If there’s one movie franchise I didn’t expect to ever hear from again, it’s “Jackass.” With “Jackass 3D” coming out more than 10 years ago, it was hard to imagine Johnny Knoxville and the gang returning to their old stomping grounds. Yet here they are, still as fearless and willing to subject themselves to grievous bodily harm as ever.
The movie begins with a tribute to Godzilla. Instead of the iconic nuclear lizard, the creature attacking the miniature model city is a man’s genitals painted green and given paper arms to look like a monster. Yes, you read that right. Of course, since this is a Jackass movie, the male genitals are promptly subjected to searing pain by a biting snapping turtle. From there, Knoxville says his iconic line, “Hi, I’m Johnny Knoxville, welcome to Jackass,” and we’re off to the races.
The stunts this time around are bigger and more painful, not to mention more creative, than ever. They range from hilarious to the kind that give you secondhand pain, and several are a mix of both. There are callbacks, like Knoxville taunting a bull, and original segments, including a terrifying escape room with tasers and mousetraps galore. In a segment that seems directly inspired by a “Family Guy” scene, a naked Steve-O faces the wrath of a swarm of bees. It’s truly impressive how creative the crew is at finding ways to inflict pain on themselves for our amusement.
“Jackass Forever” also features a surprising set of celebrity guest appearances, which I found to be one of its most entertaining parts. Eric Andre, Machine Gun Kelly and even Tyler, the Creator make appearances, as well as UFC superstar Francis Ngannou. The guests are incorporated into the wild stunts the cast perform, including Ngannou delivering a painful blow to Ehren McGhehey during a stunt dubbed the “Cup Test.” All the guest stars bring their A game, making for some truly memorable segments.
Despite its vulgar exterior, the film is surprisingly heartwarming. Series regular Steve-O reminisces about all the “stupid s—” he and his friends would do back in the day and how happy he is to be back in the saddle again. The end credits also feature a touching tribute to stunt performer Ryan Dunn, who passed away shortly after the release of “Jackass 3D.”
“Jackass Forever” manages to recapture what made the original movies so lovable, something few sequels, let alone fourth installments, succeed in doing. If you’re a fan of the “Jackass” franchise who’s been longing for a return to form or someone who hasn’t seen the movies and enjoys seeing guys do stupid things that you’d never do yourself, I recommend this movie.
Will Duffy can be reached at [email protected].
