By In the ten years since Jackass (the TV show) premiered on MTV, America has grown to love the increasingly painful antics of the Johnny Knoxville-led crew of… oh, let’s just call them stunt-men. But the movie industry has also changed in those ten years, with a lack of DVD revenue and serious box office gloom prompting the industry’s current push toward higher-grossing 3D films. So it seems fitting that this third installment of the Jackass series has thrown its hat into the 3D ring, hoping to make the boys’ pain all the more palpable for audiences through an additional dimension.
But, unfortunately, the new technology does little to breathe life into the well-worn franchise.
In the ten years since Jackass (the TV show) premiered on MTV, America has grown to love the increasingly painful antics of the Johnny Knoxville-led crew of… oh, let’s just call them stunt-men. But the movie industry has also changed in those ten years, with a lack of DVD revenue and serious box office gloom prompting the industry’s current push toward higher-grossing 3D films. So it seems fitting that this third installment of the Jackass series has thrown its hat into the 3D ring, hoping to make the boys’ pain all the more palpable for audiences through an additional dimension.
But, unfortunately, the new technology does little to breathe life into the well-worn franchise.{{page_break}} The inherent problem facing the Jackass crew is that they are forced to top themselves with each new iteration. Jackass 3D faces this problem head on, in many ways, by emphasizing what 3D can bring to the table. The stakes are raised when, for example, Steve-O is put into a port o’ potty and shot up into the air via two large cranes; harkening back to one of the most famous stunts performed on the TV show, but exaggerating it all the more.
Visually, however, there is little new ground being broken here. The 3D elements of the movie are almost unnoticeable after the first few sequences, and make you wish they hadn’t sold the film so heavily on this element. Besides two incredibly sleek and well-made sequences that bookend the rest of the movie, this is the exact same style we are well acquainted with at this point. What’s really most striking about the visual style is the dramatic use of slow motion, rather than drastic 3D, for most of the stunts.
But the movie’s predictability is also portrayed as a conscious decision by the filmmakers. Jackass plays off of our familiarity with the genre in order to evoke feelings of nostalgia for the simplicity of just a decade ago. The credits for the film even roll over a Jackass-infused music video for the song “Memories” by Weezer, with childhood photos of each of the stars mixed in with early footage of the TV show. The result is a feeling that 3D will be the final version of Jackass as we currently know it, although much speculation to the contrary has been floating about.
The standard list of characters are all present, with Knoxville, Bam Margera, a now-sober Steve-O, and Chris Pontius leading the pack. And, of course, we get classic cameos by Spike Jonze and the pain-mogul/director himself, Jeff Tremaine. But through the entirety of the film, there is this pervasive feeling that the rebellious young kids have grown much older since even their last film. They move a bit slower, they stay down on the ground a bit longer, and their pranks have moved from being focused on humor to being driven by pain. There is almost a bitterness to their interactions, as if the stars are beginning to get fed up with the long-term effects of their celebrity. They know that this is their meal ticket, they know what they have sacrificed for it, and they finally appear have a bit of resentment.
Jackass 3D is exactly what you expect it to be. There is little in the film that you haven’t seen before and it hardly breaks the boundaries of decency, as the first film did. For once, it feels like the filmmakers haven’t been able to up the ante on their history of mischief-making. The now all too recognizable stars have trouble involving the outside world in their stunts, and instead opt for their own overplayed reactions for laughs. The sense of guerilla filmmaking that was so central to the Jackass legacy has all but faded away, taking with it some of the soul of the franchise. Yes, it’s entertaining. Yes, it’s vulgar. And, yes, it’s definitely Jackass. But is it their best effort? Hardly.
Overall Score: 6.00 – Okay (6s are just okay. These movies usually have many flaws, didn’t try to do anything special, or were poorly executed. Some will still love 6s, but most prefer to just rent them. Watch more trailers and read more reviews before you decide.)
Jackass 3D goes where every Jackass has gone before. 3D is underutilized, feels only slightly necessary. It’s still fun and cringe-worthy, but has lost the original spark that built the empire.
Andres Bolivar
Overall Score: 7.10 — A film like Jackass 3D comes down to the type of person you are. If you don’t get it, it’s fine, some people just don’t get it. But for those that do, you’re going to be sore from all the laughter. It’s a fun experience that is best enjoyed with a group of friends and your brain turned off. If you enjoyed the last two movies, the third will not disappoint. Read his full review here.
Tom Fronczak
Overall Score: 5.40 — Jackass 3D brings less laughs than expected, and far less 3D than expected. We knew we'd have penises waving around in our faces the second we heard it was going to be in 3D, but beyond that it's basically the same stunts we've seen before but in weak 3D. At this rate, I'd rather watch Tosh.0 or click random buttons on YouTube than see another Jackass movie for full price. Read his full review here.