Jackass Forever Review

More than 20 years after Jackass debuted on MTV, Jackass Forever (the fourth theatrical release) has hit theaters. If you've never seen Jackass before, it's a series of stunts and pranks preformed by an all male cast, usually. There's no story or characters. Just dudes being dumb or awful to one another. At its most basic level Jackass is blue collar, slapstick crude humor. If that sounds appealing to you, you'll enjoy what the Jackass brand has to offer. If not, look elsewhere because there's nothing else to see here.

Jackass Forever came across as a return to its roots. As the movie series progressed, the stunts got bigger and the locations became more exotic. Jackass Forever feels a lot more like the television series and first movie. It feels somewhere between a low-budget-cash-grab and paying homage to its beginning. 

Your enjoyment of the movie may hinge largely on how comfortable you are with male nudity. Specifically, extreme close-ups of the penis and a little anus for variety. It contributes to a noteworthy amount of the runtime. The movie opens with it. The gross-out factor was mediocre but still present as well. 

This film was a bittersweet experience. On one hand, it's more Jackass with the majority of the original cast returning to provide more of what made them famous. On the other hand, you see what 20 years of some pretty intense pranks and stunts, as well as poor life choices, looks like. The original cast is in their late 40s or 50s. As the credits roll, you are treated to a side by side of what the cast members looked like when they joined Jackass and as they are now. Again, bittersweet.

After watching this film, I'm left with a feeling similar to how I felt after watching The Wrestler (2008), thankful and appreciative for all the entertainment that the brand has provided over the years but a bit downcast after seeing what it has become, or ended as.

Rating: C+ - For fans of crude humor and watching 50-somethings pulling pranks and grabbing each other's nuts.