Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny
New Line Home Entertainment
Cast: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Dave Grohl, Tim Robbins, Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller
Extras: Commentary Tracks, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Music Video
Rating:
Long-time DVD Review readers know by now that I am a sucker for rock'n roll movies. Whether it's the hunt for Bon Scott's grave, the antics of Spinal Tap, or a quest to get into a KISS concert, these films always bring back many of the aspirations I have had in my own days as a rock'n roller. It is a guilty pleasure and most of these films really aren't very good – but they make me feel good because I can relate to the stories and the characters. In "Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny" we have more of that and I was eager to check this film out on DVD.
As everyone probably knows by now, Jack Black is not only an actor but also part of the rock duo "Tenacious D," a brutally offensive, sing-it-like-you-mean-it combo who aren't shy about anything they say or think. Here we have a story where Jack Black and Kyle Gass meet for the first time in Venice Beach, become room mates and live their common dream – to become rock gods. When things fail their eyes turn toward the Pick Of Destiny, a guitar pick carved from the tooth of Satan himself which is said to have the power to catapult anyone using it into rock superstardom – as witnessed by bands, such as The Who, Van Halen, AC/DC and others.
"Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny" has some truly hilarious moments that make up for some of the weaker moments in the film and overall found it to be a great feel-good comedy with some amazing music. Featuring cameo appearances by Meat Loaf, Ronnie James Dio, Dave Grohl, Tim Robbins, Amy Poehler and Ben Stiller the movie has cult appeal written all over it. Despite the fact that the language in the movie is truly at its foulest, it is hard to feel offended by it, because it is all in good humor and sometimes simply all too true.
New Line has prepared this release as a Platinum Series edition and offers up the movie in a great-looking anamorphic widescreen transfer. Absolutely clean and free of defects the transfer is vibrant and rich without noise or grain. Colors are strikingly vivid and complemented by solid black levels that ensure visual depth at all times. No edge-enhancement is evident and the compression is also without artifacts making for a pristine viewing.
In terms of audio the disc rocks away on 5.1 Dolby Digital EX as well as DTS 6.1 ES, getting the most out of the kick-ass music. Clean and clear the audio is free of distortion ands the wide sound field helps bring the action on the screen to life. Best of all however it adds punch to the music like there's no tomorrow. With an incredible bass extension and cool dynamics the music is the true highlight of the film making it almost more of a rock opera than a comedy.
There's a good number of bonus materials to be found on the release as well, such as a commentary track featuring Black and Gass. A separate commentary track by director Liam Lynch is also included as he tells his side of the story. The tracks are followed by 14 deleted and extended scenes. There's an interesting mix there between scenes – some of them funny and interesting, others not overly so. A number of featurettes are included as well, such as a fly-on-the-wall look at the studio sessions and a video journal style production featurette. It is hard to tell sometimes what is real, what is made-up, what is serious and what is just a joke, but I found that it doesn't matter, because in the end it's funny and entertaining in the sense that it gives you a more intimate look at the making of the film.
Also included is a "Jump To A Song" feature giving you direct access to any song in the film as well as the "Pick Of Destiny" music video. This video is pretty unique in that the song sort of a teaser synopsis of the actual movie. Very cool idea and more so, another cool tenacious song.
I'm not necessarily a Tenacious D fan but I had a true blast with this film. It lives off the songs and lyrics and throws in some cool visuals to top it off. Especially the show-off between Satan and the D is a great finale to round out the film. If you love rock movies and comedy, "Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny" should go right to the top of your list. It is way out funny.
