Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

The mock rock duo Tenacious D—a parody of hard rock groups invented by and featuring Jack Black and Kyle Gass—have attracted a cult following through their concerts, CDs, and TV appearances. But there's a difference between genuine satire and Three Stooges-style stupidity, which is what Liam Lynch's Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny offers (although it has to make do with two stooges), along with some of the most extensive drug humor seen onscreen since Cheech and Chong, and a degree of crudeness that is astonishing (if you removed every casual obscenity, the running-time would be cut by one-third). What passes for plot is a sketch premise run amok, in which a dude from the sticks (Black) who's always dreamed of being a rocker, teams up with a self-promoting nobody (Gass). The pair have little success until they “discover” a magical guitar pick housed at a nearby rock 'n roll museum that will inspire them to write their masterpiece—but after stealing the pick they find themselves up against its maker, old Beelzebub himself (cue deliberately tacky special effects). Limply directed to give Black free rein (never a good idea) while spotlighting Gass' utter amateurishness, the film isn't helped by misguided cameos from Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller. Likely to satisfy only diehard fans who've been waiting years for their dopey heroes—in both senses—to come to the big screen, this is not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with co-writers and stars Jack Black and Kyle Gass; the other by director Liam Lynch); 14 deleted scenes (with an intro by Lynch), outtakes, and an alternate ending (31 min. total); a 23-minute “making-of” featurette; a 22-minute “In the Studio” segment following Black and Gass' recording of the soundtrack; the “making-of” the music video for “The Pick of Destiny” plus the final video (8 min. total); a “Jump-to-a-Song” viewing feature; and trailers. Bottom line: an impressive extras package for an unimpressive film.] (F. Swietek)