They say that with ageing comes the idea of wisdom. Whoever stated such a bumper sticker statement though clearly hadn’t met the Jackass crew, a group of middle-aged men old enough to know better, but too famous to care.
A reality slapstick comedy show that heavily relied on its shock value – garnered either through the gross or dangerous stunts pulled – Jackass earned just as much acclaim as it did controversy through its indecency and encouraged bad behaviour throughout its initial 3 season run in the early aughts.
The brain-child of actor and stunt performer Johnny Knoxville and directors Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze – yes, that Spike Jonze – Jackass‘ initial televisual success was emulated for the silver screen, where the format remained the same but the content only escalated. The three feature films were all wildly successful, but controversies swirling in the various private lives of Knoxville’s fellow Jackasses essentially put a kibosh on future endeavours. That is until now, where everything remotely old is new again and the familiar trumps the original.
For Jackass Forever, the gross factor has been admittedly toned down – no eating faeces or drinking sweat, for starters – but stunts that inflict bodily harm or test the wear-and-tear of one’s genitals have been upped, resulting in the type of juvenile-aimed laugher that won’t convert the uninitiated but should safely satisfy the long-standing fans. And it’s that type of mentality that’s very much been the series’ agenda from the jump, creating cringe-inducing lunacy that’ll appeal to a certain spectrum of audience – usually men – without carrying an ounce of worry that it’s shutting out everyone else.
A sort-of “passing of the torch” situation here, with Knoxville and his band of not-always-merry-to-be-mangled-men – Steve-O, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Ehren “Danger Ehren” McGhehey, and Preston Lacy – recruiting a slew of impressionable, equally up-for-the-challenge types that appear more than ready to carry on the “Jackass” name (should it need to) for 96 minutes of dumb humour (meant in the best way possible) and impossibly stupid pranks that will earn exactly the type of reaction you expect.
Knoxville’s penchant for “riding with the bulls” and Pontius’ insistence on placing his penis in grave danger are two of the long-standing stunts that Forever lovingly indulges in – though for Knoxville it’s likely to be his last rodeo (literally) – and though this familiarity is always welcome, the film is aware that resting on such bruised laurels limits its acceptance. The old dogs are more than happy to test new tricks – set-ups involving a swarm of bees surrounding Steve-O’s genitals, smothering Danger Ehren in honey and salmon to attract a wild bear, and an in-the-dark immersion prank dubbed “The Silence of the Lambs” prove standouts – but it’s the fresh blood dipping their toe, or, more correctly, dunking their whole leg in the fray that instils Tremaine’s nonsense with a genuine sense of spry.
Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Rachel Wolfson, Jasper Dolphin, Zach Holmes, and Eric Manaka are the newbies looking to earn their Jackass cred, though it’s predominantly Poopies, Wolfson and Holmes that make the biggest impression, with the former two the truest performers when it comes to risking life and limb for the sake of a good laugh; one sequence involving Poopies “kissing” a snake and Wolfson tonguing a battery driving home their inexplicable commitment to the cause.
As is to be expected not every joke lands, but something like a Jackass production never truly lives and dies off one universal gag not working, as one man’s miss is another’s hit, and Jackass Forever has a pretty even ebb and flow when it comes to execution that it’s likely to be considered a moderate success for even the most devoted of fans. Solely an outing for those who have survived the series thus far, Jackass Forever isn’t smart or always pleasant to view, but it’s exactly what the admirers should respond to with hearty acceptance. For everyone else, the attempt will be non-existent.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Jackass Forever is screening in Australian theatres from February 3rd, 2022.
