Outside of classics like School of Rock, one of my favorite Jack Black films is without a doubt Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny. The film serves as a hilarious, off-the-wall origin story spoof of the band composed of duo Jack Black and Kyle Gass, and is one that I feel like often gets left out of the conversation when people talk about Black’s illustrious career. Which is a shame, because if you haven’t seen it, Pick of Destiny is 2006 era comedy gold.
I feel like part of why it gets overlooked is because Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny is an unabashed stoner flick, full of delightful stupidity and cheesy jokes that undoubtedly land better with viewers who are properly baked. This is one of the reasons why it’s such an enjoyable watch though, and for me is a particularly fantastic pick for those that may not be feeling their best mental health wise.
Not only does Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny excel at delivering a tale that never once takes itself seriously in any way whatsoever, it also features a surprise all-star cast including appearances from the late, great Ronnie James Dio and Meat Loaf, along with cameos from actors like Ben Stiller as a Guitar Center employee.
Oh, and of course, the legendary Dave Grohl as Satan who delivers iconic lines like, “Check this riff it’s f*cking tasty!”
The riff he plays is indeed quite tasty.
That aside, for those who’ve never seen the film, it follows Jack Black’s character who runs away from his home in Kickapoo to seek out Hollywood at the behest of a poster of Ronnie James Dio.
Once in Hollywood, he meets Kyle Gass busking on the street and eventually the two sync up to form “the world’s most awesome band.” Strapped for rent money, the two concoct a plan to steal the mystical “Pick of Destiny” from the Rock & Roll History Museum and use it to boost their performance at a local Battle of the Bands type show.
In short, I’ve seen this movie dozens of times and felt like writing up a Cortex post on it because again, if you haven’t seen it and you’re a Jack Black fan, you’re seriously missing out on some top tier laughs. That, or if you’re feeling a bit depressed, it’s a great watch that’ll give you 1 hour and 30 minutes of much-needed distraction. If you have Prime Video, it’s currently streaming there so you can bounce over and check it out now, if you like!
