Film #109 - Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is a perfect example of how a very funny premise from very funny people can utterly fail to expand to meet the demands of a feature film. While Tenacious D worked very well as a TV series or as an album, the film version is simply never able to justify its existance as a theatrical release.
One of the biggest mistakes that the filmmaker made was what should have been a genius piece of casting. In the early scenes, depicting the youth of eventual Tenacious D lead singer JB (Jack Black), JB’s father is portrayed by Meat Loaf, who sings his disapproval of JB’s musical tastes. The problem is, it’s Meat Loaf. Jack Black does a fine job with the music in the film, but he is instantly put to shame by Meat Loaf’s two minutes on-screen. Frankly, nothing Black could possibly do could match up vocally and that’s no way to start a film.
The Pick of Destiny basically tells the origins of the band and I think that was also a mistake. One of the things that made them so funny on television was the way they completely believed their own speil. Watching them as losers (regardless of whether they rise above that or not) makes their blather less enjoyable and more mundane. Even one of the most epic scenes in the film, the showdown with Satan, isn’t as impressive as it could have been. Heck, the very similar Kids in the Hall sketch from ten plus years ago was more solid than this.
But I don’t want to give the impression that this film is an unmitigated disaster. That is certainly not the case. Fans of Tenacious D will find a lot to enjoy, especially with the music, which lives up to their previous work for the most part. (There’s nothing on the genius level of “Tribute” or anything, but it’s good stuff.)
And Jack Black does his thing, which is usually at least amusing. Kyle Gass’ lesser ability as an actor is quite clear (he just gets swamped by Black), but he still pulls off a lot of fun things. Also, there are plenty of cameos to spot, including appearances by Amy Poehler, Tim Robbins, Dave Grohl (as Satan), and, of course, Ben Stiller.
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is not a total wash, but it fails to live up to the enormous potential that it brings to the table. The band does some good stuff, but is upstaged by Meat Loaf’s cameo. The material is funny, but not the least bit clever or original. Still, as I stated, fans of the band or Jack Black will get a kick out of it and there is plenty of decent material throughout. Just don’t expect to be blown away.