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Tuesday, 05 December 2006 17:30 |
 By BLAISE FAY
The interesting new film "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny" begins with a unique rock opera battle in Jack Blackës religiously overbearing home.
His father (played by Meatloaf) is furious about young Jackës obsession with rock ǃÚnë roll, so he tears down Queen and AC/DC posters left and right, and whips out his belt to discipline the boy.
Troy Gentile (who also played a young Black in "Nacho Libre") prays to his last remaining Black Sabbath poster, asking lead singer Dio for help. And when Dio magically answers, what else could Black do except follow his orders? He then moves out and travels to Hollywood in order to form the greatest band ever, Tenacious D.
On a California beach, a full-grown Black immediately latches on to Kyle Gass, a wig-toting mommaës boy and struggling musician.
The real action
begins when there isnët enough money for rent and the duo decides to
perform at a local talent show to win some money. Poring over magazine
covers of famous rock ǃÚnë rollers, they realize all of the successful
guitarists are using the same pick ÇƒÓ the pick of destiny. "The D" then
decides the pick is essential in their quest to blow away the
competition.
Liam Lynch,
long-time Tenacious D conspirator and director of this film, also
collaborated with the band back in 1997 to create an HBO series about
its hilarious, self-glorified rise to fame.
The bandmates
lounge in an apartment writing songs, perform and goof around
constantly ÇƒÓ a strikingly similar story as "Pick of Destiny." Common
themes from the series also reappear in the movie, such as Sasquatch,
dueling with the devil and Alës Bar, where they perform.
Many of the
songs on their first album were re-recorded from the show, and this
movie follows that trend. Fans have been anxiously awaiting the second
album since 2001, and the movieës soundrack is a perfect follow-up.
While the film
is full of celebrity cameos by such stars as Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller
(who also served as co-producer) and Amy Poehler, no amount of acting
or singing talent could carry the plot, which, as lame as it is, seems
to be the main focus of the film.
The music is, by
far, the finest aspect of the film. Blackës vocals and lyrics are
superb, and the style of the music is more advanced than the bandës
first album.
As funny as it
is, I think Tenacious D fans will see the movieës humor and story as
predictable ÇƒÓ prototypical of Black and Gass.
As a fan of
Tenacious D, it is hard for me to give an objective overall rating of
this film, but itës obviously not a masterpiece. Tenacious D is
exciting, the HBO television series is exciting, but I found this film
less-than-exciting. It felt too produced ÇƒÓ and a little too easy to
swallow.
Nonetheless, my
admiration leads me to rank this film an eight on a scale of one to 10
(with 10 being the best), but if I had never heard of the band and was
not a fan of Blackës acting, Iëd give this film a two.
Still, Iëd recommend it to be worth watching to anyone to get to know the band and its revolutionary style of music.
ï
Blaise Fay, a sophomore at UNC Asheville, works at the Daily Planet.
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