Lucha Mexico

Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz's documentary looks at the men behind the masks in Mexico's popular lucha libre professional wrestling empire. In the ring, these behemoths pummel each other with some of the most elaborate and flamboyant fight choreography imaginable. But outside the arenas, they are rather ordinary individuals—albeit XL-sized—who go through a decidedly unglamorous routine of intensive gym training, special diets, and maintaining politeness whenever fans invade their privacy with requests for autographs and photos. Fan favorites including Blue Demon Jr., Fabián El Gitano, Jon “Strongman” Andersen, and the diminutive KeMonito are among the wrestlers featured here, and they mostly seem reserved—even a bit boring—away from their bouts. There is a genuinely challenging drama involving the wrestler Shocker, the self-proclaimed “1000% Guapo,” who suffers a ruptured patellar tendon and undergoes a difficult recovery process during which he becomes depressed over the possibility of prematurely ending his career in the ring. Although fans will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at their beloved luchadores, the film is unlikely to appeal to a wider audience. A strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)