Johnny Knoxville and the rest of the Jackass crew returned to the silver screen with “Jackass 3D,” the third installment of the incredibly popular MTV show-turned-movie franchise.The third installment features more of the crazy stunts, gross-out gags, and pranks that made the original show so popular when it debuted more than a decade ago. This time, however, these antics are shown in three dimensions.
The 3-D does very little to enhance the viewing quality of the film. The majority of the film works just as effectively, if not more so, in only two dimensions. It is not worth the extra cost that movie theaters charge to see this film in 3-D.
The gags and stunts featured in the film itself are far more hit-or-miss than in the television show or the previous film installments. The stunts that did “hit” were just as hilarious as anything previously done by the crew. Highlights of the movie include a giant hand swatting people walking through a doorway, as seen in the trailers, and Johnny Knoxville antagonizing a buffalo by using incredibly funny dance moves while on roller skates in front of its pen until the buffalo had enough and charged Knoxville.
As stated before, however, the film did “miss” as much, if not more, than it hit. The skits that flopped generally missed their point by a wide margin, often due to the sheer vulgarity and disgustingness of the acts being perpetrated, or because the act was simply a rehash from something that had been previously done by the group.
Perhaps the most disheartening part of the film stemmed from the performers involved. When the series began, the crew was full of young guys in their twenties earning their reputation by behaving badly.
Now, Johnny Knoxville is nearly 40 and has two children. Bam Margera is beginning to gain a physique like his father. Steve-O has had to battle substance abuse problems that the series contributed to greatly. When people in their twenties behave badly, it can be seen as funny. A decade later, it starts to border on sad.
Appropriately enough, another act that has become a shell of its former glory contributes to the film’s closing as the Jackass crew joined forces with Weezer as the two belt out Weezer’s new single “Memories” as a picture of each person as a child is shown and clips from the original series cycle through. The ending certainly implied the end of the Jackass franchise, although that had appeared to be the case many times prior.
As for the film itself, people with weak stomachs should not see this film nor should anyone with an aversion to full-frontal male nudity, as the film features several of the most gag-inducing skits in the history of the franchise as well as a large amount of male nudity. Fans of the franchise will likely enjoy the film overall, although the film does not need to be seen in theaters as it did not meet the expectations that the previous entries had set. Ultimately, “Jackass 3D” was entertaining, if not a let down.
Anthony Fioriglio is a journalism practicum writer and can be reached at AF650463@wcupa.edu.