credit: www.impawards.com
Director:
Liam Lynch
Cast:
Jack Black……….JB
Kyle Gass……….KG
Jason Reed……….Lee
Meat Loaf………..Jack’s Father
Ronnie James Dio……….Himself
Paul F. Tompkins……….Open Mic Host
Ben Stiller……….Guitar Store Guy
Amy Poehler……….Truck Stop Waitress
Tim Robbins……….The Stranger
John C. Reilly……….Sasquatch
David Grohl……….Satan
Troy Gentile……….Lil’ JB
Mason Knight……….Young KG
Tenacious D in ‘The Pick Of Destiny’ might not be the best film of the year, and it probably won’t win any awards either, but there is one word to describe this film that cannot be applied to any other: Glorious!
Back before Jack Black was a household name he had a short lived show on HBO called Tenacious D. Featuring a two-man rock band who thought they were the greatest thing on earth, Jack Black and Kyle Glass got into all sorts of crazy adventures. The show’s humor, style and quirkiness that made the show so endearing to a legion of devoted fans translates well into this feature length film, something that seems to fail most TV to film transitions.
The Pick Of Destiny tells the story of how JB and KG met and formed the greatest band in the world. The film opens with an amazing assault on the senses in the form of a rock opera as Lil’ JB (Troy Gentile as a spot on young Jack Black), a rocker who is being smothered by his religious family. When he tries to rock their socks off with a song, with Black’s voice through Gentile’s lip synching, his father (Meatloaf) takes him upstairs and whips him with his belt. Frustrated, J.B. consults his Dio poster and is given sage-like advice from the man who replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath: Go to Hollywood to become a star.
Arriving in Hollywood, J.B (now an adult and played by Jack Black), meets a long-haired Kyle Gass rocking on the beach. JB is impressed by KG’s playing but KG wants nothing to do with him. JB spends the night alone on a park bench, only to be mugged by a bunch of droogs right out of A Clockwork Orange. When JB comes to he thinks KG saved him and, as their hands lock, a bond is formed as Gass helps him to his feet. A band is formed and now their quest begins, as The two realize they need to pay rent. Deciding to enter an open mic night contest, they work hard to try and win it. Trying to write their masterpiece, they learn about the aforementioned Pick of Destiny, a pick forged from Satan’s tooth. Questing to retrieve it, it’s a journey which will test their friendship, sends JB on a mushroom induced trip where he meets Sasquatch, takes them to the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame and finally pits them against Satan in a Charlie Daniels Band like rock off straight out of “The Devil went down to Georgia.”
As a Tenacious D fan I had many reservations as to how good this film might or might not be. Nine times out of ten TV to film adaptations never work as well as they should, but JB and KG have a terrific chemistry with one another that translates to the big screen. A joy to watch, this is a film of a sort of “goofy” level of fun and entertainment. The songs are thoroughly enjoyable, and there are some well-timed cameos including one from Tim Robbins topping them all as The Stranger, a man who lost a leg trying to get the Pick Of Destiny for himself.
For Tenacious D fans, this is a triumph as the film maintains the atmosphere developed on the television show and succesfully translates it to the big screen. For those unfamiliar with the band it’s a terrific introduction, as Jack Black is great back in his humble rock roots after making a name for himself in Hollywood as one of its funniest talents. If one wants to see a movie that will “rock your socks off,” Tenacious D in ‘The Pick of Destiny’ is well worth it.
