THE STORY – The Jackass crew as they perform their final series of dangerous stunts and pranks, marking the end of the franchise.
THE CAST – Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Dave England, Danger Ehren, Preston Lacy, Rachel Wolfson, Jasper Dolphin, Dark Shark, Poopies & Zach Holmes
THE TEAM – Jeff Tramaine (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 92 Minutes
What has made “Jackass” such a force, so impactful on multiple generations over a twenty-five-year span? It was never just the novelty of seeing grown-ass men inflict bodily harm to one another or spew bodily fluids all over the place. It’s the fact that it may be one of the purest depictions of friendship ever captured on camera. They’re the ultimate display of Gen X counter culture: a group comprised entirely of skaters, social outcasts, and bad boys that aren’t afraid to disregard social norms (or even manhandle each other in the most lovingly unsubtle display of queer tendacies in male friendships). So it made sense that the bold text plastered at the beginning of every “Jackass” feature warning impressionable youths not to replicate any harmful stunts was incredibly formative for someone like me. What most parents deemed a damaging display of juvenility was, in fact, the coolest thing young boys could see: sneaking off to their rooms to watch MTV and, eventually, getting a ticket to see it in a movie theater. Now it’s coming to an end as “Jackass” Best and Last” while struggling to live up to the mantle it imposes on itself, still has enough in the tank to make one not only laugh their ass off but also shed a few tears.
While most “Jackass” films open with elaborate, staged set pieces putting our loveable victims on a platter to be eviscerated, Filmmaker Jeff Tremaine and company take it back to the inception of Jackass itself starting with never before seen scrapped footage that’s the inception of Jackass itself. While we know everyone is alive today, it may not be only one of the most precarious stunts Johnny Knoxville has attempted, but also a rare moment when one can understand why a studio would never put this act of foolery on MTV’s airwaves. It’s a nice entry point that pairs perfectly with clips of crew members like Steve-O or Wee-Man sitting and reminiscing about cherished moments.
Of course, the staples of every “Jackass” film remain, such as extended introductory credits set to “I Need a Hero,” random celebrity cameos to join in the “fun,” including award-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser, cameraman Lance retching his soul out of his throat, and plenty of blows below the belt. If anything, what stops “Best and Last” from being one of the more successful entries in the franchise is the inclusion of sequences from previous films that longtime fans have already seen. While it’s nice taking a trip down memory lane alongside the team to relish the stupidity of some of their all-time stunts, it relegates the film to more of a YouTube compilation of Jackass’s greatest hits than a handsomely assembled string of stunts they filmed intentionally for the film. The use of previous clips is at its best when it was outtakes from previous stunts that never made it into the other films, like Knoxville’s first take getting rocked by a bull before taking another blow that gave him an almost deadly brain hemorrhage. It’s nice to see Bam Margera, one of the original members whose off-screen issues led to his removal from “Jackass Forever,” somewhat involved, as he eventually approved the release of archival footage of a stunt he took part in.
The lack of new stunts, while frustrating, makes sense, as most of the original crew, past the age of fifty, have caused such irreversible damage to their bodies that anything beyond shock to the system or a kick to the groin may be overdoing it. While “Jackass Forever” smartly introduced the next generation of self-punishing misfits, it still feels that not all of these members are fully utilized. Poopsies, Zach Holmes, and Jasper Dolphin are really the ones who rise to the occasion, making the most of it while folks like Dave England and Danger Ehren are taking as much of the damage as possible. There are some highlights involving the newer footage, such as a robo-rectal exam or a revolting spin on the classic game of Twister.
Time and time again, we’ve heard from Johnny Knoxville that this is the end of “Jackass.” Yet this time, it’s never felt more genuine coming out of his mouth. This sentiment runs throughout “Best and Last,” as it’s the little moments that make this film really feel like a door is closing not only for these guys’ lives but also for those who have watched them all this time. It’s Knoxville choking up on the first day of arriving on set, or Preston watching outtakes with everyone simply muttering his desire for dearly departed Ryan Dunn to be here still to enjoy this foolishness with them. Their hair is all gray, the wrinkles have never been more present, and their bones must certainly ache all the time now. Even if it’s a bit maudlin in its approach to the end of this journey, seeing these men blast off in a giant cart while projected by bricks and dust is enough to get the tear ducts flowing.
