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Three out of Five stars
Running time: 100 mins

Tenacious D's big screen outing is extremely patchy but the laughs just about compensate for all the dull, unamusing bits.

What's it all about?
The film presents a fictional origin story for Jack Black and Kyle Gass' real-life band, in which a young JB (Troy Gentile, who also played young Jack Black in Nacho Libre) leaves home and eventually arrives in Hollywood, whereupon JB (now played by Jack Black) meets fellow slacker Kyle Gass and they form the rock band Tenacious D, named after their interlocking arse tattoos.

Determined to become the world's greatest rock band, the boys decide they need a little help and set out to steal the Pick Of Destiny, a magical guitar pick fashioned from one of Satan's own teeth. Along the way they meet a variety of weirdos and have a number of wacky adventures.

The Good
The first half an hour is extremely amusing, with some clever songs and a couple of hilarious gags. Black and Gass spark off each other well and their relationship carries the film through some of the patchy moments.

The cameos are funny too, particularly Meat Loaf as JB's anti-rock dad and Tim Robbins, who's hilarious as their mysterious, limping nemesis. There's also a terrific showdown sequence with old Beelzebub himself (brilliantly played by Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl that makes up for all the dodgy bits.

The Bad
Like the vaguely similar Wayne's World, the joke about two overweight mid-30s slackers who think they're destined to be rock gods is hilarious in sketch form (as in the D's series of short movies) but wears thin over 100 minutes. Consequently, the film won't be to everyone's tastes, as several of the jokes fall flat and there are some painfully dull stretches.

Worth seeing?
This has some good gags and is worth seeing if you're a fan of either The D or Jack Black, but it's also very patchy and unlikely to make many new converts.