GOOD wrestling films are few and far between - as anyone who has seen Hulk Hogan's No Holds Barred or David Arquette's horrendous Ready to Rumble will testify.

But Nacho Libre is an altogether different proposition, a quirky comedy centred on Nacho (Jack Black), an orphan raised in a monastery in Mexico who now works there as a cook.

Nacho is torn between his two religions: Catholicism and wrestling. Wanting to earn the admiration of the stunningly beautiful nun Sister Encarnacion (Mexican TV star Ana de la Reguera) and the respect of his fellow monks, he secretly dons the famous Lucha Libre mask of Mexican wrestlers.

Entering competitions in an attempt to win money for better food for his fellow orphans and dreaming of one day defeating reigning champion Ramses (a former WCW competitor), the film follows a predictable but entertaining path.

The pace of Nacho Libre is quite slow, with a gradual build to most of the jokes and a lot of the comedy reliant upon the dominant personality of Jack Black.

An offbeat soundtrack accompanies the eccentric reality of the film, directed and co-written by Napoleon Dynamite creator Jared Hess.

As with that cult classic, many of the jokes aren't actually jokes at all and the deadpan humour may prove infuriating for fans of Black and writing pal Mike White's more populist work, such as School of Rock.

However, during the actual wrestling scenes the action comes thick and fast, with Black encountering a variety of strange opponents who perform some dazzling moves.

The supporting cast provide some wonderful moments, none more so than his tag team partner Esqueleto (Hctor Jimnez), another oddball coerced into stepping into the ring so he can buy more corn on the cob with his winnings.

Overall this is a slightly underwhelming effort that may frustrate a lot of viewers. Fans of Black will no doubt be entertained when he is in full throttle and some of the scenes are hilarious.

But audiences may wonder if both the director and his star could have done with a little more focus.