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| Courtesy of Paramount Pictures |
Back in 2010, Jeff Tremaine and the Jackass
crew pushed their brand of gross out reality slapstick comedy to new
heights with Jackass 3D.
Introducing 3D effects and shooting on the Red One digital camera with
ultra-high-speed photography for wild slow motion sight gags, the film and its
stunts pushed the envelope to new heights.
While becoming a major box office hit, it marked the last onscreen
appearance of Ryan Dunn who tragically passed away shortly after the film was
released. In the meantime, the Jackass
crew put together Bad Grandpa which focused on Johnny Knoxville’s grandpa
character who appeared in all three of the Jackass films. Sadly following Dunn’s death, Bam Margera
fell into alcoholism and found himself at odds with the franchise’s creator who
fired him from what would or would not become the fourth Jackass film.
Losing three of the original key
figures (Dunn, Rip Taylor and Margera who remains credited on the film despite
his absence) while ushering in new talents including Sean “Poopies” McInerney
and Jasper Dolphin who made their first appearance on the Jackass crew
with the Discovery Channel’s appetizer Jackass Shark Week, the long
awaited and delayed (due to COVID as well as on-set injuries) Jackass
Forever alas is finally here. The
question is, with these guys pushing their fifties and missing two of their
main characters, do they still got it? Having
watched this series since the early days of CKY on through their MTV years as
well as all the sideshows branching off of Jackass, I can say sincerely Jackass
Forever is the movie fans of the series need right now!
Though missing the 3D effects in a
trend that’s mostly faded, Jackass Forever ups the ante on the danger
levels of the stunts and takes full advantage of the 4K/8K cinematographic technological
developments since the last Jackass film. Filming began in January 2020 and had to be
shut down in February due to the COVID outbreak and didn’t start again until September,
with Tremaine remarking the implementation of COVID protocols making the
progress even more difficult and as the film progresses you begin noticing the
presence of mask wearing by the crew and sometimes by the main stars
themselves. Nevertheless, the spirit of
the Jackass team remains as high as ever with ample room for many of the
same recurring gags to flesh themselves out in unexpected ways.
This new Jackass Forever also
introduces (though sadly underutilizes) a female cast member with Rachel
Wolfson who takes on two of the film’s gnarliest stunts including one glimpsed
in the trailers. While a nice development
in the diversity of the Jackass team while also attempting to pass the
reins onto some new members, the film could’ve done more with her. Who knows, maybe there’s a bunch of stuff on
the cutting room floor waiting to go into the inevitable Jackass 4.5. There’s also room for guest appearances
including Eric Andre and Machine Gun Kelly and the opening sequence is among
the crew’s most expensive set pieces yet, keeping in tradition with the
grandiose over the top opening montages of the previous three Jackass films.
Curiously the most commercially
successful documentary/reality-TV show as film franchise series, Jackass
Forever at this stage of the game sees the gang turning into crusty old
chums who probably have had more than enough of these shenanigans but
nevertheless act like a crazy dysfunctional family. Seeing the end credits montage paying nods to
the original early first episodes of the show intercut with newly filmed outtakes
reminds viewers the Jackass crew despite losing a few members and being
hit with a pandemic have been going at it for more than twenty years. Bad Grandpa while funny doesn’t quite
deliver on the same level as an official Jackass entry so I’m glad to see
that wasn’t the end of all things Jackass related. The new film won’t win any new fans but
longtime followers like myself are in for a transgressive shock-horror comedy
treat that doesn’t dare disappoint.
--Andrew Kotwicki