The plot of "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny" is simple and fans will see this movie for one reason: it's for "the D." Those in the know expect a number of things from Tenacious D: crude sexual humor, over the top Rock enthusiasm, trying to write the perfect song, Betties (women), drugs and Satan.
This movie is little more than a cinematic expression of everything else from the band (the HBO shows, the album, the concert DVD), but that's exactly what it should be.
However, if one isn't familiar with the artists but still wishes to view their opus, there are a few hard facts to commit to memory: Tenacious D is Jack Black and Kyle Gass.
The two met as comedians, Gass taught Black guitar and they started Tenacious D, named after a phrase of sportscaster Marv Albert. They both play acoustic guitar on stage, with Gass on lead guitar and Black with lead vocals. Usually, their style samples from folk and classic rock, and they incorporate many skits into their act.
What the informed audience might not expect are all the cameos. Ben Stiller, for example, makes a memorable appearance at one point. Director Liam Lynch, who helped the band with the video for their song "Tribute," just lets things happen in this movie, and most of it is pretty great.
A conventional director would probably be opposed to Gass seeing memories in his beer cup, or Black having a magic mushroom trip where he flies around with a Sasquatch, but Lynch embraces it. It would be interesting to see what didn't make the final cut, because a lot of scenes could be removed and the movie would flow just as well, maybe even better.
In fact, the whole beginning and a lot of middle don't make any sense, but they are entertaining enough that audiences really shouldn't hold it against Black and Gass.
Of course, the main reason for fans to get excited for this movie is the music. The soundtrack of the movie acts as the second Tenacious D album and narrates many events in the movie.
In some cases it appears to have been recorded while watching a playback of footage from the film. Luckily for all mankind, Dave Grohl, Meat Loaf and Ronnie James Dio back up "the D," and that's just one track.
The reason this movie works where most other stupid movies fail is that it doesn't attempt to be anything good, talented or otherwise extraordinary. It aspires to be epic, and from one gratuitous scene to the next, it succeeds grandly.
