Movie Review: Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

As people stumble blindly out of the Borat daze they’ve been in for the past two weeks, they will wander the town like zombies, wondering if they’ll ever experience anything as good or if they should end it all right there and vow never to watch movies again. Luckily, and as if by fate (which is how the D like it), someone went ahead and made the greatest film of all time to fill the void. The Pick of Destiny, in all its over-the-top glory, is bad news for Citizen Kane and Beavis and Butthead Do America, and AFI will undoubtedly have to reconsider their respected top film list.

JB (Jack Black) is stuck in Bible belt mediocrity with a desperate need to rock, fueled on by anthropomorphic posters of Ronnie James Dio and hindered by his close-minded father (Meat Loaf). KG (Kyle Gass) is a burn out, busking on Venice Beach with insane guitar skills and less than a dollar in loose change in the hat he’s passing. After they join forces and JB flies through KG’s rock school, they stumble upon the tale of an ancient artifact - a guitar pick made from Satan’s tooth - that has made every rocker who uses it into a legend. They set out on a quest to find the pick, which takes them through a cast of wacky cameos, the bumbling security of the Rock and Roll Museum, and the open mic contest that could set their career on its path to greatness. It culminates in an epic battle against the Dark Lord himself - the original, Lucifer, not Voldemort.

Pick of Destiny is a classic hero's journey that combines the old school comedy of the vaudevillian two-man act with the quirkiness of Tenacious D. It’s also a nice blend of beloved Tenacious gags (the lovable cock push up) and completely new story concepts (KG trying a solo act that only sings back up). Fans of the group will recognize elements of their television show and albums, but people previously unaware of the duo’s brilliance will still have a ton to laugh at. The triumph of two insane, pompous rockers will invoke more than a dozen laugh-out-loud moments

Article Author: Film School Rejects

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