Mini-Review: Action Point

Action Point comes from first time director Tim Kirkby and stars Jackass members Johnny Knoxville and Chris Pontius. The film sets out to bring the physical schtick of Jackass to a fictionalized version of Action Park, AKA "The Most Insane Amusement Park Ever", and it does so with excruciating effect. 

I love Jackass as much as anyone — after all, I grew up on the show — but I think the Jackass well has finally dried up, and it's time to take ole Knoxville out to pasture. It pains me to say that, though the sentiment is not nearly as painful as sitting through this 80-minute excuse for a film. 

Action Point manages to be nothing more than thoroughly terrible, and not in the good kinda way. It's easy to see that the cast had a blast shooting this stinker, but none of that fun really radiates off screen. The only thing that the film really exudes is an uninspired joylessness, as if they're merely going through the motions, which, in the example of Action Point, tend to include frequent bruising, broken bones and concussions.   

At least Jackass offers up some ingenuity with regard to their gags and bits, but every scene in Action Point seems to revolve around very obvious and uninteresting setups that only serve as a justification for Knoxville to inflict pain on himself. I can say that as a young man, there was much more spectacle to seeing Knoxville and company needlessly harm themselves; however, Action Point never succeeds at being anything other than surface level, with no stakes and no heart, which I think can be attributed to Jeff Tremaine and Dickhouse Productions being absent. 

To put it bluntly: it's a major misfire, one whose comedy is only capable of producing an occasionally dispirited chuckle. Shamefully, there's nothing enjoyable, worthwhile or redeemable about Action Point, so feel free to avoid this "amusement" park film this summer. 

Rating: 

What do you think? Was Action Point redeemable in the slightest, or was it just a massive disappointment? Has the Jackass well run dry? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!