Movie Review: “Action Point” is light on laughs, plot, and extreme stunts

Movie Review: “Action Point” (R)

It gives me no pleasure in saying that “Action Point” is a crushing disappointment. And this is coming from someone who just so happens to be a huge fan of both nostalgic coming-of-age summer camp movies (i.e. “Meatballs,” “Adventureland,” “The Way Way Back,” etc.) and the pure, unadulterated irreverence and stupidity of “Jackass.” Where does this film go wrong? Well, “Action Point” is short on sufficient laughs and shockingly light on the insane stunts many viewers might be expecting, particularly in a day and age when superstars like Tom Cruise appear to be risking it all for your grand entertainment.

As “Action Point” opens, elderly D.C. (Johnny Knoxville doing what could best be described as a slightly less crude carbon copy of his “Bad Grandpa”/Irving Zisman persona) enjoys a bit of quality time with his tenacious granddaughter. To pass time with the youngster, D.C. shares lively stories of his glory days as the operator of a run-down theme park circa the ‘70s. Through the miracle that is the cinematic flashback, we are treated to these glory days firsthand. Said days chronicle the life of a considerably younger D.C. as he boozes it up with his friends, including his “Jackass” bro Chris Pontius, all while maintaining the day-to-day operations of his beloved theme park.

D.C.’s carefree, bordering on reckless attitude is challenged a bit after his estranged ex sends their teenage daughter (Eleanor Worthington-Cox) to stay with him over the course of one turbulent summer. Adding to that turbulence is the arrival of a competing theme park. With attendance sharply dropping at his own park, D.C. resorts to desperate measures in an attempt to square off against massive corporate competition. This leads him and his misfit staff to remove safety features from many of their most popular attractions in the hope that perhaps the danger factor will increase their attendance.

The big hook in “Action Point,” of course, is that it features real “Jackass”-style stunts — only here, the stunts are part of an actual narrative film. Sort of. The truth is that there isn’t much of a script to speak of, and what starts off as a movie that looks as if it’s going to be a shit ton of insane, irreverent, profane, non-PC fun quickly wears thin inside of 15 minutes. I’m all for loosey goosey, but “Action Point” is even thinner on plot than it is on laughs. It all plays like a really bad, bottom-of-the-barrel Happy Madison production with Knoxville and Pontius standing in for Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider.

Per Knoxville, the moment his younger D.C. appears on screen for the first time, one can’t help but notice how much the “Jackass” days have clearly taken a toll on him. To say that this one-time fearless jackass looks battered and worn down would be a gross understatement. It’s actually quite a depressing sight to behold, especially when taking into consideration that Knoxville actually has more to offer. He’s shown real acting chops in his post-Jackass days. He can be affable and extremely funny when given the right material to work with (see his nutty work in “The Ringer,” “Men in Black II,” and “Big Trouble”). He even has the ability to emote as is evident by way of a well acted scene between him and Cox in the final act. It’s simply unfortunate that what could have been a moving moment between a father and daughter is rendered moot because it doesn’t feel earned.

As for the stunts, “Action Point” really doesn’t make good on its promise. There are a couple of amusing, cringeworthy bits, including one that came dangerously close to popping one of Knoxville’s eyeballs out. But for the most part, it’s a bust. What are more worth noting, though, aren’t the stunts we do get but the ones that we don’t get. There are a handful of moments in “Action Point” when the film appears to be building towards something big, but then it ultimately recoils and doesn’t pay off in any sort of substantial way. Look no further than a sequence in which D.C. is chasing down a bus on the freeway. Those waiting for a big “Speed” caliber moment are going to be sorely disappointed. It should also be noted that the twinkle in Knoxville’s eye has certainly faded. He now appears more tentative then ever before. But quite honestly, I can’t say that I blame him for that. It used to be an uproarious thrill to see the lengths at which this dopey guy would go to shock and amuse viewers. But now I’m really starting to fear for this man’s life, and there’s simply nothing fun about that.

“Action Point” offers up a few scattershot laughs and two or three moderately entertaining stunts. But for the most part, this film is largely unfunny, and all the grandiose, juvenile stunts that fans are truly hoping for never really materialize. The most interesting aspect of this film might just be the meta subtext. One might get the sense that the fashion in which D.C. laments over lost time due to his madcap Action Point antics sort of mirrors Knoxville and his real life “Jackass” days. Of course, that’s probably me overreaching a bit. Whatever the case may be, “Action Point” is nowhere near as funny or death defying as it could have and should have been.

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