Expectations for a film often are a determining factor in whether moviegoers enjoy a film or not. That said, before going to see "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny," there are a few things people must keep in mind. The first thing is that Jack Black (JB) and Kyle Gass (KG) are ridiculous, in a totally funny way. The second thing is that Tenacious D, the band, is ridiculous, again in a totally funny way. The last thing is that Black and Gass wrote the movie.
Keeping all of that in mind, expectations for this movie should be that it is going to be ridiculous, in a totally funny way, and it is.
The plot of the movie runs about as deep as a sidewalk puddle, and to be honest, is not even crucial to the movie itself. JB moves out to Hollywood, meets KG and, during an awkward partially nude scene, the pair decides to form the band Tenacious D. What follows is a quest to become the greatest band ever by obtaining a magical guitar pick, "the pick of destiny." That's the story, and, in keeping with the general theme of Tenacious D, it is absurd.
However, the plot is not what drives the film. "The Pick of Destiny" is propelled by the hilarious music of Tenacious D. KG provides whimsical guitar riffs as JB sings the types of songs that have given the band a cult following among young adults. The soundtrack, which came out a day before the movie itself, is hilarious. It has been pointed out that if Black and Gass weren't comedians, Tenacious D wouldn't even be considered a real band. Probably true, but they are; their music is hilarious; and the soundtrack that moves the movie along is typical Tenacious D: funny and sort of aesthetically appealing.
It would seem that Black and Gass wrote the songs while they were writing the script for the movie because most of the tunes directly advance the uncomplicated story in some way.
Other criticisms of the film, besides the story not being much of a story, may include the fact that the acting is weak, the comedy outside of the songs is not that funny and, as one person at the theater put it, "This movie is the stupidest movie I've ever seen." That criticism seems harsh, but it is not entirely untrue. As a movie, it sucks. But even terrible movies can be entertaining.
A few things that keep an immature audience engaged are the music, the cameos by Ben Stiller and Tim Robbins, and the unnecessary overuse of the F-bomb and other foul language. Words like "fuck" and others in that realm are not so funny in most cases. However, when put to music, as Tenacious D has always done, those inappropriate words become laugh-worthy. Combine that with the satisfaction the audience gets from seeing these two goofy-looking guys, Black and Gass perform these songs with a straight face, and the hilarity is compounded.
Back to expectations: Anyone who goes to this movie expecting to see great acting, a well-written story or anything with any kind of cinematic credibility is kidding himself. Those expectations are far too lofty. If someone is going to enjoy this film, she has to arrive expecting nothing but a few laughs, because that's really all this movie is good for.
In terms of a movie, "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny" is about as bad as it gets. However, when passing judgment, one has to look at the film for what it is. In all honesty, this film was an excuse to put pictures with some funny songs. Looking at the movie from that perspective makes it an enjoyable experience and quite funny. Black and Gass deserve all the credit in the world for making an entertaining product out of Tenacious D's typical material.
Grade: 3 out of 5.
