Jack Black Movies
Actor, musician, and cult idol ascendant, Jack Black is known for both the characters he portrays on the screen and as one of the forces behind Tenacious D, a rock band/standup routine that Black has described as "a Smothers Brothers for the Dungeons and Dragons misfits set."A native of Santa Monica, CA, Black attended the University of California at Los Angeles. He got his professional start on the stage, appearing in Tim Robbins' production of Carnage at the 1989 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He would go on to collaborate with Robbins throughout his career, making his screen debut in the director's 1992 political satire Bob Roberts and appearing in Robbins' Dead Man Walking (1995) and Cradle Will Rock (1999). Black spent the '90s playing supporting and lead roles in a variety of films, including Demolition Man (1993), The Cable Guy (1996), which cast him as the best friend of Matthew Broderick's character, and Jesus' Son (1999), in which Black had a small but extremely memorable role as a pill-popping hospital orderly.
In 2000, Black had one of his most recognizable and enthusiastically received screen roles to date in High Fidelity. Stephen Frears' popular adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel of the same name, it featured Black as Barry, a thoroughly obnoxious record-store employee. The part allowed the actor to do some of his own singing, a talent that he had previously inflicted on numerous audience members during his years with the aforementioned Tenacious D. The band, comprised of Black and fellow holy terror Kyle Gass, had existed since 1994, and it had been featured on the TV comedy series Mr. Show and as the subject of their own HBO series entitled (tongue firmly in cheek) Tenacious D: The Greatest Band on Earth. It was only a matter of time before Black stepped up from supporting character to leading man, and with the Farrelly brother's Shallow Hal Black may just have found the ideal vehicle for the successful transition. As a superficial man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman after being hypnotized to see only the "inner beauty" of the opposite sex, Black co-starred alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Jason Alexander in what promised to be a charmingly offensive addition to the Farrelly canon.
Though MTV Films' heavily marketed Orange County (2002) was not a huge commercial success, Black's supporting role as the lead character's slacker brother was well received by critics and long-time fans alike, and the once obscure figure began appearing on media outlets including Saturday Night Live, Primetime Glick, commercials for The Osbournes, and various MTV music and film awards. In 2003, Black starred in his first big hit -- director Richard Linklater's musical comedy School of Rock, which featured Black as a disgruntled heavy metal-guitarist doing a substitute teaching gig for extra cash. Critics were so taken by his performance that he was honored with a Golden Globe nomination.
2004 saw Black turn in a cameo in the Will Ferrell vehicle Anchorman, after starring opposite Ben Stiller in director Barry Levinson's black comedy Envy. While the film was a box-office bomb after having its release pushed back several times, Black still had much to celebrate when it was announced he would be taking the lead in Peter Jackson's highly anticipated 2005 remake of King Kong. The epic film helped transition Black from a cult hero to a traditional movie star, though he was still careful to keep his original fans happy. In 2006, he starred in Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess' comedy Nacho Libre. The part of a disgruntled monk turned Lucha Libre idol was a perfect fit for the bombastic star, and he followed the performance up with another comic offering for his serious fans as he and Kyle Gass, his partner in Tenacious D, starred in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. This big screen telling of the band's mythical history promised to be full of the over-the-top laughs that rocked fans of the group's HBO series, and also included appearances by rock and metal idols like Ronnie James Dio and Meatloaf, who portrayed Black's dad.
Black didn't abandoning straight acting in 2006--he also appeared as the love interest of Kate Winslet in the Christmas romantic comedy The Holiday--but he couldn't be separated from his love of grandiose hilarity. 2007 found him signed up to play a man who tries to recreate classic films after his magnetized brain wipes out his friend's video store in Michel Gondry's Be Kind, Rewind. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2011
Universal Pictures presents The Lost Adventures of Stone Perlmutter Jr., a mockumentary featuring Jack Black as an adventurer whose quest for the undiscovered leads him on a catastrophic journey chronicled only through lost footage. Former Frasier writers Peter Huyck and Alex Gregory penned the script, with producing duties handled by Electric Dynamite Productions. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black
- 2011
Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman return to lend their voice talents to the Kung Fu Panda franchise with this second entry from DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures. Jennifer Yuh Nelson directs from a script by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, (more)
- 2010
Jack Black stars in the 20th Century Fox adaptation of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels with this fantasy-filled comedic production. This take on the timeless tale revolves around a shipwrecked journalist (Black) who discovers an island in the heart of the Bermuda Triangle where he is the biggest occupant in comparison to its tiny inhabitants. Shark Tale's Rob Letterman directs from a script by Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Nick Stoller and Joe Stillman (Shrek). ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black
Jack Black and Michael Cera headline Harold Ramis' Biblical comedy about a pair of misfit hunter-gatherers who embark on a wild journey through the ancient world after being banished from their primitive village. Zed (Black) and Oh (Cera) may lack in the skills that their chieftain is looking for, but they have plans to make it big. Zed has a gut feeling that God has "chosen" him, and so he leads his buddy on a trip through the unknown countryside in search of bigger and better things, bumping into several weird characters along the way -- like a feuding pair of brothers named Cain and Abel (David Cross and Paul Rudd). Unfortunately, their quest for greatness hits a few snags, like being sold into slavery, and later becoming the object of interest to a very amorous, very hairy high priest (Oliver Platt) in the opulent city of Sodom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Michael Cera, (more)
- 2009
A struggling Johnny Cash impersonator, an actress, and a former professional seeking to launch a career in the entertainment industry discover just how elusive success can be while chasing their dreams in Branson, MO. With more theater seats than Broadway, and over 100 shows playing at any given time, Branson has gained a reputation as the Vegas of the Bible Belt. Every year, seven million tourists flock to Branson in search of entertainment, ensuring that there are no lack of aspiring performers in this backwoods Hollywood. These are the stories of three such performers. A lifelong alcoholic and drug addict, talented Jack changed his name to Jackson Cash before moving to Branson and impersonating Johnny Cash. But while Jack is undoubtedly a gifted performer, his demons are constantly threatening to drag him down. Meanwhile, part-time waitress and full-time mother Amber sees her star beginning to dim as the decade tribute show she performs in winds to a close. One of the original cast performers, Amber attempts to reconcile with the fact that when the show ends, so, most likely, will her time in the spotlight. Geoff, on the other hand, would seem to have it all. A family man with a six-figure salary, Geoff always felt as if he was meant for something more, and he's willing to gamble everything in one last bid for superstardom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Ben Stiller's satirical look at Hollywood, Tropic Thunder concerns the production of an epic Vietnam War film that quickly derails thanks to the giant egos of everyone involved in the production. Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, an action hero trying to segue out of that genre. Jack Black plays Jeff Portnoy, a drug-addicted fat comic also attempting to change his image by taking on such a serious film. They star alongside Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), one of the world's most awarded actors, and a man who insists on immersing himself totally in a role. In this case, that means Lazarus has had his skin dyed in order to portray an African-American soldier. After their outrageous behavior lands the film's director, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), in very hot water with producer Les Grossman (Tom Cruise), Cockburn takes the advice of grizzled Vietnam vet Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte); in order to gain control of his performers, Cockburn drops the actors off in the jungle, planning to film the movie guerrilla-style with hidden cameras. When the group stumbles upon a heroin production camp, the actors are unaware that they are in very real danger. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Jack Black, (more)
- 2008
Join the star of Kung Fu Panda as he sets out on a whole new adventure in this sequel to the animated box-office hit featuring the voices of Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman. In the wake of defeating the ferocious Tai Lung, the Dragon Warrior must draw on the skills of Viper, Tigress, Monkey, Crane, and Mantis in order to face Shifu's greatest challenge to date. Along the way, Dragon Warrior uncovers the ancient Secrets of the Furious Five while discovering that it takes much more than strength and agility to become a true kung fu master. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, (more)
When a bumbling movie lover becomes magnetized while attempting to sabotage a local power plant and accidentally erases all of the videotapes in the small video store where his best friend works, the pair attempt to keep the store's loyal customer base by remaking as many of the top-renting movies as possible. Mike (Mos Def) is an employee at Be Kind Rewind, a modest mom and pop video store that is owned by Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover). Mike's best friend Jerry (Jack Black) works in an auto garage/junkyard directly adjacent to a local power plant. Lately Jerry has become increasingly paranoid about the effects that the power plant is having on his health. Convinced that he has developed a brain tumor from working in such close proximity to the power plant, Jerry attempts to sabotage the plant. Unfortunately for Jerry, his brain is magnetized in the process. The next time Jerry goes to visit Mike at Be Kind Rewind, the powerful magnetization emanating from his brain erases every videotape in the store. Now the only way for Mike and Jerry to be sure that Be Kind Rewind stays in business is to remake every film on the shelves before the customers notice. But when word gets out that Mike and Jerry have remade such Hollywood classics as Back to the Future, Robocop, The Lion King, and Rush Hour without permission, the store is threatened with copyright violations and forced to close its doors. In the aftermath of the closing, Mr. Fletcher and his employees discover just how loyal their customers really are when the entire neighborhood pools their resources to transform the junkyard into a legitimate movie studio and produce an entirely original film detailing the incredible adventures of a local jazz legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Mos Def, (more)
A clumsy panda bear becomes an unlikely kung fu hero when a treacherous enemy spreads chaos throughout the countryside in this animated martial arts adventure featuring the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and Jackie Chan. On the surface, Po (voice of Black) may look like just another portly panda bear, but beneath his fur he bears the mark of the chosen one. By day, Po works faithfully in his family's noodle shop, but by night he dreams of becoming a true master of the martial arts. Now an ancient prophecy has come to pass, and Po realizes that he is the only one who can save his people from certain destruction. With time running short and malevolent snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane ) closing in, Furious Five legends Tigress (Jolie), Crane (David Cross ), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), Monkey (Chan), and their wise sensei, Master Shifu (Hoffman), all draw on their vast knowledge of fighting skills in order to transform a lumbering panda bear into a lethal fighting machine. Now, if the noble Po can master the martial arts and somehow transform his greatest weaknesses into his greatest strengths, he will fulfill his destiny as the hero who saved his people during their darkest hour. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, (more)
- 2008
This soul scorching film follows the ups and downs of the greatest rock band in history, Tenacious D, as they embark on a large-scale world tour. The documentary follows the band on the highs of playing to devoted crowds in an unprecedentedly involved stage show in which they splay the second half of their set from the bowels of hell. It also follows the guys through the lows of their feature film Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny falling flat at the box office, threatening the would-be triumph of these undisputed kings of rock. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Margot at the Wedding, writer/director Noah Baumbach's follow-up to his Oscar-nominated The Squid and the Whale, stars Nicole Kidman as Margot, a woman who travels with her son to the wedding of her sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The relationship between the two siblings has never been harmonious, a situation that is exacerbated when Margot discovers she cares very little for her sister's fiancé (Jack Black). Soon the high-strung Margot escalates a feud between her sister and the neighbors, and family secrets come to light, forcing everyone to rethink their various feelings toward each other. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story to QueueAdd Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story to top of Queue
Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan team up to take the swagger out of the traditional music biopic with this look at the troubled life of fictional music legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly). Apatow and Kasdan both write and produce, while Freaks and Geeks and Orange County director Kasdan steps into the director's chair. Dewey Cox is a rock & roll legend whose songs have the power to shake a nation. Despite the fact that Cox's career has been something of a roller coaster ride, the fact remains that he never went out of style in the eyes of his many adoring fans. He's rubbed elbows with everyone from Elvis Presley to the Beatles, ingested every drug known to man (often in doses large enough to kill a healthy horse), starred in his own television show, and slept with hundreds of women, yet somehow he still finds the time to write some of the best-known songs ever to hit the airwaves. Now, after being married multiple times and fathering enough offspring to populate a small island nation, this musical icon continues to turn out the hits while attempting to win the heart of his beautiful backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer). While no one doubts that Dewey Cox will continue to dominate the airwaves, does this larger-than-life superstar really have what it takes to avoid the temptations of the rock & roll lifestyle and finally settle down with one woman? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, (more)
Jared Hess (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) directs this bizarre comedy starring Jack Black as Nacho, a young man who works as a cook in the Mexican monastery where he was raised. When the institution faces a financial crisis, Nacho decides that he must come to the aid of the house of God (as well as the beautiful young nun who has recently joined the order) by competing in the local Lucha Libre tournament. Donning a spandex outfit, mask, and cape, Nacho becomes a hero for the ages -- but can he win the heart of a woman of the cloth? ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Héctor Jimenez, (more)
- 2006
- R
- Add Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny to QueueAdd Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny to top of Queue
In this musical comedy-adventure starring self-proclaimed greatest band in the world Tenacious D, a pair of aspiring rock superstars attempt to convince the world of their true talents as they embark on a daring quest to acquire the supernaturally powered guitar pick that will finally allow them to fully realize their vast rock & roll potential. JB (Jack Black) is a naïve Midwesterner whose strict Christian parents view his burning passion for heavy metal as a mortal sin. After his dad tears down every poster in his bedroom except for a Ronnie James Dio poster on the back of the door, the former Black Sabbath frontman instructs the aspiring young rocker to seek out his fortune no matter what the cost. Subsequently setting his sights on Hollywood and hellbent to take the world of rock music by storm, JB sneaks out his bedroom window and makes his way to Venice Beach, where he soon meets guitar-strumming slacker KG (Kyle Gass). With a future of rock & roll superstardom now well within their reach, JB and KG harness the power of Satan to form hellfire hard rock duo Tenacious D and set out on a quest to achieve musical immortality by stealing the mythical guitar pick said to instill its owner with unprecedented musical prowess. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Kyle Gass, (more)
Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy Holiday stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two women who exchange houses in order to get a new lease on life. After each suffers her fair share of romantic disappointments, Englishwoman Iris (Winslet) and L.A. woman Amanda (Diaz) meet on-line at a website devoted to helping people exchange houses for vacations. Each agrees to spend the Christmas holiday at the other's home. While each suffers from a minor case of culture shock, both women also end up becoming involved with a man. Iris makes the acquaintance of an upbeat everyman played by Jack Black, while Amanda spends time with a handsome Brit played by Jude Law. Both women must decide what to do with these new relationships as their pre-arranged house switch is scheduled to last less than two weeks. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, (more)
One of the greatest adventure stories in Hollywood history gets a new interpretation in this action drama from Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson. In the early 1930's, Carl Denham (Jack Black) is a daring filmmaker and adventurer who has gained a reputation for his pictures documenting wildlife in remote and dangerous jungle lands; despite the objections of his backers, Denham plans to film his next project aboard an ocean vessel en route to Skull Island, an uncharted island he discovered on a rare map. Correctly assuming his cast and crew would be wary of such a journey, Denham has told them they're traveling to Singapore, but before they set sail, his leading lady drops out of the project. Needing a beautiful actress willing to take a risk, Denham finds Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), a beautiful but down-on-her-luck vaudeville performer and offers her the role; cautious but eager to work, Darrow takes the role, and onboard the ship she strikes up a romance with Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody), a respected playwright hired by Denham to write the script for his latest epic. When Denham and Company arrive on Skull Island, the natives react with savage violence, but they happen to be the least of their worries. Skull Island is a sanctuary for prehistoric life, and lording it over the dinosaurs and other giant beasts is Kong, a twenty-five-foot-tall gorilla who can outfight any creature on Earth. The natives kidnap Darrow, giving her to Kong as an offering to appease the giant beast; Denham and his men set out to find her, with Driscoll bravely determined to save the woman he loves. Eventually, Driscoll finds Darrow and Denham outwits Kong, intending to take the giant ape back to New York for display. But Kong has bonded with Darrow, and his attraction to her proves to be his undoing. Andy Sirkis, who provided the body movements for Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings pictures, performed similar duties on King Kong, studying gorillas so he could mimic their actions, which were then used as the basis for the special effects crew's digital animation of the great ape. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Naomi Watts, Jack Black, (more)
- 2005
This 2005 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Jack Black and features musical guest Neil Young. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Neil Young, (more)
Barry Levinson directed this comedy in which success has a rather surprising effect on two old buddies. Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black) and Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller) are best friends and next-door neighbors who work together at a sandpaper factory. Nick and Tim often find themselves wishing for something more from life, and Nick has a habit of dreaming up harebrained get-rich-quick schemes that usually end in disaster. Tim is particularly appalled by Nick's latest idea, "Vapoorizer," a cleaning product which will make pet feces magically disappear, but to their shock, it turns out to be an incredible success, and before long Nick is wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. Tim, however, is still the same guy getting by in suburbia he's always been, and soon Tim finds himself bitterly resentful of his old friend. As Nick gets richer, Tim gets angrier, and he develops a drinking problem. One night, in a bar, Tim meets an eccentric drifter (Christopher Walken) who offers him some not-so-friendly advice on getting even with his old friend. Envy also stars Rachel Weisz and Amy Poehler as Tim and Nick's much-put-upon spouses. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Jack Black, (more)
Oceanic wise guys meet up with a small fish who has a big attitude in this computer-animated comedy. Don Lino (voice of Robert De Niro) is the patriarch of a family of sharks who lord over a bustling aquatic community based along a massive underwater reef. Don Lino has two sons, Frankie (voice of Michael Imperioli) and Lenny (voice of Jack Black); Frankie is a carnivorous tough guy who takes after his father, but Lenny is, at heart, a kind soul who has earned the ire of his dad by becoming a vegetarian. One of Don Lino's cronies is Sykes (voice of Martin Scorsese), who runs a "whale wash" where Oscar (voice of Will Smith) scrubs aquatic mammals for a living. Oscar is a small but ambitious fish who dreams of making something of himself, and when a dropped anchor accidentally kills Frankie, Oscar is suddenly (if mistakenly) celebrated as "the shark killer." Oscar's overnight fame attracts the attentions of Lola (voice of Angelina Jolie), a slinky dragon fish who woos Oscar away from his steady date, Angie (voice of Renée Zellweger); however, Oscar strikes up a friendship with Lenny and has to decide what to do when Don Lino and Sykes decides it's time to "take care" of the "different" shark. Also popping up in Shark Tale's all-star voice cast are Peter Falk, Vincent Pastore, Ziggy Marley, and Katie Couric. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Smith, Robert De Niro, (more)
The world's least-employable heavy metal guitarist is entrusted with the minds of upstate New York's best and brightest in this fish-out-of-water comedy. Jack Black plays Dewey Finn, axe-bearer for a fitfully successful bar band determined to win a regional battle-of-the-bands competition. There's only one thing standing in their way: the self-indulgent solos and crowd-diving antics of their "embarrassing" lead guitarist. When his band votes him out in favor of a would-be rock god, Dewey has to make the rent somehow, and after intercepting a call for his substitute-teacher roomie Ned (Mike White), the pot-bellied slacker finds himself in front of a class of elite elementary school students. At a loss for a lesson plan, Dewey takes offense at the pre-teen prodigies' staid musical regimen and makes it his goal to preach them the gospel of The Who, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC -- with the ulterior motive of getting them to compete against his former band for a cash prize. But no matter how willing his pupils, Dewey runs up against the consternation of the school's stern headmistress Principal Mullins (Joan Cusack), the battle-of-the-bands' promoter (Frank Whaley), and not least, his identity-deprived roomie Ned. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Joan Cusack, (more)
- 2003
This 2003 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Jack Black and features musical guest John Mayer. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, John Mayer, (more)
A team of "sub-zero heroes" band together to save a human infant in this digitally animated feature from Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge, whose unique lighting software (called "Ray Tracing") sets his visual style apart from earlier CGI efforts. Twenty thousand years ago, the Earth is overrun by freezing temperatures in an Ice Age that is sending all manner of critters scattering in the path of encroaching glaciers. When a lost human infant is discovered, an unlikely quartet of misfits forms to return it to its mother: Manny, a depressed woolly mammoth (Ray Romano); Sid, a fast-talking sloth (John Leguizamo); an acorn-crazed squirrel named Scrat (Wedge); and the devilish saber-toothed tiger named Diego (Denis Leary). Before they can complete their mission, the reluctant compatriots will brave pits of boiling lava, dangerous caverns of ice, and even a traitorous plot within their midst. Ice Age (2002) also features the voices of Jack Black, Jane Krakowski, and Goran Visnjic. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
- 2002
This 2002 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Jack Black and features musical guest the Strokes. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, The Strokes, (more)
Some cast and crew from NBC's highly acclaimed, little-seen series Freaks and Geeks reunite for this teen comedy that also marks the first starring role for Tom Hanks' son, Colin. The younger Hanks plays Shaun Brumder, a high schooler eager to propel himself out of the land of surf bums and ranch homes to which the film's title refers. He's had his sights set on Stanford ever since he read the works of professor Marcus Skinner (Kevin Kline), and his transcript is stellar enough to gain him admission. Shaun is understandably furious, then, when he receives a rejection letter in the mail; after some detective work on his part, he realizes that his flaky counselor (Lily Tomlin) mistakenly sent the university the wrong papers. It's up to him to get to Stanford within 24 hours to set the record straight -- literally -- and he enlists the help of his slacker brother Lance (Jack Black) to do so. Orange County co-stars Catharine O'Hara and John Lithgow as Shaun and Lance's slightly unhinged parents; the film was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White, both of whom contributed to several episodes of Freaks and Geeks. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Hanks, Jack Black, (more)
