Review: Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006)
TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (2006)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Three stars and a half
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Three stars and a half
Getting stoned might make "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny" more
enjoyable for some, but it is not essential. Just like "Fear and
Loathing" was essentially a movie on drugs and about drugs, "Tenacious
D" is a movie high on pot (though not exclusively about pot). I mean,
it is baked and edged with stoner ruminations on rock music and rock
band, yet it will leave you with a merry, high-pitched glaze over your
eyes, reeling from some of the numerous, pardon the pun, pot-belly
laughs.
Jack Black and Kyle Gass are guitarists on the rise, or so they think,
who find each other accidentally. Black's goal as a kid was to rock
the earth with his ear-shattering music and, as foretold by his
bedroom wall poster of Dio, JB ventures to Hollywood (not a very
bright kid since he ventures to different cities named Hollywood
before arriving in L.A.) It is there, on presumably Venice Beach, that
he meets long-haired Kyle Gass, who is rocking hard on the streets,
playing his favorite tunes from his own alleged band, and a real dude
(he turns out to be bald, can barely make the rent, and is not
actually famous nor is he in a band). Black still senses a connection
between himself and Kyle, so they move in together and the name of
their band is formed from their prospective tattoos on their bottoms!
Hence, Tenacious D is born!
"Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny" is not the kind of movie where I
should spill too many details. There are various rock music in-jokes
here; a few homages to movies like "Mission: Impossible"; LSD or
mushroom-influenced dreamlike trances; a rockin' Devil (Dave Grohl),
who looks like Tim Curry from "Legend," who can rock and beat those
drums better than anyone on earth; an embarrassing moment for Kyle
where he has to perform solo for teenagers; a legendary guitar pick
carved from Satan's tooth, no less; Amy Poehler as a rude truck stop
waitress who has one of the cleverest lines in the movie; Meat Loaf as
a stern, religious father; and a Sasquatch cavorting in the woods with
Jack Black!
All I can say is that if you can stick with the hysteria and an
animalistic Jack Black and you love rock music, "Tenacious D" is the
movie for you. If you find Mr. Black and rock music, especially the
band's own satirical music, acquired tastes and you need a plot to
move things forward, then this movie is not part of your destiny.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at:
http://www.geocities.com/faustus_08520/Jerry_at_the_Movies.html
BIO on the author of this page at:
http://www.geocities.com/faustus_08520/index.html
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