What You Need To Know:

• After many delays, Jackass Forever premiered in theaters on February 4th, 2022.

• This film feels like the last hoorah for a certain MTV generation.

• The film is the epilogue to a 22-year long project that deserves a lot of fanfare.

• The original cast returns for this sequel with the addition of some new notable members.

• Jackass Forever is rated R for language, nudity, dangerous stunts, and crude material.

For 20 years, and 22 years if you’re counting the television series, Jackass has seen cinematic success with three successful films and one spin-off film. Along with a devoted cult following throughout its run. With the passing of crew member Ryan Dunn and Bam Margera’s addiction problems (more on him later in the article), it was not thought that any other Jackass films would be made. I suppose that with Covid-19, Paramount Pictures figured that financing a lower-budgeted film with high name recognition would be a fiscally safe decision. However, the real question is, how is the movie itself? Well, after sitting through an hour and a half of childish immaturity, debauchery, and the many gross-out gags of Jackass Forever, I am happy to report that I enjoyed myself through every minute of the madness. 

Jackass has always had a documentary-style type of filmmaking to show the practicality of the stunts and for the audience to feel as if they’re witnessing the injuries firsthand. It works in its favor, and the filmmakers weren’t going to change it for this film. With it also being a pandemic film, the locations had to be scaled down without the use of a ton of people or traveling throughout the world. I feel that it works in the film’s favor, however, because it led to the filmmakers having to be more creative and flashy with their stunt ideas and the guests they brought in. Jackass is also a franchise that has evolved through different standards of filmmaking. The home video style of the original television series and first film has been replaced with a higher-budget studio filmmaking approach that makes it more digestible for a general audience. I don’t hate either approach because they both have different types of appeal, but I understand why they went the other direction. The audience will see the switch to cinematic filmmaking in the opening moments of this fourth installment.

The opening sequence of Jackass Forever is the most cinematic of the series. This spoof of Japanese monster movies where the monster, which is just Chris Pontius’ manhood in a costume, had the audience and myself included dying from laughter from the very start. Never did I think that something that crass would be the opening to a widely released major motion picture, but with the expectation that I was going into a Jackass film, I’m not sure what I was expecting. It’s a far cry from the much more toned-down television series on MTV, which itself defined a time period.

This film feels like the last hoorah for a certain MTV generation. In my generation, MTV was a cesspool of horrible reality television shows about Jersey Shore Italians, the glorification of teenage pregnancy, and dating shows with unrealistic expectations of what dating is in the real world (pun intended). I think it would have been much more fun to grow up watching shows such as Viva La Bam, Pimp My Ride, and the aforementioned Jackass. Most of the people who grew up with the shows that I mentioned above are likely in their late 20s and early 30s now. I’ve spoken to people over the years about what television they grew up with, and anyone in that age frame always mentions MTV and those shows. When thinking upon one’s memories, they often reminisce about the media they grew up with, and I feel that Jackass comes to many people’s minds. The symbiotic relationship between growing up and having media grow up the person can create a bond that will never be lost. I can say, at the very least, fans will be ecstatic about this film. The critical reaction, on the other hand, was even more surprising. 

Throughout its history on the big screen, Jackass hasn’t been a critically-lauded franchise such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Harry Potter. However, with the high amount of critical praise this film is getting, I wanted to examine why I think that is. This film is completely irreverent, but I think that’s something the general public has been wanting since everything now feels politicized or feels the need to comment on something that’s happening in the real world. In essence, this film is a bunch of people doing stupid stunts and laughing at each other’s stupidity. It’s not high-brow art by any means, and it’s what every film in this franchise has been about. While I am not taking away any merit the film has, I am stating why I think critics are enjoying it more than I expected. I like this film either as much as the others or a little more, but I can’t see how people think it is so much better than the previous films. Each has its particular standout moments, but no one film stands out to me among the others in the pack, unlike the colorful members of the cast. 

There are some new cast members added to the film who do a fairly good job of carrying on the legacy such as “Zackass” or “Poopies”, but no one takes as much of a beating as Danger Ehren. One of the most famous stunts from the original television series is the “cup test” (I think you can guess what kind of cup). Johnny Knoxville was the one who had done it first, but Danger Ehren took it to a new level for the 20th anniversary of the stunt. I won’t go into all of the specifics because of spoilers, but some of the scenes have been shown on social media leading up to the film’s release, such as the horrific punch from MMA fighter Francis Ngannou. Steve-O also has his genitals almost mutilated by a colony of bees in a scene as well. Never did I think that I would write an entire paragraph about men getting their members beaten and mangled in a variety of ways either, but I would be lying if I said that I didn’t find it amusing. There are so many other stunts that I could talk about, but I don’t want to ruin the fun for people wanting to see it for themselves. My five-year-old sense of humor will never truly die, will it?

To address the elephant in the room, yes, Bam Margera is in this film for a split second. Luckily, I had a keen eye to spot him, but other than that small “cameo”, he is not featured whatsoever. For those of you who don’t know, Bam Margera is one of the original members of the Jackass crew that was supposed to be in this film as usual. He was kicked off of the project in early 2021 for being a liability for his alleged ongoing addiction to alcohol. There is currently a lawsuit from Margera directed towards Paramount Pictures, Johnny Knoxville, and creator Spike Jonze with him claiming that he had been wrongfully terminated from the film. Variety wrote an article detailing the lawsuit that I will link at the bottom of the article. Margera’s presence, however, is missed during the duration of the film, even though it was still a blast. I hope that Mr. Margera will get better soon and wish him the best.

Jackass Forever is a film that deserves to be seen by fans. This is a tribute to everyone who has loved the series and is also very likely the last installment. This is the epilogue to a 22-year long project that deserves a lot of fanfare. I enjoy seeing films in the movie theater, and I’m glad that this is the first that I get to review professionally. I’ve been a fan since a young age, and I will continue to be a fan for the rest of my life. If this is indeed the last hoorah for this brand of slapstick comedy, what a way to go. Thank you for all of the memories and fun times courtesy of the Jackass crew. I’ll always be indebted to you all.