Tenacious D in 'The Pick of Destiny' 2006

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Even with Jack Black's eyebrows and a musical showdown with the devil, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is kind of a whiff. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Most of the movie farts along at the level of a Wayne's World sketch. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: A daft, often uproarious rock opera that may become a cult favorite. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: While fans of Black and Gass will be thrilled by their music and antics, you can walk in knowing nothing about the band and still be entertained. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: I found it mildly amusing. I didn't hate it. Read more

Daniel Gray Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: ... the funniest movie musical since South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut ... Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: [The Pick of Destiny] tries to make up in enthusiasm what it lacks in creative inspiration. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: Jack Black's constant mugging and eyebrow wriggling reaches an obnoxious new low in the awkwardly titled Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. He is brash and loud, as his pupils bounce around their sockets like pinballs. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Black thrives in these grubby environs. His full-throttle bodily chaos makes more sense in movies done on the cheap than in blockbusters and polished comedies. Read more

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times: The script, written by Black, Gass and director Liam Lynch, packs in gag after gag (and cameo after cameo), but there's not enough dramatic impetus to keep it from becoming a drag. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Gass and Black should have been given a few more chances to go completely bonkers. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: I can understand [Black] wanting to make King Kong, but Nacho Libre was a dismal affair and Tenacious D isn't much better. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: There's nothing heavy about this metal-loving comedy, and there's a lot that is good-hearted. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Nonbelievers need not apply. And that means you, Manilow fans. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The movie feels giddy and eruptive, dopily enthralled with itself, and more or less made up on the spot, especially when it lapses into pure rock opera. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Manages to hold our attention for an entire 97 minutes, a feat that even metal bands with real Marshall amps are hard-pressed to accomplish. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: It's pointless to nitpick a film this ostentatiously loose and loutish, but in the film's execution much of that spirit just comes off as lazy and careless. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: Fast and funny, and you can't beat the songs. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Less rocking on and better jokes would have made Tenacious D seem more than just tenacious. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Although some jokes and songs are recycled from the band's back catalog, the movie contains plenty of new material, a mix of killer tunes, monster laughs and savvy references. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Even if you're not a stoned adolescent, there's plenty to appreciate in Liam Lynch's loopy, cheerfully lowbrow comedy. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: They were going for Crossroads. They settled for VH-1 Storytellers. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: My advice: set aside the money you would have spent on a ticket toward buying the soundtrack. That way, you can get all that's moderately good about Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny without having to endure the substantial bad. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The plot pings along energetically, and if it rarely makes much sense, it usually finds the shortest distance between two jokes. Like a dumb but infectious rock song, you can't really justify loving the movie for any serious reason. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The Pick of Destiny is often hard to resist because Gass and Black are playing such amiably clueless losers. But for the real-life performers, satirizing stupidity is a dubious achievement we'd like to see them outgrow. Read more

Teresa Budasi, Chicago Sun-Times: The bottom line: Jack Black rocks -- especially when he rocks. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Strictly for the tenaciously devoted. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Begins with flatulence, ends with flatulence and is one big gaseous emission in between. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out: Clearly intended to be viewed through a haze of marijuana smoke, it'd be against the law for us to recommend this film. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The movie lags on occasion, but it also has quite a few laughs. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: In terms of comedies aimed at the dazed and confused, Tenacious D is hardly the pick of the litter, but it litters enough laughs in its wake to do more than just blow smoke. Read more

Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: Tenacious D is utterly harmless and totally pointless. Black and Gass have been at this so long their dirty little joke has all the punch of a Catskills routine. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: Even considering Black's prodigious talents, Pick gets tiresome way too quickly. Read more