If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough – It’s hard to believe, but Johnny Knoxville & Co. are back. After more than ten years, her latest film, Jackass Forever, was released in March 2022 and became a commercial and critical success. Fans know what must follow: a compilation of the rest of the material with interviews from the team. The release of additional content from the set has a long tradition, but instead of a home media release, Netflix has now secured the rights. “Jackass 4.5” can be seen from May 20, 2022.
by Natascha Juracsik
If you grew up in the early 2000s, you’ve probably tuned in to MTV at one point or another, and you might even know the infamous warning that preceded every episode of “Jackass” by heart. But the troupe only became really successful commercially after they made the leap from the television screen to the cinema screen and threw aside all the rules of good taste. At that time, many critics only saw senselessly dangerous actions, filthy jokes and disgusting dares. But the audience should anyway decide for themselves whether they can understand this kind of humor or not. If the latter should be the case: just don’t look at it.
But those who would call themselves fans of this franchise will get their money’s worth with Jackass 4.5. Behind-the-scenes glimpses, anecdotal comments from the crew, and a number of skits that fell victim to the film’s editing process come together in a montage that lends a level of authenticity so typical of Jackass that even the most hardened of audiences wince at the sight of the stunts and even choke on the occasional gag reflex. A few mysteries are also revealed here that may have arisen after the last visit to the cinema: Johnny Knoxville’s changing hair color and the question of whether the gentlemen aren’t a bit too old for the whole thing.
But above all, the chemistry between the friends has remained intact after all these years, which is captured wonderfully by the camera and increases the fun factor many times over: Because when – one after the other – all the participants start laughing from the bottom of their hearts, it is quite difficult to suppress a smile. And despite all the disapproval of this “low art”, one thing must not be forgotten: thanks to these guys – or now men – the profession of stuntman or stuntwoman got all the attention it had previously been overshadowed by the stars of a Hollywood production was denied. Anyone who enjoys watching shows like “Joko vs. Klaas – The Duel Around the World” or “The Eric Andre Show” should know where this type of entertainment began on modern television.
The new recruits also fit perfectly into the group dynamics and it’s basically not even noticeable that this is their first experience with “Jackass”. They get pranked just like everyone else on set. But the real magic, of course, comes from the returning core of the troupe: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Danger Ehren, Wee Man and Preston Lacy are all there, led by director Jeff Tremaine and producer Spike Jonze, who give the stayed true to the original “Jackass” style. Only two faces are missing: Bam Margera stayed away from the project after a dramatic back-and-forth during the shooting of Jackass Forever. And the late Ryan Dunn gets a dedication at the end.
Conclusion
If you liked “Jackass Forever”, you will also enjoy “Jackass 4.5” very much. The unique impact of the type of body comedy created by this crazy group has not lost its power even after all these years. Although Knoxville emphasized in several interviews that this would be his last “Jackass” film, there is still hope that he and his cronies will continue to play a role (at least behind the camera) in the future. With the inauguration of new faces, the continuation of the franchise can certainly be classified as likely.
valuation
(74/100)
Image: (c) Netflix