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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the classic I was hoping for, but in line with the quality of the the HBO series., November 26, 2006
Most fans of the D will likely not be disappointed with this film, the boys' long awaited big screen adventure. The film offers much of what we've come to expect from JB and KG (that's Jack Black and Kyle Gass, for the uninitiated) from their short-lived HBO series of sketches. However, those fans looking for something more, some great cinematic achievement, or the idea that somehow, in a movie, the D will be even bigger and better - saving their best material for this outing, may be left wanting.
I'll admit, despite my near-constant laughter throughout the film, I felt a little like the guys squandered an opportunity to really do something great and branch out from the restrictions of sketch comedy. Perhaps they didn't want to deviate too far from their original, low budget/low brow glory. Going too high concept could also alienate fans, and the D has a tried and true cult of them. But as it is, this film, about how the boys meet, make a pact to become the greatest band in the world, and plot to steal the Pick of Destiny, a guitar pick forged from Satan's tooth and handed down from rock god to rock god, falls victim to the trap many movies based on short comedy sketches tend to. You just question weather there is enough material to sustain a feature length film and warrant paying those increasingly high ticket prices.
For those hoping for something great, the answer will be no. However, if you're like me and enjoy these kind of cruddy, crude, rough around the edges, vanity projects from artists that have amassed some sort of cult following and seem to be speaking just to that cult, then you, while not being utterly blown away, will have a great time with "Pick of Destiny."
The goofy humor, acoustic guitar heavy metal jams, foul mouthed musings and broad physical shenanigans of the D of old are all here. The songs in the film are not as good as almost anything from the D's first album, as anyone who has this soundtrack knows, but the performances of the new tracks in the film are as self-depreciatingly silly as the performances of the original stuff, one may not notice, or care about, the rather lazy writing of many of the tracks. And even though I said the film feels like somewhat of a sketch stretched too far (more inspired scenes may have helped), there are several standout sequences. The opening and closing scenes are classics and alone worth the price of admission. A terrific and terrifically funny "Blues Brothers" inspired car chase, KG and JB's first encounter, Tim Robbins' cameo, JB's rock god dream sequence and their first performance on open mic night are all great moments as well. Still it feels like there is filler, or some scenes that should have been funnier, throughout the film. And after the terrific battle with Satan at the end of the film, we are sort of left waiting for an epilogue that never comes.
With a little more tightening and a little more care, it is easy to see how this film could have been much more. As it is though, it is still funnier - and more of a wild and crazy, anything-goes approach to filmmaking - than just about every other comedy in theatres at the moment.
I think, with expectations lowered, this movie will play better on DVD and with repeat viewings (perhaps the presence of a few friends and a little liquid libation may be the key to unlocking where the film's true humor lies) than anything of this type, where a large fan base has waited far too long for a film they have been clamoring for, can hope to live up to in theatres. Based on this, I am giving the film four stars (4 out of Amazon's 5, but more accurately I would give this film 3 stars out of the standard 4) as I am sure, being a D fan, that I was expecting more than I maybe should have and will be happy with this sitting on my shelf as a companion to their "Masterworks" DVD down the road.
And much of it really is damn funny. No point in taking that away from the film just because I thought they were going to expand on the Tenacious D concept. So it doesn't do anything that new or truly special. It succeeds as a comedy and that's what is most important.
(And if you're about fifteen years old - or 15 still at heart - you can pretty much disregard all of my reservations because you will no doubt think this is one of the best movies EVER!)
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hard-Rocking Fun, January 12, 2007
It's tempting to just say this film is a great pick for Jack Black and Tenacious D fans and leave it at that. But "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" is so much more. It's an hour and a half of creative special effects, outrageous fantasy and dream sequences, hard-rocking music, pop culture references, low-brow humor, guest appearances, and extreme close-ups combined to reveal the origin of the band Tenacious D.
Part music video, part comedy, the story begins with a young JB (Jack Black) belting out the profane lyrics to "Kickapoo," while his ultra-conservative family tries to eat dinner. After a lecture, a beating, and the removal of his prized rock star posters, ten-year-old JB leaves for Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a rock singer. After a circuitous route, he finally arrives years later at his destination and meets poser KG (Kyle Gass) playing his guitar for spare change on Venice Beach.
The two hook up to work on The Kyle Gass Project, what KG promises will be the best rock band on earth. In their quest for fame -- which includes a big win at a talent show in a dive bar -- they decide to steal a magical green guitar pick housed in the Rock and Roll History Museum. Along the way, they take lots of mind-altering drugs, watch television, indulge their fantasies, and solicit the help of star-struck Lee (JR Reed), a clingy pizza delivery man with a serviceable car, but no discernible backbone, and must fight off a mysterious stranger (Tim Robbins) who also has plans for The Pick of Destiny.
In addition to Robbins, other notable stars make brief appearances including Ben Stiller (who also served as an executive producer), singer Meat Loaf, and Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler, both of "Saturday Night Live." The film was written by Black, Gass, and Liam Lynch, who also directed. Raunchy, irreverent, and relentlessly funny, "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" is destined to delight Jack Black fans in the theater and attract new devotees on DVD.
Leslie Halpern, author of Reel Romance: The Lovers' Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies and Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, February 21, 2007
As far as movies about dumb, stoner rockers go, this one is top notch. Yep, even better than Spinal Tap. It helps if you're already a Tenacious D fan, but pretty much anyone can enjoy it to some degree.
Don't expect anything even approaching intelligent humor or rapier wit - this is sheer outrageous lunacy; the climactic "final showdown" has to be one of the most ridiculous film moments in history.
Bottom line: it's dumb, it's juvenile, and it's absolutely hilarious. Rent it or buy it, it's worth it either way.
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