dj4our Blog

Tenacious D is a two man "super-group"  that deem themselves jokingly, "The Greatest Band in the World." Consisting of actors/musicians Jack Black ("JB" or "Jables") and Kyle Gass (KG or Rage Gage) formed in the mid '90's and after their self-titled HBO series (which aired from 1997 to 2000) they released their full-length debut album in 2001 which was followed by the two-disc Complete Masterworks DVD in 2003. Their goofy, mostly acoustic "rock" music with mostly off-putting, lowbrow humor certainly makes them an easy act to remember. They can be easily mistaken as a joke with their comedic acting overshadowing their musicianship but they can play and although it is tongue-in-cheek, they are both talented enough songwriters and performers. While I understand the source material and I generally like these two guys, after a while (like Spinal Tap), it gets kinda old and offensive. Call me a prude. While, I did find myself laughing hysterically at some parts, I was also very disheartened in a "why-did-they-have-to-go-there" kinda way.

The story being told here is one that includes both the duo's origins and their early adventures together. In the fictional town of Kickapoo, Missouri, young Jables (Troy Gentile, who also portrayed a young Black in "Nacho Libre") is the black sheep of his Bible Belt family. After his father (Meat Loaf) punishes him for his taste in rock music, Jables runs away to Venice Beach, California after getting advice from his Ronnie James Dio poster. It is there that he meets Kage, already an experienced guitarist who seems to have no interest in forming a band with Jables. As Jables and Kage get to know each other, they decide to form a band called "Tenacious D" cuz Jables has a birthmark on his right butt cheek that reads "Tenac" and Kage has one on his left butt cheek that says "cious D." Yeah. Kage being the lead guitarist with Jables being the loony lyricist/guitarist. When Kage learns that his mother will no longer be paying his rent, his deception of being a "connected" guitar god is shattered. After Jables gets over this deception, he convinces Kage to rock as their way of making rent.

They soon discover (by way of various Rolling Stone magazine covers) that many famous and successful rock musicians have used the same guitar pick. They head out to the infamous Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd. in search of the specific pick. They learn from a store clerk (Ben Stiller, in a role that he's played countless times before only this time, with a headbanger motif) that this pick is called the "Pick of Destiny", fabled to have been forged from the tooth of the Devil himself. They find out the pick is hidden in the Sacramento Rock and Roll Museum and Jables becomes determined that this will make them rock gods and therefore win an Open Mic Contest, so they can make their rent. They embark on their journey after they borrow a cutlass from Lee (Jason Reed) their only fan, a clueless pizza delivery guy/student driver instructor. 

Their journey covers the familiar ground of bonding and bickering seen so many times before in better road trip/buddy films. At times, it's funny like when we see Jables frolic with Sasquatch (the always hilarious John C. Reilly in a hilarious costume) in his colorful, mushroom-induced hallucinatory escapade. Then there's the not so funny diner scenes as we see Kage try to pick up some college girls (that's just gross) and we also Tim Robbins slummin' it as some Stranger which really had no contribution to the plot whatsoever. Maybe I'm too hard on a movie that's not taking itself seriously, but for me it's gotten to the point where movies like this and Kevin Smith's juvenile Jay and Silent Bob movies are just endless cycles of the same dirty jokes we've seem done countless times.

So, obviously the two break into the museum and manage to get away with the pick. I'm not even gonna get into how they succeeded. Kage is pulled over for a minor traffic violation on the way back, but he drives off, causing a inane high-speed police pursuit. After an all too lengthy car chase with the police, Lee's car finally crashes and burns....literally. We see that they have escaped into the sewer and miraculously wind up headed towards the Open Mic show that has their cash prize. With the Pick of Destiny, they are guaranteed to play well; but while fighting over who's gonna perform with it outside the show, they break the pick. The Open Mic Host (Paul F. Tompkins) convinces them that they don't need the pick to be great, but he then picks up the two parts of the pick and turns into the Devil (Dave Grohl). The band challenges Satan to a "rock-off".

 

They agree that if "the D" wins the battle, the Devil must go back to hell and cover their rent (although if they were smart they would have him pay their rent forever). However, if Satan wins, he can "take Kage back to Hell to be [his] love slave." Despite great effort from both sides, Satan insists that he won and shoots lightning at Kage. Jables jumps in front of the lightning; it rebounds off of his guitar and hits Satan in the horn, breaking it off. Because of the curse upon him, the absence of his horn causes him to be sent back to hell. Later on, back at their apartment, Kage and Jables use Satan's severed horn as a bong of destiny in order to acquire creative genius.