The "Wayne's World" for a new generation...

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2006)

(Contains very mild spoilers regarding the intro of the film)
So, having managed to get into a press screening of Jack Blacks' new film I suppose I should do my job and say something about it.
First off I'll have to admit that I went to the film without any preconceptions. I think Jack Black is a very good comedian and showman and I do enjoy Tenacious D as a band - possibly more for the comedy value of their lyrics and videos than the actual music. I have never seen the TV series that ran in the States catapulting them to stardom as 'The D' so a lot of the cameo roles by a whole host of people that also appeared on the show flew straight past me.
The film starts off with little 10-year old JB joining in at dinner with his ultra conservative Christian parents (his father is played by Meatloaf) with a song about his home town of Kickapoo with enough expletives in to warrant the 'Parental Advisory Sticker' on the album cover ten times over. His parents, who consider rock music the devils work, are understandably not very pleased at this and after his father has finished lashing him with his belt he tears down all of Jack's beloved rock posters and pretty much bans him from following his dream. All is saved though when the one poster that has escaped his fathers wrath - of Ronnie James Dio - comes to life and advisers young Jack that to follow his dream he has to leave home and go to 'Hollywood'. Cue Jack making a quick exit through his window with some cash and his guitar and a trek around the USA to all the towns called Hollywood before he ends up in Hollywood, California, many years later as an adult.
It is in Hollywood that Jack mets Kyle Gass - his partner in crime at Tenacious D - and despite a bad first encounter Kyle ends up taking Jack in after seeing him beat up by a gang inspired by The Clockwork Orange. Thus Jack's tuition begins and the two cement their friendship and eventually go on the quest to find the 'Pick of Destiny' to help them achieved the Rock Godhood they so desperately desire!
'The Pick of Destiny' is a rock musical comedy. It certainly achieves it's aims and is utterly hilarious. It had pretty much the entire cinema laughing throughout the movie and has got some classic moments in it. Ultimately though whilst it is a very enjoyable 95 minutes - and certainly produces more laughs in that time than many traditional comedies - it's a film that seems like it finishes before it has started. The film doesn't really seem to go very far and when it finished I did have the slight feeling of "oh, it's over already?" - which is on one hand good (it was so fun I didn't realise it'd been on that long) but on the other it's not so good (was that it?).
This film will be the "Wayne's World" for a new generation. I can imagine nations of teenage rockers, and non-rockers alike, loving the film. Quoting the film. Worhsipping the film. And to be honest rightly so. The film is hilarious (have I already said that enough? :p). I just wish it'd been double the length!
Oh, watch out for some of the custom guitars and possibly the best use of a cock in a movie I've seen :p
School Report: B+ (Funniest film of the year but drops points for finishing just as it was building up steam)
PS - Can't wait to see the band live when they play the UK later this year :)