Movie Review: Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny

By Colin MacLean Nov 20, 2006, 10:07 GMT

“Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny” is the Citizen Kane of rock movies.

At least, you would believe so from the really over the top campaign for the film.

And the comments of the internet brigade which run to, “THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE,” “Tenacious D rule from their mighty mountain,” “It brought the thunder” and (my personal number one) “…the car chase was my favorite scene.”

Many of the comments seem to have been generated from seeing the trailer.

“Tenacious D…” starts off promisingly as a rock opera obviously inspired by The Who.

That is followed by an appearance by Stanley Kubrick’s Droogs from ‘A Clockwork Orange.’ There are other references to Ken Russell and Alan Parker but I suspect most of them will be lost on the target audience.

Those worthies however will really dig the fart and poop jokes that blossom like malodorous green posies.

The rest of the movie, a variation on the Faust legend, is told as if the two are knights questing after the Holy Grail – even to a heavenly choir singing wordlessly on the sound track. The various episodes are ingeniously introduced by Tarot cards featuring their likenesses.

In case you are wondering how Tenacious D got their name don’t believe the mundane story about a term used by a sportscaster.

The movie tells the real story.

JB (Jack Black) was born with a mysterious birthmark that spelled “Tenac” on his posterior. KG (Kyle Glass) was born with “ious D” on his ample posterior. When they place two of the most interesting (?) bums in show business together, in a scene that can only be compared to DeMille’s parting of the Red Sea, the legendary words “Tenacious D” are spelled out.

But I digress.

The film is not as funny as the many shorts, videos and TV shows the two have collaborated on over the years but it will service the young men who will buy the tickets.

In the rock opera sequence, Black (played as a lad by Troy Gentile who performed a similar service in ‘Nacho Libre’) is a liberated rock soul born to a middle-class American, conservatively religious father (Meat Loaf). He runs away and meets Gass trying to eke out rent money by singing on Venice Beach. 

They set out to create the world’s greatest rock and roll band but fame eludes them until they hear of a legendary guitar pick that was carved from the tooth of the devil himself. They pick this up from a long-haired, neo-hippie guitar salesman who turns out to be Ben Stiller (who also produced the film). Our two addled and drug-fuzzed heroes endeavour to steal the pick from were it resides – in the well-guarded Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

One of the characters they meet is a dilapidated dude who also knows the power of the pick. Turns out it’s Tim Robbins who is having a great old time hamming it up but should be ashamed of himself.

However, they learn that, like Dumbo’s feather, they don’t really need the external help. The ability to rock the world was in them all the time. In fact, they face the devil himself, who has returned to claim his tooth, in a rock-off in a parking lot. 

Even Colin Hanks turns up. Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) reprises his video role as the Demon. 

Despite the film’s claims to be the world’s best, it’s a fairly modest effort. It’s gross, funny and ingenious part of the time and pretty flaccid for the rest. 

Some of the songs rock and Black has a bitchin’ voice.

Your enjoyment of the film will probably be dictated by your age, your love of metal and your ability to stomach all Jack Black all the time. 

And there’s always that car chase.

Opens wide Nov 22 USA and Nov 24 UK. USA rated R and UK rated 15.