Jackass 3D Review

The Jackass series is an odd one. For every critic who calls it vile and idiotic, you can find one who calls it hilarious and brilliant. The truth of the matter is, Jackass is all of those things. It’s vile and idiotic, yet that’s what makes it hilarious and brilliant. It’s not for everyone, and that saying couldn’t ring any truer. In fact, Jackass probably isn’t even for most people. But if you can take it, you’re in for a treat. The boys have returned for a third outing and they’re bringing you their crazy antics in 3D. With the film now out on Blu-Ray, we take a look at it and give you the verdict on how this wild, outrageous and over the top film turned out.

Ok, so for those who aren’t familiar with the series I’ll try to explain it in the simplest way possible. Jackass has no plot, no story, no overarching theme. Nothing connects, no one scene relies on another. It’s essentially just one scene after another with no relation between any of them. Each scene showcases a particular stunt that the gang attempts. These aren’t always just stunts in the sense of action and danger. Very often they’re crude, disgusting, ludicrous, vomit inducing and absolutely idiotic, but they still remain imaginative, for the most part.

The Jackass crew knows no boundaries. Their stunts test the limits of both the human body and the human gag reflex. Expect nudity, gross out humour, violence, extremely offensive content and a couple of things that you simply would hope to never see again. Let’s just say the Sweatsuit Cocktail and the Lamborghini Toothpull are things that should never happen. And don’t think too hard, those are both exactly what they sound like.

All that being said, the film is straight up hilarious. While I can’t place my finger on it, there is something seriously funny about seeing these guys put themselves through these insane stunts, often ending up hurt, humiliated and with just a little less dignity than they had before. The whole time though these guys are having a great time. Their unyielding enthusiasm for their jobs is part of what makes the film so endearing. No matter what the stakes are, they’re ready to go, eager to try it out. And the group is incredibly close, displaying camaraderie at every turn. Running over to their downed teammates, asking if they’re ok before laughing at them for their stupidity.

Many critics before me have scratched their head, pondering what is so delightfully enjoyable about these films. The answer is a tough one. Nothing in the film is logical. Nothing really makes sense. Nothing that the guys do in the Jackass films should ever be attempted in real life, at least not by any sane person. And the thing is, the guys aren’t trying to make some bold political statement, or offer a witty commentary on the human condition. Nothing. No hidden messages, no subtle pretexts, just stupid guys doing stupid shit. Perhaps it’s the excitement of seeing these people attempt these things that most of us would never even consider. Maybe that’s what is so appealing?

With Jackass 3D, they have undoubtedly done what fans had hoped for. And that is upped the ante. The stunts are bigger, more dangerous, riskier and grosser. Admittedly, there is one stunt from Jackass 2 that nothing in this film can top but aside from that, on the whole, this movie is the most extreme one yet.

Holding the entire circus of insanity together, and leading the merry band of idiots is Johnny Knoxville. Although aged, he is still charming and likeable as ever. While Knoxville leads the show, it really is an ensemble piece. Everyone takes on their fair share of stunts, and everyone suffers for it. Very few stunts don’t work and almost all the humor is pulled off exceptionally well. The cast’s age does show and you get the feeling that due to it, they had to rely on more gross out humor rather than physical comedy, resulting in some repetitiveness. But it’s a small issue that doesn’t take too much away from the film.

Ultimately, the film is incredibly stupid, but it’s also hands down one of the funniest and most entertaining movies I saw all year. And anyone who thinks differently just doesn’t have a sense of humor and needs to lighten up a bit. At the end of the day, after all the hi jinxes and shenanigans that are seen here, it really just comes down to a group of guys, who are kids at heart, just having fun. As the film ends, with Weezer’s Memories playing over archival footage of the gang, you can’t help but to be just the slightest bit touched by it all.