I’ve been a fan of Jackass since it debuted on MTV back in 2000. Like most kids, I didn’t let the ‘warning’ before each episode stop me from trying out stunts with my friends. I even have the scars to prove it! Jackass Forever comes 22 years after the series debuted. Johnny Knoville is now 50-years-old with most of the original crew in the mid to late 40’s. You may think to yourself, could a Jackass movie still work and be funny? The answer is “you bet your sweet hiney they can!”
Jackass Forever has some of the most innovative bits and stunts in the franchise. It’s a movie-going experience like no other. You know the way we all cheered during Spider-Man: No Way Home? It's like that but with laughter as Steve-O covers his junk in bees. It’s the comedy movie we all need right now. I found myself laughing effortlessly at each scene. I’ll have to admit…it was harder to laugh at them getting hurt because I was genuinely worried for their well being. The mind of Knoxville and director Jeff Tremaine brought a fresh feeling to this movie. There are less ‘bone-crushing moments’ in this movie and more ‘gross’ stunts to accommodate for the aging cast members. But I loved that it opened it up for the addition of the new cast members who take on some of the more physical stunts in the movie to give the original guys a breather.
In a world where we can see crazy pranks on YouTube…this movie proves why they are the BEST at what they do. Every prank is in good fun with the victims for the most part being themselves or just getting genuine reactions from strangers. No bit ever feels ‘mean’ so in a sick and twisted way I found it somewhat "wholesome!" It’s 90 minutes of hilarity. If you’ve never seen a Jackass film before…warning there’s language, nudity, blood and other bodily (sometimes not even human) fluids. So definitely NOT for kids.
Maybe down the line we could see another film with the new cast members stepping more into the spotlight and the original guys keeping a presence. If this really is Knoxville’s last film, he went out on a high note. He can hang up his Chuck Taylor’s with pride. I give it 4 out of 5 broken ribs.
Listen to the Jackass Forever episode of Movie Mike's Movie Podcast here. Looking for more movie reviews? Check out my podcast Movie Mike’s Movie Podcast on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts!