Plot: What’s it about?
It’s been a few years since the first “Jackass” movie hit theaters and now we’re greeted with even more stunts we should never try and people we should probably never hang out with. Ok, so “Jackass” hasn’t really been around but we’ve had versions of it around. A few of the members broke off and have a show called “Wildboyz” (that would be Steve-O and Chris Pointus) which is the same in concept, but not really the same as a whole. And for anyone wondering what the hell it is I’m talking about, let me initiate you. “Jackass” started out as a show on MTV and since MTV hasn’t actually shown a music video in over a decade, they dedicate all of their programming to reality television. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. The Jackass gang is led by Johnny Knoxville, yep the same one from “The Dukes of Hazzard”. He and his gang of loyal misfits have a time dressing up like old people, racing golf carts around and crashing them into walls and don’t seem content until they end up killing or at least hurting themselves or others. The first “Jackass” movie was a success, so it was only a matter of time until we saw another one. Guess what – it was a success as well. Ya think maybe these guys should quit before one of them gets killed?
“Jackass: Number Two” is really more of the same, it’s a bunch of skits and/or stunts performed by any member or members of the group and usually ends up in the audience member gritting his teeth and feeling thankful that what they’re doing isn’t to us. Want to jump off a bridge while attached (via bungee cord) to a 400 pound guy? These guys do. Have we ever thought about branding our buttocks with the image of a penis? Ever want to stand in front of a charging bull blindfolded? Yep, it’s this sort of thing that you can expect when you watch “Jackass” and you’ll either love it or hate it. As for me, I cringe when I watch some of the skits but I have to give these guys credit – they do entertain. I’m just wondering how soon it’ll be before one or more of these guys’ ends up dead or paralyzed. As I said before, these folks should quit while they’re ahead. If the masochistic side of you likes to watch people lose teeth, vomit profusely and break fingers and toes then this is for you. If you’re a fan of “Jackass” then I need say no more because you surely know what it is you’re getting into.
Video: How does it look?
“Jackass Number Two” is shown in an anamorphic 1.78:1 image that’s hit and miss. Granted, this movie isn’t really concerned with video quality as the images vary from skit to skit. A majority of the scenes are done with handheld cameras and at some points the camera goes out completely (usually after it hits the ground). This has more of a documentary look and feel to it but on the whole, it’s not a bad-looking transfer. If you’ve ever seen anything “Jackass” related, you’ll know both what I’m talking about and what to expect.
Audio: How does it sound?
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack doesn’t really get many chances to shine as most of what’s going on screen is dialogue and some ambient effects. There’s a lot of laughing, some directional effects here and there but for the most part it could and should be a Surround mix. That said, it’s not a bad-sounding mix but people aren’t going to watch a movie like this for good sound quality. It delivers what it promises and not much more.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The gang is all about giving the audience what it wants and we get a rip-roaring commentary from the majority of the “Jackass” crew. I think a few or most of them were drunk when they recorded this which, of course, makes it all the more entertaining. It’s a relatively new track too, as they all take time to honor the fallen Steve Irwin. Not many commentary tracks offer up this much information, but watching this while listening to this commentary track is almost a must. There’s the obligatory “Making of Jackass 2” and some outtakes. The big draw here are the “Unrated” scenes which aren’t all that great – they seem to blur the line between homosexuality and homophobia that the Jackass crew loves to flirt with. So if it’s Steve-O’s penis that you want to see or an Indian man that can support Johnny Knoxville on a stick then these are for you. I was personally let down by these “Unrated” scenes, though. Love it or hate it, we’ll probably see more of the “Jackass” gang and this latest movie, for my money, was fairly entertaining.
