After 11 years, the Jackass crew is back for their final crusade.
Chuck says:
One thing you can say about the “Jackass” movies – you know exactly what you’re going to get. There’s little in the way of surprises where what Johnny Knoxville and Company have in store for their legions of fans – though I have to admit, seeing Steve-O’s genitals covered with a swarm of bees was unexpected. No, for the most part, it’s more of the same as these poster children for Peter Pan Syndrome risk life and limb to entertain, as well as thumb their nose at convention.
The series of gags range from the “meh” to the inspired, violation of the men’s nether regions being the through line connecting most of the scenes, as trivia contests gone awry as well as atomic wedgies result in their manhood being crushed, twisted, and otherwise mangled.
To liven things up, three of crew volunteer to be stung by a scorpion, chomped on by a spider or bit by a snake, while one poor soul finds himself assaulted by a bear after being smeared with honey and salmon. Yes, these pranks are regulated – to a degree – but the fear in his eyes, is real.
There’s no defending this movie but the bottom line is I laughed…a lot, big roaring belly laughs that negate any snobbery those who fail to give themselves over to this lunacy can appreciate. There’s something to be said about giving yourself over to your inner adolescent now and again.
There’s a certain poignancy seeing Knoxville and his brethren knocking on the door of middle age and not bouncing back as easily as they once could. They’re not the young men they once were and in seeing them limp or crawl away from these inspired feats, a realization dawns on the viewer as to the purpose of all the shenanigans that have taken place over the years. Their stunts have been a cumulative middle finger hoisted at their own frailty; a defiant gesture aimed at their own mortality. In the end, the Jackassers prove triumphant – they are the last men standing, having embraced the chaos that surrounded them and survived, albeit a bit hobbled and scarred, though with their heads held high.
3 1/2 Stars
