New to buy on digital platforms in the UK is Jackass Forever, the latest entry in the Jackass movie series. The film – directed by Jeff Tremaine – stars Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the usual collection of Jackass regulars (along with a few newbies), as they take part in a series of stunts, more dangerous and more insane than before.
As with previous Jackass movies, there is not really a story to speak of with this film, so I will simply say that the premise of this instalment is a collection of skits, all chucked together. Every few minutes, the movie introduces a new skit, sets out the basic premise, and allows the mayhem to take over.
Stunts for this movie include the ‘dum dum game’, which involves cast members getting hit in the nuts by a flip-flop; ‘musical chair bags’, which sees the likes of Wee Man flipped out of his chair in a seemingly innocent party game; and ‘silence of the lambs’, whereby cast members are trapped in a blacked-out room, and led to believe a rattle snake is on the loose.
Other stunts involve a pogo-stick to the balls, some explosive farting, and a game involving mattresses and wedgies. The stunts vary in length and in severity, with arguably the most eye-popping skit being one in which Steve-O has bees attached to his penis.
Yes, you read that correctly: bees on his penis. It starts with the queen, then continues with the whole darn colony, until Steve-O has drone-upon-drone dangling from his dong.
For those who have followed Jackass for the past 20+ years, Jackass Forever is pretty much business as usual. The appeal of the movie is watching a collection of people attempting to defy injury while putting themselves in danger, and if that is what you are after, then you get it here in spades.
The only real difference with this film over its predecessors, is that instead of watching young(ish) men take part in stunts, Jackass Forever features a group of now, middle-aged men, putting themselves in the line of fire. As such, not only is there a fear of physical damage with every stunt, there’s the genuine possibility that someone could have a heart attack mid-shoot.
While watching this movie, and letting out plenty of chuckles in the process, I did worry that this latest slice of Jackass could end in tragedy. No one’s getting any younger here, and there’s only so much intentional punishment the human body can take.
Thankfully, everyone does get out of this film alive, although a few cast members were hospitalised during production. It’s not all that surprising really, because at times this film is brutal.
At different points in the movie, a bear, a bull, and a scorpion, take part in the ball-bashing, head-smashing, vomit-inducing action. There’s also various explosions and pyrotechnics that could go wrong at any minute, so the danger is real.
Does any of the above sound appealing to you? Well, if it does, then it’s likely you’re a sick, twisted, individual, or simply a Jackass fan.
I’m not entirely sure where I fall into either of these categories (possibly the former), but either way, despite the obvious juvenile slant of this whole endeavour, I must say that I found Jackass Forever to be very, very funny. The opening credit sequence is a piece of rib-tickling genius, while the rest of the movie is a laugh-riot, even if it does play to the lowest common denominator.
If you are even contemplating watching a Jackass movie, then you know what you’re going to get, and Jackass Forever doesn’t disappoint. No punches are pulled, no level of stupidity is off limits, and the chuckle-rate is very high.
Of course, with this cast now old enough to know better, the question remains: Should these guys stop while they are ahead? Well, quite possibly, if only for their own safety, and the preservation of their nuts.
But for now, if they are happy to keep making these movies, and audiences are happy to keep watching, then this film at least doesn’t disappoint. Jackass Forever is an acquired taste, but if you are into this particular brand of humour then you will enjoy what is on offer.
So, get in the beers, get your mates round, and dive into this latest Jackass film. It is daft, it is incredibly stupid, but it is what it is.
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