAKER_02I I thought it I thought it was a I mean, I do see Jared has his fingerprints all over Minecraft. You know, it's in Idaho. The humor, the look.
SPEAKER_00Have you been to Chugglis?
SPEAKER_02I've never heard of Chugglis. I've been to Jerome.
SPEAKER_00I think that Chugglis was a map painting, a cinematic or a computerized map painting the whole time. Or at least.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah. But I'm sure it's a thriving town in the potato state. But um, you know, I I uh I don't know much about Minecraft. Um my youngest played it, but um I actually liked that. I enjoyed the movie. Yeah. Um is it Jared Hess's best? I still have one better, you know, it's not his best, but uh I I like I'll put it ahead of Nacho Libre.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, me too. Now again, so we might we might get into a fight here. I didn't like Nacho Libre. Now I've only seen I've I've this is a running jump. I finally finished it like maybe twice before I you know I mentioned the previous Jared Hess podcast. I didn't I couldn't finish it, I didn't like it. This time I, you know, I I didn't hate it, but I I still think it was off. You know, like off and not that funny.
SPEAKER_02And I'll be honest, since we did the other podcast, I would probably put Gentleman Broncos above Nacho Libre.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02No, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I put it above Minecraft too.
SPEAKER_02Oh, you do?
SPEAKER_00Just for sheer hilarity. I didn't laugh that hard at Minecraft. I like Minecraft, Minecraft was pleasant, but Minecraft to me was frustrating. Like it was funny, it had a good vibe, and against all odds, he made Jack Black likable again, you know? Yeah. Because I was definitely sick of his shit. Yeah. Um, so he was fine. He I he you know, he and um Jason Mamola actually worked, but they didn't work well enough, is my quest my problem. Like they it's one of those things where he just I like his filmmaking style, and especially with what Nacho Libre, I don't know if he doesn't care or if he just uh is lazy, which I guess are one and the same thing, right? Like he he doesn't connect dots very well. So with the n so Napoleon Dynamite didn't matter. It's just the whole John Heater is just carrying this movie, and the movie's funny, and it doesn't matter that it's off or you know, the plot's nothing, right? It just has to get vote Pedro and has to prove himself awesome, right? So he's he does that. It's a simple story, it it all works. There's nothing to there's nothing to really connect. It it does it's all sort of episodic little you know little flights of fancy anyway. So then you get into the natural libre, and I'm like, yeah, I get what he's going for, but I don't think in my Catholic mindset, he he you know, he why didn't he just stick with what he knew which was Mormons? You know, basically the point of the movie is in a world where you uh like have this sort of set behavioral pattern or set sort of code, he loves something that's forbidden fruit, right? So it seems like, well, he doesn't understand the Catholic world very well, or at least the monastic life, it it just is all nonsense, right? Yeah, so it he could have been anywhere, right? So to me, it's like, well, write what you know. Like it's not offensive. I'm like, oh my god, I'm offended by his lack of knowledge of the inner workings of a monastery. It doesn't, it doesn't matter, but it just like, well, this could have been anywhere, you know? Like, so at least if you're going to pinpoint it and make it like because the one thing that's funny about what we talked about is um Napoleon Dynamite, is it's specifically about northern or southern Idaho, right? It's like veering into Utah. It's like it's funny because it's so specifically up about a place that we know. Now, maybe the world didn't, but that doesn't matter if you know if you write what you know, it's always it always comes out. So Nacho Libre, I just didn't think it worked, and I don't yeah, I don't remember laughing that I just like I laughed two times. I laughed when the midgets came out, like the hell midgets. I laughed that that was funny, and I laughed when he goes, hug, little hug, big kiss, little hug, little kiss, big. That's the two laughs I can give you where I where I legitimately laughed out loud. After that, I'm like, I'm not sure this is working.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, I mean when I I liked it. Um obviously it's not on the same level as Napoleon, Napoleon Dynamite. It's just it's just funny throughout the entire movie for me. Yeah, um, and I think um and Gentleman Broncos, there's some funny parts in that, and right that that I laugh much harder Gentleman Broncos for sure. The the writer is my favorite character in that piece. No, no, no, I don't like it.
SPEAKER_00We've we talked about it, yeah. Jermaine Clement and Jermaine Clement's funny in Minecraft, yeah. You know, the whole bit of selling, you know, the auctioneer at the at the self-storage. That was funny, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, but I I'm I guess I'm looking at Minecraft. I mean, you know, that's a big budget film. Sure. And um and he I think he tried to get that same look from Gentleman Broncos, you know.
SPEAKER_00It felt like small town. Honestly, didn't it feel more like a glorified Gentleman Broncos than anything? It did, yeah. It definitely felt like a cousin to that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So is is it better than Gentleman Broncos? I mean, I guess it depends on the day and what mood I'm in. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00Well, it's okay. He's got way more money behind it, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So it's it's definitely slicker, and it had some reasonably funny. I I didn't remember laughing. I just like the idea. I like the idea of Jack Black and Jason Momo being bros. I thought that was funny, you know, like naturally, oh okay, instead of them just being rivals the whole time. I like that they gave each other the Roman handshake and like yeah, but then then then he's he's inconsistent with it. So that whole part where he goes, I'm just broke, man. I uh uh you know, I'm sorry, I needed the diamonds to become a loser, and then and then Jack Black goes, man, sorry about your your finances, bro. And he goes, Shut up, Steve. And like, wait, yeah, that's not consistent. It shouldn't have been he should have just I know, man. I know it's it's hard, you know. It should have just been walking off in him that like I didn't get like okay, this is an inconsistent movie. That whole there just his whole he just doesn't okay. It's fine in Gen 1 Broncos, it didn't matter, but in this movie it is more plot-oriented. So I was like irritated that he didn't like come on, like the girl and Dawn, the the the the the daughter the older sister and Dawn get separated by what a fire and they're like oh we we'll meet you some like wait okay now it's just what the hell they just wanted to separate them, so it didn't matter like it all just seemed like okay, he doesn't care. He I just think they needed to punctuate the plot a bit, and they definitely needed to punctuate the plot on the rules of Minecraft, you know. Like I just thought they took it all for granted, and it just seems like they take it for granted.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I that was the one thing for me. I guess I I don't know anything about it. I know there's an Enderman because my son played it, and I know there's zombies.
SPEAKER_00I didn't know they were but they took it, it all happened way too fast in my mind.
SPEAKER_02And and you know, and maybe it's just hitting the crowd, the younger crowd who do know Minecraft. I you know, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00But even if you know it, they you gotta take the audience through it. So yeah, I just think rule number one is explore the world for a bit to set up the rules. They you know, it's uh look, I bring up Spider-Man all the time. I bring up Deadpool. Those movies don't set up the world very well. You know, Spider-Man one was the huge, like everybody loves that movie. It's terrible. Like Superman, the movie, sets it up. You know, Lois on the helicopter, dun dun dun dun dun. Oh, she's gonna die. Dun dun dun dun dun, you know. And you you build up to Superman first showing up on the scene. You know, Spider-Man doesn't get it. Minecraft, like every movie needs the build-up of to when the character, when the kid in this world starts building things, like, oh, I get it, I get it, you know, and then he stops the he stops. It didn't have that punctuation, like it's like, oh, this is sloppy. So automatically, I'm like, okay, it's it's okay. It's but you know, I liked I was liking the beginning a lot. Like, I didn't expect you know, I saw the previews, Jason Momoa and the wig. I'm like, oh, this is just gonna be stupid, you know. Um honestly, I still I'm gonna hold what I said in the last podcast. I really wish he had gotten John Heater. I wish John Heater had played. I wish they'd switch it where Jason Mamoa was the minor. It was Steve, Jason Mamoa. No Jack Black, because I mean Jack Black was fine, I didn't hate him, but I would just still go, use your secret weapon, which is John. I just just just for kicks, I watched Blades of Glory last night just because just to sort of see what he can do. Because I always like him, he's always really funny. And Blades of Glory was crap. It was basically Will Farrell doing another variation of his Ron Jeremy or Ron Burgundy or whatever his, you know, the sort of oafish sex of f you know, like okay. But John Heater is always game, he's got the stupid feathered hair, he's got the stupid little ballerina's ice skating moves. He's oh he's always funny, like you know, and this guy's career has disappeared. I'm like, wait a minute, but he's always funny, and like him is him is Gary, what's his name? Um I just read it. Hold on a second.
SPEAKER_02What's Garrett, Garrett Garrison, Garrett Garrison, which is a great name, by the way.
SPEAKER_00I think that's an awesome name for just imagine though, John Heater with the stupid basket weave baseball cap that says whatever, you know, and him with the panel bar mustache running a he running a GameStop type thing, and sell it would just been naturally funny with the with a mullet. Just him with the mullet being the game, the ex-game champ, because he looks like he could be an ex-game champ. And again, he would be like James and Gino Wright rolled into one, you know, just like this guy from Idaho who's like a you know, it's just he'd just been much and more of a smart aleck, and more of a him being a know-it-all, him being a know-it-all would have been even funnier because he because Jason Mamon is just the obvious, just the obvious. It was so obvious I didn't want to see it. Now, again, he and Jack Black, I do think, pulled it off. Yeah, that was a surprise. But I just really wish I agree with that. Like, why won't you use your hey Jared Hess? I know you're listening. Use your secret weapon. He's the guy who made you a top-tier director. Use your friend and the secret weapon, you know.
SPEAKER_02Well, and you know, and they brought Jack Black in it back in, and they brought in Jennifer Coolidge back in. And it's like, why not John Heater?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I what are they fighting? I don't know. Find out. I don't know. You live in the case.
SPEAKER_02Let me let me call him. Let me call Jared and find out.
SPEAKER_00Put your nose to the grindstone, see what's going on. Start snooping around.
SPEAKER_02Like, what is going on? The one thing about Minecraft, it really reminded me though. I mean, all I could think of was the new Jamanji. Um, it was very similar, the plot and everything.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And um, that's the one thing. It had a better tone.
SPEAKER_00It didn't have that. Now, again, Dawn, she wasn't quite she wasn't, she was a little quirkier. She reminded me of what's her face from Napoleon Dynamite. But just Oh, Tina? Yeah, she not Tina, no, uh La Fonda. La Fonda, right. Okay, so it just seems like kind of a retread. It's not, it's not an irritating black roll eye-rolling sidekick like you know, our man Kevin Hart. You know, Kevin Hart's annoying in those movies. He's just annoying. Oh no, you don't. It's always like that. So she wasn't that, but she wasn't given much to do. So I was a little disappointed with that. She she wasn't given much, she wasn't given a whole lot to do. But so the setup was like, all right, is he going for typical? Because he's this is like, is he just going for your standard Jumanji type antics? Because Jack Black, I didn't like I didn't like those Jumanji moves. I I only saw one.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I just thought this is crap.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, this is just not yeah, not what you were talking about.
SPEAKER_02I will I do think Jack Black and Jason Momoa had better um dynamics and chemistry than The Rock and Kevin Hart in Jumanji. I think they were better overall.
SPEAKER_00No, he has yeah, he has that easy-going kind of natural humor, just like yeah, gentlemen Broncos, where it's it's funny because it's you know, he it's quirkier. So this is yeah, I just didn't think he went far enough. That was my problem. Like this could have been much funnier if him and Jack Black, kind of like stepbrothers, are still sort of one up in each other, but still like pretending like they're the best bros, which would have been funnier if they're just constantly, man, you rock, dude. You know, if they're kind of constantly like pushing each other, kind of like Kip and and and Uncle Rico. You know, it kind of would have been funnier that dynamic. So I thought that's where he was going when they did the did the Roman handshake and were like, Yeah, and they were like staring, they were all like respecting each other, like okay, oh, okay, this is gonna be funny, but then he kept he kept stopping and starting with that. By the end, they're yeah, they're the best friends, but just do it immediately. Do it immediately. That's the gag. Uh getting a Nacho Libre, uh Jack Black, he wasn't terribly irritating in that one either. I mean, I've seen him worse. No, King Kong, for example. You know, King Kong.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, okay, I haven't seen I haven't watched King Kong because I just have no idea.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely terrible. And again, you talk about the wrong guy for the job, it was Jack Black.
SPEAKER_02Jack Black.
SPEAKER_00What's he doing in this? So that was I think the beginning of hey, this guy sucks. Because I was rooting from in uh cable guy and waterworld and all his little appearances before he became so School of Rock, obviously his pinnacle where he became the star, then started wearing out his welcome. You know, his shtick became the same and kind of stupid after a while.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, because I I um no, I School of Rock is what and I can't remember what year that was. If that was that. Was that that was after Tropic Thunder, right?
SPEAKER_00No, that was before.
SPEAKER_02Before, okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'd say Tropic Thunder. I don't I barely remember he's even in it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he had a smaller part. Yeah, I think he did I think Jack Black, I like him better in Minecraft than in a Nacho Libre.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I would too. But Nacho Libre, I just think, you know, that one thing I will give your your good friend Jared Hess, he's got a good eye for Mexican actors. He did it with Pedro, he does it with uh what's his face, Hector Jimenez. What's his name?
SPEAKER_02And in Actor Libre. Yeah, yeah, that's uh Skeletor El Skeletor, obviously.
SPEAKER_00The funny thing is, is all the other side characters, they all didn't look like your, you know, your Hollywood. You know, Hollywood would get your George Lopez and Cheechmar, and it just looks like uh we've seen the same, but they all he all they all had interesting faces, they're all pretty cool looking. I just didn't think he I just think he had all the trappings, even the monastery looked funny and kind of interesting. But I just thought that why there's nothing nothing matters about him being Catholic or being a monk. Like that didn't even barely enter the picture, you know, and that they wouldn't find it offensive unless he's doing something horrible with that money. They probably would have been honestly, you know, Catholics, they'd been fine with him earning that money, you know. So I'm like, there's no there's nothing funny here. I get I get his whole sort of thing, like it's almost a precursor to Gentleman Broncos, where Gentleman Broncos is Hollywood screwed me over, but this one it's like, hey, I've got a love for something that nobody else shares, and I'm like, ah, I don't know. I think there was a there have been way better backdrops for for this story of be wanting to be a wrestler than that. It just seemed like okay, this isn't going anywhere. So I thought that all fell flat.
SPEAKER_02I I didn't I think may I mean I don't know, I can't read his mind, but maybe he just wanted an um a different twist. Hey, let's have the Catholic priest be the you know Yeah, no, I get it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But you gotta if you're gonna explore that world, make it matter, right? Everything's gotta matter. Like these are emotional beats. Like, well, what's the struggle? If he's a priest, that they'd be fine with it. Honestly, he's not doing anything sinful, you know. Gets to sin when he gets into you know, spending the money flagrantly or or fornication or or something. But this is such a harmless deal. He's just going and making money. Like, all right, okay, brother. But there's no vow of celibacy, there's no vow of vow of silence, there's no vow of you know, he's gonna be a cloistered, he can't. You know, it's one thing if you're a cloistered monk and he can't leave, but they didn't establish so he doesn't that's what I'm saying. He doesn't know enough about the world to make it interesting. It's like I I don't get this, you know. He he's making money for the kids, seems perfectly fine.
SPEAKER_02Well, I think the only twist with Nacho Libre is you know, I think um Jack Black um as a priest, you know, he had this schoolboy crush on the nun.
SPEAKER_00I think that and even that was odd. But that but that was like it wasn't blatant, but it was like you couldn't no, but it was it no, it was blatant, and that's odd because it doesn't even that is like well now he's veering into sort of sinful territory because he's skirting with it and he it just still it doesn't seem like he understands the world very well because like well, yeah, because they can't, you know, like whatever the relationship is, it's it's with him him pledging his love and wanting to marry her, it's like okay, well, now you've you've skirted a line. And I don't think he knew what he was doing. It's like, well, I don't think he knows what he's doing here. So it just I just didn't find it funny.
SPEAKER_02Did he write the script? Or was he? Yeah, he again.
SPEAKER_00If you look at the credits, he wrote the script. And and my and and and and Mike White wrote it. And he Mike White is typically a good writer, so this is again, I'm just like, okay, he's just he probably was cleaning up the script somewhere. I don't know. I I wasn't there, but uh it just seems to me like because I think enlightened, I always bring up enlightened with Laura Dern and Luke Wilson. That was really, really good and really, really insightful. So he can write, and he wrote school rock, and so you know, so he can he can write. Um, I just thought, okay, I don't know what he did on this because this just isn't work. I just the reason why it's a turkey is it just doesn't work, you know. The reason why it was a bomb, yeah, like it still has 36% on right. Now, again, so does Gentleman Broncos, but Gentleman Broncos, as weird as it is, is it's just more it's it's funny.
SPEAKER_02It's it's funny, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Gentlemen Broncos it's gross, yeah. Now, and again, Jack Black's pretty gross going to the bathroom, and there's a lot of still that same weird, gross humor in Nacho Libre. I just didn't think it landed.
SPEAKER_02Like it just well, and even in Minecraft, there was a little bit. Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, and uh yeah, yeah. You know, Jared Hess's, you know, little uh locker room, whatever.
SPEAKER_00You know, yeah, no, when they're basically eating each other's crotches during that flight scene, like, okay, he's getting into sort of risque humor. Yeah, he definitely does it every time. Yeah, he always skirts this weird line between okay.
SPEAKER_02Except Except Nacho or uh Napoleon Dynamite.
SPEAKER_00I I don't remember any of the well remember I I pointed out with the Uncle Rico and uh and and and Tina Middle. Oh yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true. It gets a little funky. Like and and Uncle Rico with the with the mom.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's true. Yeah. You know, so it gets But I don't think that was as bad as with the mom. No as you know No, it wasn't bad. It's just vaguely there. The bro hug or whatever they called it when they're flying through the air. Yeah. It's like, no, flip around. I'm like, okay, where are you gonna where are you gonna stop this, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, exactly.
SPEAKER_02It's like I was like, oh, this is uh you know, kids are watching this. Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, it was all basically harmless, but it it just seems like he always veers into the territory. Yeah, he does, yeah. And Nacho Libre, I just couldn't believe how many bathroom, like god, I mean, yeah, he really likes muck and poop, doesn't he? You know, like poop on the darts, poop on the like poop on the eyes, you know. He's like, okay, he's he's always doing that. Now, again, I thought it lands in and gentlemen broncos. I thought this one with Nacho Libre. It wasn't again, for some reason, I just couldn't get into it before just because I was very anti-Jack Black. This time through, I'm like, ah, that was okay, but it just didn't make me laugh. Like, I just didn't felt you know, Napoleon Dynamite felt like it naturally had a truth to it.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00I was trying to figure out what's he getting at, other than I'm an outsider who has these tastes that nobody really understands. So I got that. I got that part, but I I just thought nothing else was all that insightful.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I think as far as um humor for me, and I know we're talking about Minecraft and not your libre, but I'm gonna throw in you know, Napoleon, I think is is a hell, it's a funny movie. Yeah, and I think excuse me, and I think Gentleman Broncos is a funny movie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I you know, and then I'd probably say the next one I would have to probably put Minecraft, you know, because there were some parts I did laugh, and I'm trying to think of you know, but you but I don't remember one giant solid laugh except the only time I laugh sort of like okay, this is funny, is in the beginning with the auction where I was laugh I was laughing at Jermaine Clement and all that. And again, more weirdness about him dressing up in some sort of pink tunic on somewhere like you know it's sort of strange. Like, what the hell is he asking for?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so and then nacho libre, because you know, there was some for me. The one of the funniest parts in Nacho Libre is when he's wearing his white slacks and his you know polyester shirt. I I for some reason I thought that was funny, and uh, I can't remember the nun's name. She goes, Your clothes, they look expensive. And then, you know, he's like, these are my recreational clothes, you know, and he flexes butt cheeks. Again, Jared has his humor, right? He has to have him flex. And I thought, uh, yeah, it was kind of funny, but I I didn't laugh out loud in Nacho Libre. Um, Napoleon I did, Gentleman Broncos, I did. It was funny.
SPEAKER_00Gentlemen Broncos has the Hector Amanda's that that whole see, there's where he that's what I'm saying about him and his element. Because, and especially if you've lived in a small town and you've been to a small town film festival and been a judge there, like I have been. And that she had money and the best horse in the valley. That is just flat out like I was in tears of laughter when Michael Ongarano was banging on the little spools, the cable spools. Now that's it's weird and it's funny and it rings true because yeah, that's the that's the area he's in. And if you've been there and you've lived it, that's it. You know, it's poor. It's poor and it's rural, and it it it's it's it's makeshift. And that that is true. That's what I mean about like, well, he's back in his element, and he can he can tell those stories because and they they ring true because they're they are true. Like, yeah, that's pretty much what a short film looks like, or that's what a what a film, a homemade film will look like in that area, yeah. And so that's why it's good. But whereas that my only gripe with Nacho Libra is like I I think he's in over his head. Yeah, I don't think I mean that's not as he doesn't know the world.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I think with Minecraft, he tried to, you know, he's creating obviously CGI, but they created Minecraft, but it's taking place in a small town in Idaho, right? And so he is trying. I I wonder if that was purposeful to get back to that kind of look and that feel because it really did feel like Napoleon, just with different characters, yeah, yeah. And and gentlemen's bronze and gentlemen bronch.
SPEAKER_00It had that, it definitely had that quality. Um, and that's where I just felt like I I don't know whether he's just doesn't care or he just didn't think of it or what, because it's like this movie needs another polish on the script because all these things, a little as I just said, it it it had that feel, it just the plot was a little rickety and weak, and it could have been much tighter and much funnier.
SPEAKER_02And I mean, e even Jason Momoa's character, he is Uncle Rico in Minecraft. Sure, you know, when he's like, you know, he has uh I thought it was I loved his shop and he has all those old games and he's reliving, you know, back in '84. I could throw a football a quarter of a mile, you know, the same thing.
SPEAKER_00And and uh that's where John Heater playing that part would win a riot.
SPEAKER_02Oh, he would have been hilarious.
SPEAKER_00I think Jason Momoa did fine, yeah, you know, and um again, he needs the okay, he has a big budget movie, he needs to open the movie, and maybe they're down on John Heater now because he's no longer a name or whatever the reason. So I say that's what I say. Get rid of Jack Black, because I mean he he's fine, but he's unnecessary. He's he's overplayed, like he's like Pedro Pascal. He's just like, yeah, I don't want to see Jack Black. No, no offense now. He he didn't he wasn't the worst, but like I just didn't need to see Jack Black. And it would have been just as funny of young young Jason Momoa going up to the mine as a kid and that guy going, get out of here, or whatever. Yeah. Just to have young and young Jason Momoa being, you know, he could have him in a ponytail and glasses working in a you know in a stupid office and going back, gotta go back to the mine. Still could have been funny. Like, I know Jason Momoa could have pulled it off. And it could have been all been funny, and then him and John Heater doing the Roman handshake be even funnier than he. You know, it's like I just imagine this movie could have been much better with just by casting alone. And again, just a little punctuation on Dawn for sure. I like that she had the little little like mobile zoo and all that was fine, and like okay, but give her a little bit more to do.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, she she seemed like her character wasn't utilized.
SPEAKER_00No, not at all. Yeah, and you don't need I don't need the oh no you don't girl in a movie, and she was veering on that, and I wouldn't do that to people. Like, it don't do that, you know.
SPEAKER_02Like so he didn't write this script.
SPEAKER_00No, and you notice there's like a like a whole yeah, huge team of writers, like they all kind of failed, honestly, because maybe he and it was a very weak script.
SPEAKER_02He and his wife should have penned the first one and then get it polished up because they both wrote Napoleon and yeah, and John and Broncos.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it needed more of an edge for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, you know, the the yeah, it was again we're talking about a kid's movie. You do have to keep it simple, but you know, we talk about Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, and that's that's one of those movies that's simple and it's childlike and it's still really deep. Like, I I think you it was there to you know, the you had the element look without even knowing a thing about the game and not caring. I don't care about the video game. Yeah, I don't care. And I don't care, I didn't care in the movie. It's just it's just the plot mechanics, but it's to me it's character beats, and the character beats that were the funniest were were when when they were being sort of true to the characters that they were playing. Again, just two blowhards relating to each other is funny. Yeah, yeah, you know, and and that's where the chicken jockey thing seems like this could have been much the kids love it, but it could have been much funnier if Jack Black is really spazzing on how to win. You know? No, you gotta do this, you gotta do this, you gotta do this, you know. Like it just seemed like spaz. And again, I don't like that Jason Mamola is such an incompetent because he's a video game champ. Yeah, and it's like they're just not playing to the strengths of the character. He's a video game champ who should be awesome. And what's funnier to me is people who are extremely awesome and then are like really blasé about it, you know, you know, like like actual video game champs, like, oh yeah, we just got to hold if you're just you know, like so again, the kid can the kid's fine, he's got the jet jetpack, that's all good, and yeah, him figuring it out before Jason Momo is perfectly fine, but have Jason Momoa catch up and then acting as if he's always known it all along. It just seemed like the beats weren't there to be to be the true to the characters that they that they put up there. So I was like, I agree. He's a little lazy, you know. That was my that was my big issue. Like it still had but it had the vibe, yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, it had the it had the look. I mean, I think the look was great and the feel. Like I really felt like I was small town, you know, somebody Uncle Rico, Jason Mamora living in 1980s, you know, with his champion, you know.
SPEAKER_00Like I say, he he at least worked because I did want to see, I was like, that does not look good. Yeah, you know, and I I will say at least Jared Hess made it work, you know. It feels when I walked out and go, Oh, that sucked. Anyway, uh, okay, well, there's not a whole lot to say on these films, really. No, they're not worth the discussion, but we just I just thought we'd complete the set, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, and I I think um there's a th it was good. I'm I'm glad I saw it, and I've seen them all, but I again Napoleon Dynamite I love, I mean, I really like Napoleon Dynamite. I could watch it over and over, and I could watch Gentleman Broncos over and over again. Be you know, because it's funny.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02These other two, Minecraft, you know, I mean, it's a kid's movie. I'm like, uh Libre. You know, I like it, but it's not something I'd pick to just sit down and watch.
SPEAKER_00Right. Well, it again, I think, you know, sometimes the audience and and tomato score is is correct, and it has a low score. Like Gentleman Broncos, I get why it's a low score. It's weird. Yeah. Okay. I I I I certainly understand why people don't like it because it is off-putting and it's strange. But he is making a point, and there are really funny scenes in it where I remember I told you guys, I go, hey, let's watch do Gentleman Broncos, because that was really funny. I I said it was stupid, and it is. There's a lot of stupid parts, but it's at least when it lands, it's really funny.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00This this just felt we a weaker version. The the the the fights and in the air all felt like Gentlemen Broncos with more money.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00It felt like, yeah, they have that sort of nonsense little kid logic to them. And I I'm fine with that. I I didn't have any problem. It's not like oh, I thought the fights were really fake. It's not that. It's just that at least Gentleman Broncos had sort of Sam Rockwell and everything sort of sort of bringing it all together where it just seemed hilariously over the top, like a kid's fantasy. Where this, like, did this didn't, I just didn't feel like okay, they're in a video game world and they've got to win. There was no like big objective, I felt. Yeah, because video games, it gets bit worse and worse. Yeah, and worse, yeah. Harder and harder, and it just he and I think he just doesn't care about that stuff.
SPEAKER_02You know, yeah, I could see that.
SPEAKER_00I don't think any video of all the video game movies I've seen, it never feels like they've achieved um that feel of oh, I'm gonna die on this. If you know how you're playing a video game and you're getting down to very little power and you got no shields or whatever it is, no lives about to die, and you're like, oh crap, oh crap, crap, crap, crap. You know, I don't think a video game movie has ever achieved that feeling. And they need to. I remember that um oh uh the Super Mario Brothers back in '93. Just and they got they got the the I forgot their names. I used to know them, but they did Max Headroom. So they got these sort of avant-garde, sort of, you know, uh like design-oriented filmmakers who didn't understand what they were doing. Like, I don't know if you ever see the 1993 Super Mario Bros. I have it. Bob Hoskins and John Lee Gizamo, just awful, just awful. Like, like pull your eyes out of your head awful. You can't take like this is just the worst. Just a like a like a sorry piece of crap. And and and I remember thinking there's just no sense of getting to the next level.
SPEAKER_02So there's no I mean, there's no sense of urgency, like in Minecraft. I didn't say there wasn't a sense of urgency. No, like we're about to die, right?
SPEAKER_00You know, and uh and that's what's the most fun about a video game was when you succeed when you're on very little life, like yeah, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. Your little life meter is down to z like two percent, and you you win. And that sense of whoo! I made it, and they nobody I don't again. I haven't seen uh what I said, I saw grow no, I've never seen is there a Grand Theft Auto movie? I don't know, but the Grand Trees. Oh, that Grand Trees movie was actually fairly good.
SPEAKER_02That was actually fairly good. I've watched it. Yeah, I've watched it that was that was fine. That actually had a sense of it was it was interesting.
SPEAKER_00But it wasn't like a video game, it was actually okay. The video game guy drives and becomes a Formula One, yeah, yeah. It was fine. I I thought it was actually more interesting than I ever thought it would be, you know.
SPEAKER_02Well, at least he didn't say, get out of the way, you bloody wake.
SPEAKER_00No, it was a much I was a much better movie than Ford and Ferrari. Yeah, like yeah, this is way better than Ford vs. Ferrari, it looked better, and the the the the sort of ups and downs are better. I thought it was a much better movie.
SPEAKER_02Well, and it was more interesting, even though I didn't know either one of those stories. Yeah, Gran Turismo, I was more engaged in that story than Ford versus Ferrari. Same. I don't know if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah no, exactly. Same. I just thought it was a better movie. It had more attention, and I was more interested in his exploits than I was Christian Bales for sure. Yeah, and and I certainly, you know, we've talked Ford versus Ferrari's gotten a lot of play on this podcast. I know.
SPEAKER_02Well, you know, we're talking about it's just you and I, so we can we go off the topic a little bit, you know. We can riff. We can riff.
SPEAKER_00We're like we're like Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin, just riffing.
SPEAKER_02We're we're we're the OGs of this podcast. Exactly. Um, but uh no, I mean the other thing that kind of about Minecraft is Jennifer Coolidge plays the same character in every movie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's and that's her game. You know, it is it's her it's her whatever stick, and that's fine, and she did fine in this. I did I did like her better in Gentleman Broncos.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. She had a much more specific part. This one this felt a little bit like LaFonda, La Fonda and R and Kiff.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it felt the same sort of like thing is happening, and it's not just like that movie, it's not working. Yeah, you know, and again, as I've told the as I said in the last podcast, that's my least favorite part about Napoleon Dynamite, because I just don't think I don't think it's very subtle, and it's just it seems like it seems like vaudeville. They're just really overplaying it. And this movie's overplaying the same thing, like, okay, we get it, she doesn't recognize, but it's it's kind of dumb, it doesn't work.
SPEAKER_02Well, and for me, LaFonda and Kip, it's just seemed out of like right field, right? Like what left field left field, right field because that means it makes total sense. Oh, I well, I always think if you're hitting the ball slow and you're right right-handed, you swing late on the ball, it goes out in left field.
SPEAKER_00But anyway, uh no, it doesn't mean that I know. Left field just means it's weird, it's coming out of nowhere.
SPEAKER_02But I mean that that for me was like really, and then he's you know, Kip's personality changes his whole thing.
SPEAKER_00I'm fine, I'm fine with that. I just that I I you know, I've always well, we're I'm basically repeating la the last podcast about this, but it's just overplayed. Yeah, they're making too many gooey eyes at each other, it just seems like like a silent movie, as I said. This time, the the same thing, it's like the same thing is happening, you know, it almost is following form to his other movies. That's why it feels like a Jared Hess. So it's that's why I think this movie's worth discussing as a Jared Hess movie because it's definitely he's not just phoning it in for the money. It he definitely put his stamp on it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I'm trying to think the one that his wife directed, uh, Jennifer Coolidge was in that too. Um it's about uh kind of the pride and prejudice kind of movie. It's not Bridgerland, is it? Anyway, she was in it and she was funny in that, but Jared had nothing to do with it. My wife had me watch. I'm like, oh, this is pretty funny.
SPEAKER_00So but yeah, I'll have to look it up.
SPEAKER_02I I don't even know what you're talking about. Yeah, is it uh his wife Jerusalha? Yeah, Jerusalem. Yeah, she she did it. That was hers. And it had didn't even know it existed. She had it had really good ratings in the theaters, I think. I just can't remember. Uh when I when we're done, I'll ask my wife and she'll tell me right off the top of that. But anyway, but that was the other thing. I mean, I I Minecraft, I enjoyed it. Um and it felt Jumanji like, similar kind of uh plot and everything, kind of. And um, but yeah, better than Nacho Libre from my perspective.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was it was it it it skates by by a nose, but it worked for some reason it worked. Yeah. I left the theater going, well, that that actually worked despite all my reservations thinking it wouldn't. Um whereas Nacho Libre, yeah, the reason I couldn't finish it is it's just not it's not working. Like, yeah, Jack Black, they sh he should my point earlier about he should have just got a Mexican actor. They're like, well, I don't know why. And I'm not even saying this is about cultural appropriation because he's supposed to be Scandinavian and Mexican. Fine. But it's like you've gone this far, just go with a Mexican actor, like a big buff Mexican actor.
SPEAKER_02Valid point, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, uh, not even a movie or anything or the music or anything like that. It was all like, yeah. Alright, um, so you're gonna recommend Minecraft?
SPEAKER_02Uh probably for like younger, you know, kids. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I mean, like I'm glad it's a hit just for Jared Hess's sake, just so we can go on and make bigger movies. Um, but I it didn't seem like it was should have been that big a hit.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_00Honestly, it was a bomb, I wouldn't have been surprised.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm I'm actually surprised that it's done as well as it has, because I again I don't know anything about Minecraft, but I'm like, you know. But you know, I think he did a fine job. And I I went going, oh yeah, it's okay. It's fine. You know, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, I was more surprised that it had more of his stamp on it than it did I was expecting. Yeah, okay, folks, thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Fabulous Film and Friends. Bye Dave, thanks a lot.
SPEAKER_02Thanks, Gene.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for listening to Fabulous Film and Friends, copyright twenty twenty-five, a Bel Air Films production.