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'Jackass Forever'

Jackass Forever is the first full piece of Jackass media I have consumed. I have no objections to the MTV show or the four movies (counting Bad Grandpa) which it spawned, but it was never at the top of my catch-up list. I checked out Jackass Forever last night partiallybecause my middle son (age ten) had an interest and I thought it would be valuable to see it through his eyes. Well, he cackled like a hyena for a good 90 minutes (that the terrific prologue satirizes his favorite sub-genre, the kaiju flick, was a bonus), andI didnt feel terribly guilty for taking him. I cant speak to the earliest Jackass shows or movies, but this implicit legacy sequel has running through it a strain of sincerity and a skewed wholesome sensibility.

Yes, this is an R-rated movie, complete with R-rated profanity (although not as much as I might have expected), some unapologetic gross-out gags and quite a bit of male nudity. But its also presented as a kind of a kind of old friends reuniting to relish each others company comedy, a warm, upbeat and guys supporting guys passing-the-baton saga. Maybe its because these merry pranksters have reached middle age and are generally sober, maybe its because the world outside has devolved into our current hellscape, with many of the earlier generations moral scolds now arguably leading the charge toward fascism. Whatever the reason, the self-mutilating antics that once stood for a nadir of kids these days junk food culture now plays like an almost healthy and non-toxic form of male bonding. They are only hurting each other.

The film again stars Johnny Knoxville (now greying and looking every bit his still-very-handsome 50 years of age) and Steve-O (now 13-years sober). Ryan Dunn died in a car accident in 2011, while Bam Margera was fired/disinvited due to personal issues. There are five newbies this time, including Eric Manaka, Davon Wilson and Rachel Wolfson. The film makes no grand statements about this, but they are the first not a white guy members. The picture gently acknowledges newfound cultural sensitivities without shaming fans of their earlier exploits.I chuckled as Wolfson screams Consent... Consent!! as Chris Pontius refuse to remove a creature from her breast without her permission. Im not sure why Jasper Dolphin's father, an ex-con, does his big stunt while dressed in what looks like an orange prison jumpsuit, but I digress.

Yes, we do see quite a bit of physical pain and arguable psychological torture in this latest go-around. Considering how often our diabolical ringmaster (Johnny Knoxville, mostly on the sidelines gleefully setting up the carnage this time) lies, deceives or misleads his friends for the sake of a gag, youd think that anyone on set would be walking around in a perpetual state of quivering anxiety. There are a few moments where I wondered how a major studio allowed them to stage a given scene or take a certain risk, as there were set pieces that could have absolutely gone wrong in a ghoulish fashion. No spoilers, but theres an unexpected injury so severe near the end that I wondered to myself if we were about to get a Kylo kills Han legacy sequel beat.

I preferred the stunt work and pratfalls a bit more than the extended endurance tests. And there is also some repetition, as even I recognized a few repeated gags and the films closing credits highlight some then and now comparisons. We do get some guest stars in the form of Eric Andre, Tyler the Creator and Machine Gun Kelly, all of whom remark that theyve gone from watching Jackass as kids to cameoing in this film as adults. That goes likewise for the younger, newer cast members, even if the film only subtly treats itselfas a possible series finale or new beginning installment. Whats impressive is how returning to this sandbox after 11 years (Jackass 3-D opened in October 2010) doesnt feel like a defeat, but rather just a reaffirmation of the groundbreaking franchises cultural relevance.

Its no secret that the do it yourself pranks and self-injuries that turned Jackass into a sensation paved the way for an entire genre of goofy folks doing silly things for our amusement online videos. The entire YouTube-specific epic fail genre, specially where the participants set out to hurt themselves or flame out in spectacular fashion (which makes this different from the more accidental likes of Americas Funniest Home Videos or the sports blooper industry), can be traced back to Knoxville and his merry pranksters. I cannot say whether Jackass Forever, arriving almost 22 years after the first televised episode of the show, accurately represents the franchise. But it is charming, funny and clever enough, with a live-and-let-live masculinity looking outright enlightened compared to the online troll/alt-right/incel industrial complex, tomake me want to find out.

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Review: 'Jackass Forever' Is R-Rated Fun For The Whole Family - Forbes