A hilarious fun time from start to finish

Rating: 8/10 (31 January 2008)

The obvious thing to say about this film is that it 'rocks'. And that's an obvious thing to say because it does rock, in fact The Pick of Destiny rocks hard! The style and feel of the film will be familiar to anyone who has seen the TV show or listens to the music; being a big fan of both, this is a bonus for me. Some ideas from the television series are reused for the film, although most of it is new material and the format does translate very well to the big screen. The film is a cross between comedy and musical and the two are combined; Tenacious D made a new album for this film and the songs are very well used. Anyone who knows Tenacious D knows that they're the self-professed greatest band of all time, and the plot focuses on that idea. We watch as JB (Jack Black) travels to Hollywood where he meets KG (Kyle Gass). The two form the band 'Tenacious D' but soon become frustrated at the fact that they're not as awesome as the likes of Dio and AC/DC. The reason for these bands' awesomeness soon becomes apparent, and JB and KG end on the trail of the legendary 'pick of destiny'...
Jack Black is constantly proving how great he is at carrying films, and since the plot in this one is paper thin; this fact does really help the movie. Jack Black clearly enjoys himself throughout the film and it's great to watch. Kyle Gass is the less boisterous of the pair and has a good chemistry with Black. The supporting cast is decent too; Hollywood stars Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller have amusing cameos, while rockers Ronny James Dio and Dave Grohl also have small roles. As mentioned, there really isn't much plot; but that's not a bad thing. There are plenty of jokes and absurd situations to keep things moving. It's the music that provides the most laughs; the sequence featuring the song 'Break-In City' being my favourite part of the movie. The film doesn't take itself seriously for a minute and it is a lot of fun to witness it for that reason. Naturally, there's no point to the film, but if you're looking for a film with a point; this quite clearly isn't the film to see. Overall, this movie is a must for fans of the band and/or the show; the film is unlikely to appeal to everyone, but it hit the spot for me.