‘Jackass Forever’ Review

^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

To all the 90s kids who grew up watching MTV, this one’s for you. Jackass Forever is a complete wave of nostalgia and one of the most entertaining movies in years. Almost 20 years later, Johnny Knoxville and his crew return to the screen with some of the most insane stunts and some special ones that they decided to tweak a bit. To see the boys back in action was great, but adding new cast members, ones who watched the show growing up was even better. The unexpected thing about Jackass Forever is that even though you paid to watch grown men get hurt and prank each other, it’s oddly emotional because of how much time has passed from the original show.

You’re probably wondering why people even enjoy watching these guys perform such wildly, dangerous stunts. The stunts that they come up with are gruesome, gross, and sometimes so incredibly painful to sit through, but it’s not about the stunts. Knoxville and his crew consisting of Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacey, Jason Acuña, Dave England, and Ehren McGhehey formed a brotherly bond early on. Seeing them all together again, back in their element was so special and you could feel their connection to each other when the pranks were happening. It is one of the most fun sets to be a part of and the joy on their faces can bring a smile to anyone’s face. This team has been solid since day one and you can see the genuine love that they have for one another.

Now that I got all the mushy stuff out of the way, these stunts were brutal. I can’t even begin to go into detail because it’s just a wild ride from beginning to end. There are past stunts that they performed on a lower budget, which have now been elevated because of their new distributor. Ehren McGhehey got the brunt of all the pranks and I genuinely don’t know how he survived any of them. The new cast members also showed out and took everything like the champs that they are. The balance of the newbies getting initiated into the Jackass crew and the original cast performing repurposed stunts really worked for this runtime. Director Jeff Tremaine knew exactly how to capture each stunt and cinematographers Lance Bangs and Dimitry Elyashkevich made each sequence look as crisp as possible.

Jackass Forever won’t be for everyone, especially those who have a weak stomach. Seeing that MTV logo on the big screen again will just send you back to your childhood. Even if you’ve never wanted to perform any of those stunts as a kid, or even an adult, you just want to hang around the Jackass crew. They’ve created something so special and the fact that it has been two decades’ worth of stunts and friendship is amazing in itself. It’s hard to explain the feeling while watching a Jackass film. Yes, it’s pure entertainment but it almost feels like you’re apart of an extended family. Knoxville and the crew just make you feel like you’re experiencing the stunt performing magic for the first time all over again. It’s just special.