Jackass Forever

It’s been nearly 12 years since the Jackass crew came together to bless us with a cinematic offering of blissful debauchery. In that time, the gents have all hit 40 and are even approaching their 50’s, so surely their bodies weren’t claiming for another go around. It’s also been 10 years since fellow member Ryan Dunn tragically perished in a car accident.

Now with their fourth and likely finale outing, the Jackass crew, along with some new blood, still prove they can deliver some of modern cinema’s simplest pleasures.

The gang is back together in what feels like a celebratory victory lap. Having been together for over 20 years, the Jackass crew still has that infectious camaraderie. Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man and the gang continue to find new ways of torturing each other and delivering more crudely inventive stunts.

Despite being over a decade since their last adventure, the Jackass gang hasn’t lost a step. Jackass Forever is just as consistent in hilarity as the previous three films. Whether it’s Johnny Knoxville continuing to push the limits of what his body can still endure in the spirit of Evil Knievel, or the testicular warfare on Ehren McGhehey, that does, indeed, feature UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou, 

Some of your favorite bits return, Johnny Knoxville once again encounters a bull— this time with serious consequences, Steve-O gets in too deep with human feces, and, a personal favorite of mine, the eventual breakdowns of cameraman Lance Bangs. Thankfully, the new, highly inventive gags outweigh the familiar.

The stunts that get pulled off here often reach a level of hilarity that stands among the best of the Jackass franchise. Not to mention how shocking some of these bits are given the danger at hand. Just because the guys are approaching 50, doesn’t mean they’re going easy on each other.

New cast members are put through the ringer and they’re a welcoming addition, even if their personalities aren’t given much attention. Rachel Wolfson, the first female to join the crew, is particularly brave, getting introduced by having to lick a stun gun. Zach Holmes, who notably glides into a cactus, is another great presence, but like Wolfson, you wish he was given more time to establish his personality. Still, there’s that infectious love for one another in the entire crew that’s felt even during the worst moments of bodily harm.

The budget is used to pull together some elaborate staging. The opening sequence is so lovably juvenile while technically ambitious. In the way The Wolf of Wall Street set records for most uses of “fuck” in a feature film, Jackass Forever likely sets the record for most full-frontal male nudity. There’s perhaps even more of an artistry to the stunts, even when they involve vomit and pyrotechnics. It all boils down to what is funny, and Jackass Forever is hysterical.

The elephant in the room that is the omission of Bam Margera does still cast an undeniable shadow, but the celebratory center at the films heart does it’s best to mend that particular hole.

There’s a lot of reclamation for nostalgia in Hollywood today, and Jackass Forever might be the most genuine. This the much-deserved final victory lap of the Jackass gang and despite getting older, they haven’t lost a step in delivering audiences a great time.