Movie Review: 'Jackass Forever'

I understand that the appeal of Jackass is lost on a lot of people. Most people I know, close friends especially, are apoplectic over my appreciation for the silliness of Jackass. Indeed, that is why I am writing a review of Jackass Forever, a movie that really doesn’t need a critical analysis. Either you like Jackass stunts or you don’t and no critic is going to change your mind either way. So, instead, I am going to explore what I enjoy about Jackass and specifically, Jackass Forever and try to help explain the appeal.

Jackass Forever opens with a sketch in which a man’s penis painted and dressed up as Godzilla attacking a city where our Jackass crew is posed for various forms of stunt carnage. This is par for the course for Jackass Forever as penis related humor is a major part of Jackass Forever. Whether they are squished between plastic and turned into paddle ball toys or being covered in bees for the world’s worst merkin. If you can’t stand the sight of the penis, Jackass Forever is not for you.

From there, it’s a pretty standard series of skits involving various forms of painful stunt. I won’t sit here and write out every form of punishment doled out in Jackass Forever, you should see it for yourself, it’s hilarious. Rather, I just want to drill down on a few of the things that make this modern day sideshow/freak show so much fun and it starts with the cast. Led by the immortal Johnny Knoxville, the crew of Jackass Forever is a big goofy family who love to entertain each other even more than they enjoy having an audience.

Johnny Knoxville’s joy is infectious. When Knoxville laughs you can’t help but laugh with him. Knoxville’s joy at seeing his friends get pranked or subject themselves to these insane and painful stunts radiates off the screen. Knoxville is the leader of the gang but he’s never above his friends, he doesn’t go out of his way to be the star and he’s perfectly ready to get into the action just as much as anyone else in the cast.

Jackass Forever features a newly sober and wonderfully happy Steve-O. By his own admission, Steve-O was in a bad place throughout the early iterations of Jackass at the movies. Now, Steve-O appears healthy, happy and though you might question why a healthy person allows his privates to be covered in bees, he appears to really enjoy making his friends laugh. Like Knoxville, seeing Steve-O crack up when his friends are performing is part of the fun of Jackass Forever.

One of the truly great things about Jackass and Jackass Forever is that it's never mean. There is no mean spirited gag in Jackass Forever. All of the stunts are willingly endured and the fun comes from the group genuinely wanting to entertain each other with these wild antics that may or may not leave a permanent injury. If we happen to be entertained as well, that’s great but the sense of loving camaraderie among the Jackass Forever crew is what really makes the series so much fun.

The fun of Jackass is infectious, it rolls from the screen. The more our Jackass friends put their body parts on the line, the more tension, suspense and joy begin to rise. The aftermath, regardless of the pain involved, is friends rolling on the ground laughing hysterically while also showing genuine love and concern for their friend. As strange as it is, there is a strong sense of compassion and care among the Jackass crew and that makes them even more likable.

Jackass Forever introduces the potential future of the Jackass crew. Whether or not newcomers like Poopie, Rachel Wolfson, Eric Manaka, Jasper Dolphin and Zach Holmes continue the franchise after this is unknown. What is known is that the O.G Jackass crew has taken their last brutal shot in the groin. Intentionally anyway. Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Danger Ehren, Wee-Man, and Preston Lacy have all announced their Jackass retirement with Jackass Forever.

And whether you believe me or not, there is something wistful and poignant about the final Jackass adventure. Seeing Johnny Knoxville and crew ride off into the sunset is a reminder for those of us who grew up on Jackass that we are getting older and growing up and yet we can still laugh like children when someone we like does something completely insane like testing plastic groin protection devices by having someone pogo jump onto their groin.

Jackass Forever opened in theaters nationwide on February 4th, 2022.