Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 10, 2024

There’s a full-length documentary on the release of 2008’s “Tenacious D: The Complete Master Works 2” that’s essential viewing. It examines the period of fame for the musical duo, with Jack Black and Kyle Gass struggling to deal with an imbalance in media attention, especially as the build up to the release of 2006’s “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny” starts to form. Especially illuminating is the excitement surrounding the movie, with cameras at the premiere, catching New Line Cinema execs sharing their joy with the picture’s earning potential, laying the groundwork for a potential sequel. And then “The Pick of Destiny” was unleashed on America…and nobody came. It’s one of the great box office mysteries of the decade, with the cult popularity of the group unable to cross over to mainstream success, turning the feature into secret handshake cinema. The film itself didn’t deserve such a cruel fate, with director Liam Lynch masterminding a wild ride of music and comedic mayhem for Tenacious D, finding the joyful silliness of the band while celebrating their exceptional musical power. It’s such a fun endeavor, triumphantly selling Black and Gass’s wonderful way with stupidity and rock authority.

Escaping his judgmental religious household, JB (Jack Black) has made his way to Los Angeles, hoping to do something with his rock and roll dreams. He runs into KG (Kyle Gass) on the beach, wowed by the busker’s musical skills, looking to learn from a master. Turns out, KG is a fraud, but the pair are soon touched by destiny, forming a musical partnership, intending to blow minds with their work. In need of special energy, the men discover the power of The Pick of Destiny, formed from the tooth of Satan (Dave Grohl), which is resting at the Rock and Roll History Museum. Desperate to possess it, Tenacious D hits the road to retrieve it, learning more about the stress of partnership and the fury of their fantasies in the process.

Even if one has an adverse reaction to “The Pick of Destiny,” the picture certainly opens and closes with real moviemaking strength. Lynch and Tenacious D turn to music to sell elements of the story, including an introductory number detailing young JB’s battle against his pious father (Meat Loaf) and his call for help to Ronnie James Dio (in a perfect cameo), seeking the inspiration to follow his heart into the wilds of rock appreciation. It’s a powerhouse number, setting the tone of “The Pick of Destiny,” which includes more operatic moments along the way. However, Lynch isn’t making a musical. He’s pursuing more of a stoner comedy, putting wackiness first as the screenplay (by Black, Lynch, and Gass) details the rise of Tenacious D, exploring rock stardom training, songwriting, and open mic performances.

Lynch looks to cartoon inspiration for “The Pick of Destiny,” which is played broadly, showing a lot of creativity when generating madness meant to support such goofiness. A road trip of sorts soon forms, putting the team into contact with a weirdly knowledgeable Guitar Center employee (Ben Stiller), a crazy man (Tim Robbins) interested in their plan, and JB has a magic mushroom-fueled encounter with Sasquatch (John C. Reilly). “The Pick of Destiny” isn’t pedal-to-the-metal storytelling, hitting some bumps with a break up as tensions rise between JB and KG, but Lynch never allows the film to stop, prepared with a fresh offering of extremity and tomfoolery to keep viewers engaged, eventually hitting a movie highpoint with the “Master Exploder” fantasy performance sequence (topped with a mid-fame Amy Adams cameo), which displays the potential of Tenacious D’s stage power with magical help from the pick.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed on a press release as "a new 2K master from film elements." That's vague, but what's offered here generally preserves the look of "The Pick of Destiny." Detail is acceptable, exploring skin particulars and makeup achievements, along with fibrous costumes. Household decoration is open for inspection, joined by club tours and a trip to the Rock and Roll History Museum. Exteriors with chases and beach life retain depth. Color is appealing, with the glowing green of the pick intact, along with the heavy reds of Satan during the dark lord's appearance. Primaries are secure, doing well with clothing choices and signage. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain remains film-like. Source is in good condition.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"The Pick of Destiny" is an active feature, and the 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix supports this lively audio journey with a powerful presence. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, securing performance choices and balancing extremes of emotion. Scoring retains dramatic support, with a welcome orchestral balance to the rock vibe of the movie. Soundtrack selections are really the main draw here, and they maintain authority with distinct instrumentation and volume, joined by clear vocals. Low-end delivers heavy percussion and louder physical activity. Surrounds offer a circular presence for musical moods, also doing well with atmospherics and playful movement, including the "THC" opening animation.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features stars Jack Black and Kyle Gass.

• Commentary #2 features director Liam Lynch.

• Making Of (23:10, SD) follows the development period and production of "The Pick of Destiny," featuring interviews with director Liam Lynch, producer Stuart Cornfeld, production designer Martin Whist, special makeup effects supervisor Barney Burman, composer/music producer John King, and actors Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, Dave Grohl, and Meat Loaf.

• Deleted/Alternate Scenes (54:22, SD) are collected, with director Liam Lynch promising the "most kick-ass" clips to share, going through the movie's snipped ideas and multiple chances for comedy.

• "Hell O'Clock News" (35:08, SD) are internet shorts covering the world of Tenacious D, hosted by Asemodeus Lucifuge, Joyce Leviathan, and puppet weatherman, Dennis Boogens. While gags are the idea here, the clips provide a look at the BTS experience of "The Pick of Destiny," mixing moviemaking with on-set shenanigans.

• "Recording the Rock" (21:37, SD) tracks studio work from Tenacious D and their team as they assemble music for "The Pick of Destiny." The gang is eventually joined by Ronnie James Dio, who shows them all how it's done with a mighty vocal display.

• "POD" (2:50, SD) is a music video by Tenacious D.

• "The Making of the Music Video" (4:44, SD) visits the "POD" shoot in a movie theater setting, with Jack Black and Kyle Gass working to keep things light on-set and nail their parts.

• "The Orchestra and the Choir" (7:28, SD) takes a look at the creation of orchestral music for the rock film, with composers John King and Andrew Gross offering their creative visions for the work. Cameras also capture the recording session, which is interrupted by Jack Black, who takes over conducting duties.

• "Tenacious D Home Movies" (13:05, SD) follow stars Jack Black and Kyle Gass around the set, where jokes are cracked and shenanigans are unleashed. Some filmmaking work is completed as well.

• And a Teaser Trailer (1:24, HD) and Theatrical Trailer (1:39, HD) are included.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Pick of Destiny" is a welcome blast of good-natured inanity (the last ten minutes of the effort genuinely reach an epic scale), with Gass and Black sweating hard to bring a heroic quality to the low-budget feature. They remain committed to the cause, delivering an excellent soundtrack of story- driven songs and complete enthusiasm for all of Lynch's weird directorial ideas. It's just a wonderfully entertaining movie, and while the mystery of how a platinum band could generate a box office bomb remains, the one live-action picture they managed to create is outstandingly inventive and sonically, well…explosivo.