Pickin’ on the D
Do you know the “history” of Tenacious D? If you do, then you’ve heard the song that spelled it out in the old Tenacious D series on HBO, and, more than five years after the fact, you can hear “History” again, in the band’s first movie: “We know you’re all robots, but we don’t care / Tenacious D, we reign!")
Those lyrics pretty much say it all about fans of the portly, rockin’ comedy duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, and if (like this writer) you’re one of those robots, you won’t care too much that The Pick of Destiny sits on its over-baked laurels while lifting pre-made bits from the T.D. catalogue: Cock push-ups; a rock duel with the devil; a bad case of songwriters block. It’s all been done and it’s all back. But since the nutty, arrested-development chemistry between Jabels and Cage is so seamless and charming, the re-hashed bits remain warmly amusing.
There are a few fresh moments of gut-busting hilarity. The opening montage of Black’s journey from his hometown of Kickapoo, Mo. to Hollywood is the most fully realized sketch in the film, and the opening song, “Kickapoo” (featuring guest vocals from Meatloaf and Ronnie James Dio) is one of a handful in the film worthy of the T.D. canon ("He wrote a tasty jam and all the planets did align"). Also, the chance meeting of the future bandmates on the Venice boardwalk shows off the beginnings of the hilarious guitar/vocal interplay (to the tune of a Bach melody) between Black and Gass (though, again reprising a familiar bit from T.D.'s first album).
After that the band forms, the weakest of plots twists toward the quest for the titular pick, and much of the fun and all of the good music goes on hiatus.
Things perk up at the end though. There’s a spirited rock-off between T.D. and Satan (played by Dave Grohl, reprising his role from the “Tribute” video), and for some reason, two of the film’s best songs—the title track and “The Metal,” a tribute to the staying-power of the devil’s music—are saved for the closing credits.
This isn’t a good film. It isn’t even a film really. It’s a hilarious and rockin’ set of sketches with a lot of down time in between. Better bring your rocket sauce.
