Plot: What’s it about?
These guys have too much free time on their hands.
No, the above statement is not just that (a statement), but a fact. In all seriousness, another one of MTV’s series to make its way to DVD. For those of you who have been hiding in a cave, Jackass is nothing more than a bit of "The Tom Green Show" mixed in with some very dangerous stunts (someone has already died trying to replicate one of the stunts from Jackass: The Movie) that hurt them and I can’t even imagine what it would do to someone with common sense. So, why do we all like this show so much (and, contrary to my statements, I couldn’t stop watching both of these discs)? The answer is simple, we naturally are attracted to things that we would normally not do or even think about doing. To see someone paint a bulls-eye on themselves and stand, waiting to be shot by high-powered paintballs is just downright stupid, but very fun to watch! The actual plot of Jackass is that it’s a bunch of skits done at the risk of the ensemble cast (we’ll get to them in a minute) for no other reason than to be funny; again, at the risk of personal injury. They range from taking pudding and putting it in a diaper (while eating it in front of unsuspecting people; thinking the worst) to riding a bull backwards. There really is no method to their madness, yet they all seem to have fun doing it.
The unquestioned leader of the bunch is Johnny Knoxville, with his trusty sidekick Steve-O who can always share in the pain. They seem to be the ones with the ideas and the resources to get some of the stuff done. And not all of it is just stuff they dream up; they film a video for Shaquille O’Neal, get professionally made up to look like senior citizens and have the clout of MTV at their disposal. The closest thing that I can compare this to is America’s Funniest Home Videos, in sheer physical look alone. We know that the danger is real (and they make no secret of putting a little skull and crossbones on the screen and have multiple disclaimers warning the viewers not to try and re-create the stunts) and that some actual pain was probably edited out for the DVD. In one stunt, two men are in buckets with wheels attached and upon a wreck, one claims that he broke his tailbone. After the others are through laughing at him, we see him in the hospital. Things like that tend to stick with the viewer, but then again, it’s fun to watch. What do these guys hope to gain from doing all of this? Well, aside from the fact that most of them are now "celebrities", nothing. They seem to really have fun doing all of these juvenile stunts and much to the delight of people like me, who are more content to sit there and laugh at their pain and misery. Is there really any substitute?
Video: How does it look?
Jackass is presented in it’s original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which makes sense as it was made for television. The episodes seem very sharp and clear, as the show is relatively new, there is really nothing to deter from the image quality. But let’s face it, if you’re watching this for the quality of the image, then you’re watching it for all the wrong reasons! Yes, you see Johnny Knoxville stick his hand up a cow’s ass while he artificially inseminates it (with Bull Sperm, in case you were wondering), and yes the detail is waaaaay too much. So if it’s that sort of stuff that you’re looking for, then fear not, because the DVD re-creates the images seen on screen in so much detail that you’ll probably have to look away during some scenes (the skit with the omelet comes to mind). It looks great, but that’s the least of what you’re looking for…right?
Audio: How does it sound?
In what is no big surprise to me, the episodes are presented in a Dolby Digital Surround mix, and really – what would a 5.1 track do for these fine works of art? That’s right, nothing! Seeing as how most, if not all, of these were filmed using a home video camera, encoding a better soundtrack would not only be beside the point, it would most likely ruin the authenticity of the whole thing. The way it is, the skits sound just as good as you might expect. MTV (or Paramount) has thoughtfully "bleeped" out all the four-letter words, so there’s none of that to worry about. I suppose we’ll have to wait until the movie reaches DVD to hear all of their "choice" words yelled out as a crucial part of their anatomy gets hit with a bone. No complaints here, as there is no problem with the audio.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Each of the two discs comes equipped with a short (and easy) trivia quiz, a photo gallery and some minor cast bios. For the record, these are Volumes "Two and Three", but in all actuality, they are Seasons One and Two; it’s just their humor trying to get the best of you, so don’t go looking around for Volume One, because you won’t find it.
