Movie Review: “Jackass Forever” is painful, gross, juvenile, irreverent, and funny in equal measure!

MOVIE REVIEW: “JACKASS FOREVER” (R)

It’s been over a decade but the gang is finally back together and doing what they do best in the aptly titled, “Jackass Forever,” a tale of stupid stunts and enduring friendship. Right from the outset, let it be stated that this movie isn’t likely to appeal to non-fans of a brand that rose to prominence on MTV back in the early 2000s. But if you’re one of the faithful, you should walk away from the self-inflicted carnage laughing your butt off.

As directed by “Jackass” veteran Jeff Tremaine, “Jackass Forever” opens with a spirited, hilarious, and altogether gross tribute to Kaiju movies with a disgusting Jackass-inspired twist. I won’t spoil the joke here only to say that the massive monster on display is like no other monster you’ve ever seen. Or maybe you have seen it. I don’t know. Whatever the case may be, whatever budget this movie had at its disposal, the majority of it was most likely spent on the first 7 or 8 minutes of this irreverent, juvenile, and often funny movie.

What follows that nutty opening sequence is a series of stunts that range from hilarious, to shocking, to ridiculous, to sickening, to positively terrifying. Seriously…Stretches of this film gave me big-time anxiety. Particularly, a sequence in which Steve-O drops trow and allows himself to be covered by thousands of bees! I won’t elaborate further only to say that I’m not a fan of bees. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Bees are important to our way of life and all, but I’m not a fan of bees in the painful context of “Jackass Forever.” While we’re at it, I’m also not a fan of scorpions, snakes, bears, bulls, or softballs. More specifically, I’m not a fan of softballs when they’re being hurled directly at one’s nether regions.

Of course, this stuff is all done in the name of a good laugh and there’s nothing quite as jovial in the “Jackass” universe as the sound of that unmistakable Johnny Knoxville giggle. A giggle that generally occurs whenever a member of the crew is literally taking a hit for the team. Speaking of the team, the majority of your favorites have returned (Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Wee Man, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, etc.) in full force, but they are joined by a handful of new faces. While the newbies are up to any seemingly reckless challenge that’s thrown their way, nothing beats the sight of our fearless wily veterans–most of whom are now in their late 40s and early 50s–sacrificing themselves for their art. Even Knoxville, who clearly no longer needs to engage in these outlandish (and often deadly) shenanigans, takes the biggest hit of his career in this movie. Yes, it’s safe to say this is the last we’ll see of the original gang on the big screen and perhaps that’s for the best because these guys can only take so much.

Beyond all of the physical harm and gag-worthy challenges, it should be also be noted that viewers can expect to see a lot more of the gang than they might be expecting. Translation; “Jackass Forever” has balls! Perhaps too many balls. Again, though, everything in this gloriously reckless film is done with the best of intentions. In other words, as rough as some of the hijinks tend to be in “Jackass Forever,” the end goal is to make people laugh…And laugh you will. True, many of those laughs will be of the awkward variety but in the end, a laugh is a laugh.