By John Corrado

★★½ (out of 4)

The Jackass gang is back together again in Jackass Forever, a belated sequel that sees Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the rest of their merry band of pranksters reuniting twenty years after the release of Jackass: The Movie in 2002 for more purposeful stupidity.

There isn’t much to say about the plot, because there isn’t really one. Like the first three movies in the series, Jackass Forever is essentially a collection of bits ranging from fun to gross, as Knoxville and the gang attempt a series of dumb and dangerous stunts at great personal risk to themselves (and often more specifically their genitalia).

This includes recreating the classic “cup test” (i.e., testing the strength of an athletic cup with various blows to the crotch), trying to finally light a fart under water, as well as a magic trick involving a bull that predictably ends poorly for Knoxville (and actually sent him to the hospital). Of course, the film opens and closes with the usual disclaimers read aloud by Knoxville warning viewers not to try any of these stunts at home.

It’s all incredibly stupid, often cringe-inducing, and basically just plays out as a series of loosely hung together sketches with no real plot. But that’s exactly what you want from a Jackass movie, especially one that opens with a tribute to kaiju movies involving a giant green monster attacking a city, that is actually the painted penis of cast member Chris Pontius being filmed on a model set. Director Jeff Tremaine, who co-created the original MTV series and directed the previous three films along with the Bad Grandpa spinoff, brings it all together like a symphony of stupidity, that dares us not to laugh in spite of ourselves.

In a nutshell, the film offers more of the same for Jackass fans, with the added nostalgia of seeing most of the original gang back together a decade after their last big screen outing. They are joined by a couple of new cast members (including sole female Rachel Wolfson), and a collection of guest stars who join in the “fun.” I don’t know if Forever will be the film to finally sway viewers who don’t already have a soft spot for this brand of humour and, admittedly, it does become a tad too much after a while, with the film starting to overstay its welcome a bit even at 96 minutes.

But Jackass Forever offers a fine and fitfully amusing reunion, as well as another gonzo portrait of male bonding and friendship. I can’t say that I approved of everything in the movie (I found a stunt involving a “vomitron” to be stomach-churning), but Knoxville and his team deliver more hits than misses, and I laughed more than I’m proud to admit.

Bonus Features (Blu-ray):

The Blu-ray includes a number of stunts that were cut from the film (including ones that are glimpsed over the closing credits). A code for a digital copy is also included in the package, which ships with a slipcover.

• Tarantula Bite (3 minutes, 18 seconds)

• Face Your Rear (2 minutes, 43 seconds)

• Dark Shark & the Bear (4 minutes, 3 seconds)

• Fire in the Hole (3 minutes, 29 seconds)

• Broke Zach Mountain (2 minutes, 28 seconds)

• Virtual Reality (2 minutes, 22 seconds)

• Plug and Arrow (1 minute, 37 seconds)

• The Breakaway (2 minutes, 12 seconds)

• Soccer Ball Surprise (1 minute, 50 seconds)

• Poopies Only Wipes Twice (1 minute, 8 seconds)

• Fire Extinguisher (2 minutes, 32 seconds)

• Wee Man Throws Zach Under the Bus (1 minute, 26 seconds)

• Toilet Geyser (1 minute, 57 seconds)

• Telephone Pole (Susan) (4 minutes, 6 seconds)

• Telephone Pole (Millie) (2 minutes, 12 seconds)

• Telephone Pole (A.D.) (2 minutes, 27 seconds)

Jackass Forever is a Paramount Home Entertainment release. It’s 96 minutes and rated 18A.

Street Date: April 19th, 2022