Jackass Forever: A Gloriously Entertaining Return
The Jackass crew return for another round of hilarious, wildly absurd, and often dangerous displays of comedy with a little help from some exciting new cast.
Since 2000, the Jackass crew have punished and humiliated themselves for our personal entertainment. You would think after 20+ years that the act would grow tired and the gags would become stale, but they’ve somehow managed to continually find hilarious new ways to reinvent themselves and up the ante. Even in their old age (the youngest of the original crew, Ehren McGhehey, is 45), they show no signs of slowing down or playing things safe, and more importantly, they haven’t lost their ability to hit the funny bone in just the right places (in fact, they just keep getting more incisive and consistent).
There’s a special quality to each entry into the franchise, but Jackass Forever feels like the gang’s most spirited, hard-hitting, and hilarious effort yet. A vital key to the film’s overall success is its decision to cut out the deadweight (AKA Bam Margera) and expand its ranks in a younger, more diverse direction. As gratifying as it is to see Margera cry like a baby, the franchise is much better off without him (until he cleans himself up anyways). His departure removes any remaining toxicity and bratty ego, and without that, you’ve got nothing but the crew’s irresistibly juvenile charms. Instead of bits that involve Margera beating up and terrorizing his parents (who never really seemed to sign up for any of it), we get segments with newcomer Jasper Dolphin (of Loiter Squad) and his ex-con father that are not only less mean-spirited but just as funny, too.
You might think that the younger cast members (who range from early-to-mid 30s) were added to absorb the impact of the gnarlier stunts, but that’s not the case at all. The old crew still shines at the forefront, but both generations go equally hard, and collectively, they pepper Forever with some of the most brutal stunts they’ve ever recorded. As with each entry, the most memorable bits will vary from person to person, but highlights include: a hardcore revamp to the cup test, lighting a fart underwater (which was previously thought to be “unfilmable”), a brutal take on the “quiet game” (with mimes!), a ding dong adorned in bees, and one of the most hilariously inventive intro segments they’ve come up with.
There are bulls and bees and bears, and more! There’s even slight commentaries on modern society that are baked into these new bits, the likes of which they’ve never really made before. Specifically, when newcomer Rachel Wolfson takes several voluntary stings from a scorpion as if it were botox, Tremaine bends the bit into a statement on the vapity and absurdity of glamour and the lengths one is willing to go in order to maintain “beauty.” The icing on top of all the gags and stunts and pranks are the crew member’s terrified reactions, Dave England and Ehren McGhehey stand out in that respect. When England quickly exclaims that he’ll “start a new life” in the room in which a brilliant snake prank is pulled, it’s side-splitting. When he proclaims, “it’s got to be over, dude. I can’t get any more hurt. I think we’re all the way finished, we’re through. Stick a fork in it,” you feel his pain, exhaustion, and trauma, and it’s still funny.
Overall, Jackass Forever is an infectiously charming romp that’s underscored by progressive change and maturity. The original cast has also come a long way. They’re not just 20 years closer to making their “Son of Jackass” bit from the first movie a reality, they’ve also grown up quite a bit as well. They’re not drinking or doing drugs, but they still haven’t lost the desire to break their bodies for our laughter. God bless them for that.
Recommendation: If you wanna laugh your ass off and have a good time, definitely spend 90-minutes to have a reunion with the Jackass gang! Jackass Forever will put a smile on your face. You can check it out right now on Paramount+!
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!