As was
likely the case for a lot of suburban Millennials growing up in the 2000s,
Jackass ruled my world. We had the first film on VHS back in the day, and I got
into it right around the time I discovered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and I was
dangerously hooked. I went and saw the second and third films when they came to
cinemas, and I devoured the DVD box sets of the original show, Wildboyz, and
Viva La Bam. It’s difficult to really put into words just how much fun it has
been watching these guys keep finding new ways to hurt themselves and each
other over the past two decades, but it is one of the most joyfully meaningless
media franchises I have ever encountered (and I mean by design, not as a
criticism of such things).
Which makes
the prospect of writing a review for the newest theatrical release a bit
daunting, since I usually spend my time on here diving into thematic ideas and
how it relates to the world when it was released. I know I have a habit of
chronic navel-gazing in my writings, but just how much writing material is
there to be found in a film that is inherently plotless and not big on ideas
beyond “Watch this guy and wince”?
