Without getting too sappy, lately I’ve found myself in a terrible life rut, uninterested in practically anything and for some reason unable to just put on a movie or show and enjoy myself and then write about my experiences. This sort of thing comes in waves and I know it’ll pass but this painfully hilarious movie jump started my soul again. Even if only temporarily, it was just so nice to laugh with and at these comedic maniacs I grew up watching. I slightly felt like a dumb teenage boy again.
2000 saw the creation of Jackass but 2002 brought the first feature length Jackass to the big screen. Its now 20 years later, 4 movies later and they’re still doing the same stupid shit on the same big screens. Once every decade at least. It’s like some decade ritual and it’s awesome.
The gang is back, older, just as hilarious as ever although none the wiser, but they are without a few of the original cast due to various unfortunate reasons. They suck but such is life.
Along with the OG jackasses are some fresh new faces ready for their unofficial torturous initiations, some included more than others. All newcomers are comedians from different corners of the entertainment industry, who have each been influenced by Jackass in various ways. Their past work blatantly reflects that influence and their inclusion in this project solidifies their commitment to the schtick.
One problem I do have now is with the amount of animal involved stunts. While all animals are cared for by professionals and respectfully treated as such by the cast and crew, I still couldn’t help but feel differently about these sort of stunts now as an adult who takes the welfare of animals way more seriously than I did as a naive teenager. This movie walks a fine line with what feels like a heavier inclusion of stunts involving wildlife.
But there’s plenty of new pranks and stunts to watch in hilarious horror, from the massive set pieces like the opening Dongzilla sequence to the All Out Vomit Warfare closing and every smaller bit in between. They revisit some classics with modern takes on them but the balance of old and new is perfect.
As the credits roll, it shows plenty of footage I wish they would’ve included in the movie as well. Hopefully they come out with another extended .5 sequel of sorts in the near future. They’ve done so with every other feature length movie so those odds are good.
It sucks what went down with Bam and the crew but the final tribute for “Ryan Dunn Forever” was the best thing to run at the end of the credits.
To make a 4th Jackass movie this long after its creation and to do so during a pandemic is just an astonishing sliver of film history.
Jackass Forever is fucking stupid indeed and I loved every second of it.
The Spectators' Odyssey 