Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, and the face of the Jackass franchise, Johnny Knoxville, come together to produce their final film: Jackass Forever. Jackass Forever is a movie that you won’t regret watching. With returning castmates to new faces, to mix things up in the franchise, you won’t want to miss it.
The opening sequences of Jackass Forever will blow your brains. It’s set on a Godzilla-esque set, with the Jackass crew running around in disarray. But expect the unexpected. Chris Pontius paints his penis green, and the Godzilla is a Dickzilla. It is not the first time you will see a penis during the film. Almost every bit pertains to male organs, and half of them are bleeding. It couldn’t get worse, right? Try Chris Pontius tying his penis between two flat surfaces, squeezing it into a pancake. Any worse? Two words. Steve-o. Bees. It can’t get any worse! Try looking at a few 40 and 50-year-olds pooping themselves. I couldn’t help but cringe in some parts, but it’s all in good fun for these jokers.
Even though the movie felt like a continued film from the previous installments, we were missing a few familiar faces: Ryan Dunn, who passed away in June 2011 (rest in peace), and Bam Margera, who is currently suing Paramount pictures for being fired on the set of Jackass Forever, nevertheless, these cast members were there in spirit. We also got many new faces, such as Jasper Dolphin, Eric Manaka, Rachel Wolfson, Zach Holmes, and Sean “Poopies” McInerney.
Out of the new crew, “Poopies” McInerney and Zach Holmes were the highlights of the movie. Poopie was right at home with his ditziness and his natural charisma on screen. As for Zach, his physical comedy kept the audience laughing the entire time. The ‘body surfing’ will always be iconic. Watching Zach in slow motion is just as good. Matthew Kosinski, Matthew Probst, and Sascha Stanton-Craven are the editors of the film, and with almost every stunt, they made sure to roll back the tapes and slow down for the viewers to watch in an extreme close up.
Some controversies have risen during and after filming. Besides the departure of Bam Margera, many animal rights and PETA activists have displayed extreme dismay about the animals partaking in some of the stunts. In Jackass Forever, expect to see a bear, a vulture, snakes, a bull, bees, spiders, and a scorpion. None of these animals are physically harmed. However, I understand why people are upset. The animals in question are forced to be aggravated, causing them to attack. It’s a gray area, but none of these animals were harmed or physically abused. Could it upset some people? Yes, but you can’t please everyone. There will be parts where you feel uncomfortable, and the reality is, Jackass films have no limits.
When watching the movie, do not expect an Oscar award-winning sequence. It is a movie of fun, nostalgia, and a last hoorah for the fans of Jackass. The most gruesome bit involved Ehren McGhehey and his many ‘cup tests.’ It’s a call back from the original ‘cup test’ with Johnny getting kicked in the balls by kids. McGhehey must get punched by heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in the balls this time. It doesn’t stop there. The fastest softball thrower, and fellow Olympian Danielle O’Toole, throw a softball at his penis. The worst part was that McGhehey constantly moved out of nervousness which caused O’Toole to leave a welting bruise right next to his leg. NHL player P.K. Subban had to hit a puck at his balls. (Sadly, a guard was covering his penis, so it didn’t hurt McGhehey this time). The finale of the ‘cup test’ will soon be everyone’s favorite. Fellow Jackass, crew member Dave England jumped on a pogo stick on top of McGhehey. Let’s just say you will see something you had never imagined before.
There were so many guest stars! Machine Gun Kelly was a letdown. He didn’t say much on screen, and the best part was him falling from his seat and into the pool. Tyler, The Creator, nailed his bit and even was a part of the action by zapping Tremaine more than a few times. He was able to joke with the other cast and crew with ease. It was as if he was a part of the show the entire time. Rob Dyrdek, host of Ridiculousness, didn’t participate in the action but was a spectator of one of the acts. It felt like worlds were colliding when he stood side by side with Johnny.
Honorable Mentions:
The grossest sequence is the pig ‘cum’. England was drenched in it head to toe. With Pontius taking a big gulp for good luck. The scariest sequence goes to Johnny Knoxville’s reintroduction to the bull. While performing the stunt, he broke his wrist a rib and had a severe concussion.
There will be some points in the film where you will want to leave. Too many penises. Too much blood. Too much throw-up. But when the end credits come on screen, you don’t want to leave the theatre. Regardless of all these men having shattered bodies and broken teeth, you know they had a blast. Their laughs during filming were genuine. The new and old friendships that formed were real. You would want to be in that environment. They did this film for the fans, yes, but they are a family that enjoys making content for their mere amusement.
I give Jackass Forever a 3.5/5. It’s a fun film! Is it everyone’s cup of tea? No. Is it filled with fan service? Yes. Is it a raunchier version of MTV’s Punk’d? Totally, and you are going to love it.
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