Jackass: The Movie

2002
Paramount
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Length: 87 min.
Country: USA
Format: DVD
Date Viewed: 4 March, 2006

Overall, Jackass: The Movie, is a rather funny movie. Comprised entirely of episodic stunts, the feature-length version of the infamous TV show follows a handful of twenty-somethings around the US, Europe and Japan as they realize their incredibly dangerous and dumb, yet often perversely hilarious ideas on how to best destroy themselves or property (or better yet, both at the same time).

Some of the stunts (notably the rental car demolition derby and the golf cart bit) are much better than others (the insane amount of bodily fluids expelled from body gets old fast, as does any stunt with Bam Margera). But the filmmakers seem to know this, and thankfully kept the run-time to a scant 87 minutes - including an extended closing credits section - while keeping the stunts flying by like jokes in a Zucker movie.

Other reviewers are right in that this film gives you no insight into the performers or the youth culture as a whole, but it does reflect our generation's penchant for self-destruction, though quite mild in real life and obviously taken to the extreme in Jackass. Luckily, most young people seem content to only go as far as pierce and tattoo themselves endlessly in rather awkward places, not tightrope-walk over alligator pits with raw chicken in their underwear for a little bit of money and a lot of respect from their peers.