Forget about class, forget about culture, and you can DEFINITELY forget about the Oscars. "Jackass" is a movie that may be the most obvious sign that we as a society are doomed. This movie is nothing more than a series of clips showing a group of white trash idiots playing vulgar practical jokes, doing foolish stunts, and hurting themselves for the sake of shocking the audience.
I loved every minute of it.
Look, I like quality films. My favorites include "The Godfather," the classic "Citizen Kane," and the silent masterpiece, "City Lights." I love foreign films, classic films, and independent films, but dammit, sometimes I just wanna have a good time at the movies. Sometimes I wanna be able to laugh my ass off at something completely tasteless, and not have to apologize for it. In this movie, I watched a guy pee, I watched a guy take a shit (twice), and I saw several people puke, and I laughed every time.
I've seen quite a few episodes of "Jackass" on MTV (I hate MTV, and I'll continue to do so until they go back to playing music videos, but I gotta give 'em credit for shows like "The Osbournes," "Beavis and Butt-head," "Daria," and of course, "Jackass"). The first time I saw it, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't turn my eyes from the TV, I wanted to see how far they would go. My favorite segment was actually pretty tame. Brad Pitt agreed to be part of a practical joke. This is how it played out: He was outside, casually window shopping, and when people noticed him, he signed autographs. A small crowd gathered, and Brad Pitt continued signing autographs for all of them. Then a van pulled up, and a group of people rushed out and grabbed him. Pitt furiously tried to kick them away, but it was no use. They shoved him into the van and drove off as the onlookers stood there with their jaws to the ground. It was hilarious seeing all those people calling the police, screaming about how Brad Pitt just got kidnapped. They showed Brad Pitt in the van laughing with the Jackass guys. Priceless. "Jackass" has some unbelievable stuff, but they're limited by what they can show on TV. Making a "Jackass" movie was a no-brainer, especially if you think about it financially. This movie probably cost very little to make, so they're sure to make a profit.
The makers of "Jackass" know that this movie isn't gonna make Hollywood proud. They tease that fact in the movie's opening sequence. Using the powerful and familiar music from "Carmina Burana," they introduce the performers in slow motion as they do a stunt as a group. With the slow-motion and the rousing music, it's as though the movie is some sorta big epic. Funny stuff. After that, the silliness REALLY begins.
The guys who do the stunts all seem to be having a great time, and it's infectious. Part of me would love to hang out with those dudes, because they seem to always have a great time. But being part of that group comes at a price. It means that you might get kicked in the nuts for no reason, and taking part in the stunts is something I'd rather avoid. The leader of the pack is Johnny Knoxville, and he's been in a couple of movies recently ("Men in Black II" and "Big Trouble"). He does the craziest stunts. Whether it's having a boxing match with Butterbean in the middle of a department store, or getting shot at, Johnny Knoxville seems to be the lucky guy to take the biggest beatings. Steve-O (who recently released his own video/DVD called "Don't Try This at Home"... I'm a proud owner of the DVD, and if you like "Jackass," you should definitely get the Steve-O DVD) does some pretty sick stuff, too. The tattoo on his back needs to be seen to be believed, but the how he got the happy face tattoo on his arm is a stunt in and of itself. I have a feeling Steve-O ain't too bright. Chris Pontius does a few stunts, but he's mostly shown dancing around wearing nothing but a thong bikini and seeing how people react to that. His "Party Boy" stuff in Tokyo is hilarious. Others who perform on camera are Dave England, Ryan Dunn, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, Preston Lacy, and Ehren McGhehey. Then there's Bam Margera. He does some pretty crazy stuff, but the funniest footage involves his parents. I feel bad laughing at it, because his parents go through hell, but it really IS funny. There are also some unexpected cameos, but I won't tell you about them.
It's interesting to note that one of the creators of "Jackass" is Spike Jonze, the director of some famous music videos, as well as the movie "Being John Malkovich." He's also an actor, having played one of the main guys in the movie, "Three Kings."
Needless to say, this isn't a movie that will appeal to everybody, but there are plenty out there who would enjoy a movie like this. I'm one of them. It's trash, but it's entertaining trash. I can't wait for the DVD, which is supposed to include footage that was deemed too graphic for the movie. Wow. I'll be the first one in line buying that.
Scale of 1-10: 8