Directed by Jeff Tremaine
Featuring Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Danger Ehren, Steve-O
Everyone thought they’d be too old and too battered to be doing another Jackass film, but here they are again, and they’re putting their bodies and their guts through the test this one more time. Old age has barely slowed down the team at all, and it definitely hasn’t given them any extra wisdom. What’s so successful about Jackass Forever is how neatly is gets to sit alongside the previous three, despite the 12 year gap.
Although this may not contain as memorable stunts as in the second and third movies, what made Jackass so successful is still in plain sight here. It’s not just the audaciousness of the stunts (some of which aren’t as impressive as they think) or the gross-out nature (there’s certainly plenty of disgusting gags here), it’s also the immature joy that feels so contagious. As with all their films now, it’s so clear that this is a crew that get along together and are able to laugh together … at each other’s pain and misfortune.
The best stunts in the film are usually the ones where the crew get coerced into one stunt, just for it to turn into a whole other stunt. It’s why the ‘Silence of the Lambs’ bit may be the film’s highlight, as there may be more fun to be had with chaos rather than preparation. Seeing the crew stumble in the dark, while losing trust in each other, is one of the franchise’s new great moments.
Some of the other stunts seemed a bit reiterative since you’ve seen them done before in past movies, such as Johnny Knoxville’s encounter with a bull – he even does a full swing after being hit (just like in the second movie), though he faces a much gnarlier fall this time round. And much of the stunts involving animals tend to only lead to one outcome – getting bitten.
Along with some excellent new-comers (Zach Holmes and Poopies), though some disappointing cameos (Eric Andre doesn’t get up to much), the Jackass crew are back like no time has passed at all. Everyone on screen is game for the intense stunts, though it appears Danger Ehren in particular suffers the most. Although a handful of the stunts aren’t goofy, dangerous, or fresh enough, what’s still shining among the Jackass crew is what each individual member brings to this calamitous chaos.
DAVID MORGAN-BROWN
