Funnier than I imagined, but way too random and ridiculously unbalanced

Rating: 6/10 (18 November 2006)

I randomly entered a draw for free tickets to see Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, and after winning, was unsure of what to do. I was sure I was not going to like the movie as I was never a big fan of the band, and am fairly indifferent to the work of Jack Black. But I went anyway, if for any reason, just sheerly for fun. And what I got was a fair mix of bad and good, but I was most definitely surprised at both how the film was so much better than I expected, and just how terribly random it is.
After a short musical interlude about the sad and rock-impaired childhood of JB (Troy Gentile, the spitting image of Black) followed by a kickin' credits sequence, we move onto him as an adult (now Black himself) and his meeting with Kyle Gass (as himself). He had wanted to become part of a group, and is instantly attracted to Gass as a fellow band mate. Gass is reluctant at first to do anything, but after witnessing a chance encounter where Black is beat up by a gang straight out of A Clockwork Orange, he takes him under his wing and lies to him about being a major player in the music business. Eventually Black finds out the truth, but decides against making his new friend hit the road.
I have already said too much, but suffice to say that the newly formed band needs to create their "masterpiece" and sets out to acquire the 'Pick of Destiny' in order to do it.
The film stays on course for the most part with a healthy dose of humour and musical interludes. Other than one scene, every song used is from the band, and plays along excellently alongside the film (of course, the lyrics tend to also be about the certain scene, but their elaborateness really makes for an excellent combination). But while it does stay on course, it does feel unbalanced. In some instances, everything that is said or done is just hilarious specifically for the fact that it is so ridiculously random. But in others, the randomness really just ruins the audience's suspension of disbelief, and just becomes downright stupid.
I do not think I have ever seen such a random film in my life, and while some of it feels very well thought out (Black, Gass and director Liam Lynch wrote the screenplay), other parts just feel thrown together and out of place. It is obvious that the film knows its genre (very broad comedy), and knows its ideal audience (fans of the band and Black, and of course stoners), but almost wants to steer onlookers away by throwing in these atrocious and awful scenes. Yes, a lot of them make for smirks and a few broad laughs, but mostly out of the fact that they just do not feel right here. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and in a way that is great. But in another, it really segregates the audience, and makes for anyone not feeling the jokes to feel completely awkward while everyone else laughs. The whole film works on this good and bad principle as a give-and-take type of thing, and sadly never attempts to move away from it.
Black and Gass work off of each other quite well, and make for an interesting pair. Black clearly steals the show away, as he actually knows what he's doing when he is not standing beside Gass, whereas Gass seems very confused without Black. I realize that Black is the popular comedic personality, but despite all the jokes and laughs he delivers, Gass just seems DOA without him. They have a solid chemistry, but Gass just cannot do it on his own. The music is also a big highlight, as it is both vulgarly original and disgusting vile all at once. It is a bit hard to take in some instances, and in others just feels like total overkill. But for the most part, it works, and adds a very distinct extra layer to the film. As a sidenote, I do not think I have ever heard the word for male innuendo that starts with the letter 'c' used so frequently like I did here. It is clever at first, but just becomes annoying after a while.
Going along with the randomness is the cameos. Meat Loaf, Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller are just a few of the recognizable faces that show up here, and they help add to just how wild the film becomes. All of them play ridiculously over-the-top one-dimensional characters, but there is something to be said for how frequently they pop up and how funny their small amounts of time are on screen. And really, what is Robbins doing here? He did the same thing in Anchorman, so I really am beginning to be a little curious as to his random presence, especially so fresh off of his Oscar win.
Another interesting thing is the subtitles and animation that pops up to show the various transitions (and of course, the history of the Pick or 'POD' as they call it). This same style is used during the credit sequence to great effect, and it looks pretty good during the film too. It works well, and feels seamlessly branched right into the film without problem.
For the most part, the long-awaited Tenacious D film is a lot better than one would expect. Yeah, it is ridiculous and so terribly random, but it does have a few genuinely funny moments too. Just do feel forewarned that not everyone will enjoy it.
6/10.