“Hello. I’m Johnny Knoxville. Welcome to Jackass.”
As these familiar words punctuate the stupid but hilarious opening of “Jackass Forever,” all the audience can do is shrug and agree to the film’s marketing tagline: “Some people never learn.”
With the above-mentioned opening scene featuring a giant Godzilla-like monster wreaking havoc to the city, we see the cast getting mauled, blasted, and ‘squirted’ on by the monster. In reality, it’s simply Chris Pontius’ green-painted penis, posing as a monster over a small set of a city. As the segment ends with a snapping turtle biting Pontius’ member, Knoxville says the words quoted above and formally starts the reality slapstick compilation.
Indeed, from the ‘Penis Beehive’ (Steve-O strips down and has Knoxville place a queen bee on his groin, as dozens of bees latch onto and sting his penis) to ‘The Flight of Icarus’ (Knoxville dons fake wings, places himself inside a cannon, and gets blasted before crashing to the lake, thus recreating the tale of Icarus flying too close to the sun); some people never learn.
And that’s a good thing. Because here’s the kicker: once the audiences acknowledge what they’re getting themselves into, “Jackass Forever” might end up among their biggest sources of belly laughs since the pandemic began. And once they’ve accepted this media franchise at face value, it’s easy to say that this latest installment from director Jeff Tremaine and producer Spike Jonze is the best movie of the entire “Jackass” franchise.
The Key to Appreciating ‘Jackass’? Treat it as Fanfare, Not Cinema
This is where biases need to stay at the door. For all the talk surrounding Martin Scorsese referring to superhero films as ‘theme parks’, one thing is certain: “Jackass Forever” is one. So, to watch this movie (and we’ll use the terms ‘movie’ and ‘film’ very loosely here) with the expectation that there’d be at least a plot herein is to completely miss the point.
It also pays to remember that the franchise began as a reality television show on MTV in 2000. Shortly after the show’s end in 2002, the first “Jackass” film came out, which made the brand the media franchise it is today. That bit is important, because while “Jackass Forever” is a movie, it isn’t cinema. It’s more of an attraction for adults, or for adults whose brand of humor “Jackass” caters to. Therefore, it’s best to consume this indecent compilation of pranks and stunts piecemeal—with years in between installments—for the whole thing to work.
And this explains why our colleague Matt DeCristo hated the spin-off “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” to a tee. The whole franchise is better off as montages of stupid stunts, juvenile pranks, and (literal) toilet humor; so much so that expanding one skit into a feature-length film wouldn’t really deliver the laughs it promises. Worse, it becomes a pale retread of cringe comedy that other filmmakers have excelled in (e.g. the “Borat“ films).
‘Jackass Forever’: A Breath of Fresh Air—Dick and Fart Jokes Aside
In this slapstick movie’s defense, what helped the public’s rather surprising reception to it involves timing. And the filmmakers and crew probably know this too well themselves. At the beginning of the movie, Steve-O waxes nostalgic about the twenty-year journey of the “Jackass” franchise, with the last installment (excluding “Bad Grandpa”) being way back in 2010. And with the pandemic still ongoing, the world has become weary with living under the new normal.
Those two factors, for me, explain the charm that “Jackass Forever” exuded; it has a ten-year gap between installments, and came out right in the middle of a crazy time. When Covid-19 has all but sucked out the joy in one’s everyday life, watching a bunch of people assembling themselves to serve as a human ramp for skateboarders and bicyclists might prove to be that much-needed tonic. Laughter, after all, doesn’t cost a thing; and even the most boorish stunt can put a smile on a curmudgeon’s face, given the right timing.
When the proverbial dust (i.e. spunk) settles, “Jackass Forever” validates the long-running franchise as a guilty-pleasure attraction; a series best consumed sporadically featuring childish people pulling off stupid stunts for fun. In essence, “Jackass Forever” encapsulates one’s audacity to stop time—and just relive the innocent mischiefs of their youth.
And, truth be told, don’t we all?
“Jackass Forever” is now showing in theaters .
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