“After 11 years, the Jackass crew is back for their final crusade.” -IMDB
As part of the Jackass generation, there was no way that I wasn’t going to see Jackass Forever. Let me clarify…
When Jackass 3D came out, I was a freshman in college, which is arguably the perfect time to see a Jackass movie. Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine visited Arizona State University and a few of my friends and I got to meet them and then went to the midnight premiere. It was a memorable experience and kept the third movie near and dear to my heart (which feels odd saying about a movie where scrotums and feces are everywhere to be found, but it’s true). It also was a great way for the legacy of the series to go out. The gang revisited a bunch of their old stunts and the credits even included the gang’s childhood photos and first recorded interactions with Jackass. It closed out the narrative if there ever was one, of Jackass. And then, of course, Ryan Dunn passed away. After that, I think most fans expected Jackass to fade into a beloved corner of our collective cultural memories.
So, when I heard they were releasing a fourth movie, I had plenty of misgivings. Even more so when I heard that Bam had been fired due to his substance abuse issues. However, because Jackass was such a part of my youth, I knew I had to go see it and decided to go in with zero expectations. And, as is often the case when I go into something with zero expectations, I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
I had forgotten how fun it is to go see a Jackass film in theaters with an audience. It really is like riding a roller coaster. You can scream, shout, holler, do basically whatever you’d like throughout, which is refreshing. And let’s face it, most of us who grew up with Jackass have an affinity for most of that crew, and it was fun seeing them again. And I have to say that I really enjoyed the new cast members. Even if the original gang were all alive, healthy, and involved in the project, they would have needed some fresh faces and the new talent more than delivered (although shoutout to the MVP of the movie: our own Danger Ehren who goes literally balls to the wall).
Now, for the bad news. It wasn’t a great movie and I think it was easily the most forgettable of the films. There wasn’t as much nostalgia in the movie as I would have expected. And I think it also went for more of a shock factor, which is saying something. My friends and I actually made a bet on how many ding dongs we’d see in the movie and the final total was more than double our highest guess! So prepare yourselves…
It also felt odd that there was no mention of Bam. I am absolutely sure that this was for legal reasons, but it felt strange not having Bam’s presence (or any acknowledgment of it) in the movie.
It may be an overly used cliche, but I do think the best way to describe watching Jackass Forever is to say that it was like riding a roller coaster. It was fun, I screamed, but I don’t necessarily need to watch it again.
Rating: 5 out 10 Claire Bears
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If you like this movie, you should also watch: The entire Jackass cannon
Streaming: In Theaters
With: The Jackass Gang minus Ryan Dunn and Bam Margera, plus six new faces.
Directed By: Guillermo Del Toro
Let Me Clarify 