REVIEWS

Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny Rocks!

by Alex Billington
November 22, 2006

• US Release Date: November 22, 2006
• Genre: Comedy, Musical
• MPAA: Rated R (for pervasive language and drug use)
• Running Time: 93 minutes
• Directed by: Liam Lynch
• on IMDb
•    8.5/10

Rock! The Pick of Destiny! Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D rock out hardcore from start to finish in this wildly hilarious musical comedy about Tenacious D's early days. With some of the greatest rock songs I've ever heard and genuinely hilarious moments, The Pick of Destiny lives up to much of its hype. It only falls behind in delivering only 93 minutes of full-on entertainment when there could've been more musical numbers and a juicier plot, but that is left only to our imagination (or a sequel).

Jack "JB" Black runs away from his religious father and heads to Hollywood to pursue his love for rock music. There on the beach he meets Kyle "KG" Gass, who proclaims he is a rock legend working on his solo album. After Jack Black is beaten during the "gig-simulator" while trying to audition for the "Kyle Gass Project," he finds out the real truth about Kyle. From there the two join together to form a legendary band; named after birthmarks on both of their asses, the two form Tenacious D. They discover that a little-known Pick of Destiny made from a chipped piece of Satan's tooth is the secret behind all the great rock bands of past's amazing success. They then set off to travel to the Rock and Roll History Museum in Sacramento to steal the pick and become legends themselves.

Fans of Tenacious D and those just looking for a great musical comedy alike will love The Pick of Destiny in all of its epic "Guitar Gods" glory. Building off of Tenacious D's musical excellence and singing rock songs throughout, the musical aspect of The Pick of Destiny will really thrill audiences. Except for want of a few more songs and a deeper story, The Pick of Destiny goes on a wacky ride through the mishaps and meanderings of the two stoners, rockers, and musical geniuses JB and KG. There are enough side-splitting comedic moments and unforgettable musical numbers to fill at least one act of a Broadway musical.

One of the most interesting observations from The Pick of Destiny is just how incredible Jack Black and Kyle Gass are together on screen. Black is a skilled actor, previously in King Kong and The School of Rock, however Gass is only a member of the actual Tenacious D band. Yet both Black and Gass perform naturally in the film. There are hardly any moments questioning whether these two are acting or just filming the real life adventures of Tenacious D. And that natural and realistic feeling brings together much of The Pick of Destiny and delivers a film that everyone looking to rock out will enjoy.

Last Word:
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny is full of great songs and great comedy. Although lacking a bit overall in depth and length (for once a movie could be longer), The Pick of Destiny is a near masterpiece of a cinematic creation for Jack Black and Kyle Gass. The duo have pulled off a great comedy with some truly unforgettable songs and moments interspersed throughout. It's a rock and roll musical comedy that really does get the audience rocking out from its starting intro song "Kickapoo" to the last second of the credits. Rock on JB and KG!

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