Plot: What’s it about?
“It’s been 25 years and we haven’t learned a God-damned thing.”
-Johnny Knoxville
We’ve been subjected to Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass crew since the turn of the 21st century and I’ve loved it. What started on MTV quickly progressed to the big screen and, in its wake, we’ve had some memorable moments along the way. Jackass Forever was the last film to come out back in 2022 and, supposedly, this one is – as the title entails – the last. Though it’d been over a decade since we were subjected to these sophomoric hijinks prior, these guys (most of whom are now in their 50’s) are finally ready to call it a day. We see that Knoxville’s crew is missing two key members: Ryan Dunn, who sadly was killed in a car accident in 2011 and Bam Margera, who had some well-publicized squabbles with the filmmakers. There is a touching tribute to Dunn included within the film. Some of the new faces introduced in Forever are back for more (I guess this stuff is addictive?). It’s more of the same, but it’s also this “more of the same” that’s kept us (and them) coming back for more for a quarter of a century.
Welcome to Jackass.
Admittedly, there’s not much of a storyline to speak of. Providing you’re familiar with Jackass (and I’d assume anyone reading this is), it’s just a bunch of skits that involve these immature pranksters subjecting themselves to pain and torture all in the name of entertainment. Mixed in with some of the new stunts are some older ones that weren’t allowed to air when the show initially was shown. So we get to see clips of Steve-O getting a prostate exam from a robot with a condom covered in chunky peanut butter over its finger. Add to that, we see Johnny Knoxville being taped into a cardboard box and pushed down a flight of stairs. And more. By now you’ll know if this is for you or not. The usual rules apply: damage to the genitals, showing someone vomiting (often members of the crew) and fart jokes seemingly never get old with this bunch. But we watch because, deep down, these guys are charming and seem to genuinely enjoy doing this stuff. At the end of the day, they might be a little worse for wear, but if they don’t mind then there’s no reason we can’t continue to enjoy their jackassery.
Video: How’s it look?
Apart from the opening sequences, the Jackass films haven’t exactly been a spectacle of cinema (in the visual sense). By that, of course, I mean that the majority of the movies are done with handheld cameras that don’t really showcase what moviemakers are fully capable of. By and large, the 1.85:1 image makes full use of the screen and when you’re watching a man get shot out of a cannon or a man trying to kiss a snake – you’ll want every bit of real estate your television has to offer. And if seeing male genitalia is your thing, there’s no shortage of that. Granted, it’s been a decade since the last installment, so video quality has improved somewhat but, by and large, this looks on par with the other films. Colors are strong, detail is sharp and all the other usual caveats apply. Even as a “critic” I wasn’t watching this for technical merits.
Audio: How’s it sound?
By the letter of the law, we get a DTS HD Master Audio mix. But, you know what — it’s totally wasted. That’s not a knock on the movie itself, rather the Jackass films don’t need a dynamic audio track. Most of the action and sounds are totally naturalistic with the perpetual laughing and swearing by the onlookers as the only real use of audio. Granted, the opening sequence does sound good, but aside from that – this could have been a mono mix and it’d have been just as entertaining. So yeah, fire up those speakers and prepare for them to be (mainly) unused. But that’s OK.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Deleted Scenes Montage – Pretty much that. I’m not sure what constitutes a deleted scene vs one that “made the cut” but nevertheless, if you’re looking for more Jackass – here ya go.
The Bottom Line
We all grow old, but some of us never grow up. This is an accurate depiction of the crew of Jackass. They’re a bunch of guys who are out to have fun and they’ve done it all for the sake of entertainment. Let’s face it. You’re either going to watch this with a smile plastered to your face (like I did) or you have no interest in watching a bunch of goofballs subject their bodies to life-threatening sequences. I suspect if you’re reading this, you’re in the prior camp. Jackass: Best and Last gives us more of what we want and if this is truly their last hurrah – it’s been a hell of a ride.
