Slacker-sheik... A wonderful music movie may sadly be lost on non-fans

Rating: 7/10 (24 February 2007)

A fitting tribute for the self-professed "World's greatest rock band", Tenacious D's peculiar brand of epic song mockeries are hilariously adapted to feature film. In what could be a front-running candidate for the funniest musical film since Spinal Tap, The Pick of Destiny will only suffer criticism when paired with a non-fan who is not expecting a musical. Anyone who is familiar with the insane energy and zany humor of the band will feel right at home however, with the non-stop whirlwind songs relaying one of the D's earliest missions. In rolling out this prequel to their HBO cult classic show, stuffed with medieval imagery, marijuana homages, and foul language, Kyle Gass, Jack Black, and director Liam Lynch manage to get the insane tone of this wild band just right, producing one of the most consistently funny and clever musicals in memory.
Though the film is easily accessible to anyone with even the slightest interest in rock music, the constant in-house jokes and wealth of Tenacious D material sang during the movie will most likely alienate closed-minded viewers who had no idea they were getting themselves into this massively warped songbook. Anyone craving a melodic edge in their dialog however may be rewarded past expectation with Black's never-ending surplus of energy, singing about the bizarre events as they unfold on screen, which would just remain insane ramblings if not paired with the acoustic alchemy of partner Gass. Throughout the short music film, the dark, edgy material weaves it's way through the pretend-epic's engagingly cute storyline, describing the meeting of these two rhythm masters, up to their fateful journey to acquire the legendary pick the title speaks of.
The script may feel a little underdeveloped aside from all the concentrated jamming, but the irreverent duo's hilarious bickering will make you all but forget there even needs to be a plot. As long as one expects a musical, one as warped as Tenacious D fans have come to expect, there is no denying the inherent charm and unique flavor that this accomplished goof provides; it is simply the majority of movie watchers out there, who don't have any idea about what this band does, that may find all inherent joys throughout the fun-paced film sadly overlooked.