Jackass: Best and Last review: a gnarly goodbye to TV’s greatest stuntmen
Featured image: Paramount Pictures
Jackass: Best and Last is a send-off and memorial to the legacy of Jackass and all its relatives, celebrating its radical history and recapping some of its most memorable moments in a nostalgic reel that has audiences as gripped as they ever were. Whether you have been here since the days of the cult-classic Big Brother Magazine, or checking it out for the first time, there is something for everyone in their ‘final’ feature length film.
In a bittersweet farewell to our favourite pranksters, Knoxville and the gang prove that they’ve still got what it takes, even after 26 years of beatings and extreme stunts. Joined by returning new generation of ‘Jackasses’ and special guests, they turn it up a notch one last time.
Jackass’ infamy spurned from three controversial series that kept MTV on their toes, spawning an iconic film franchise and endless unforgettable TV moments. The opening scene retells that tale, from ringleader and main antagonist o Johnny Knoxville taking a self-inflicted bullet to the chest, to the infamous poo-chute performed by Steve-O (much to his dismay), his infamous sidekick.
You could be led to believe they would be drawing thin at ideas for stunts, and though this film may recycle and redraw many famous skits, they take the time to unpick them through behind-the-scenes footage from previous stunt, as well as bestowing plenty of fresh material.
With the introduction of Larry the Robot, the cast keep up with the times (and the technology), upgrading their crude, toilet humour jokes with a modern point of view, from Steve-O’s ‘Robot Prostate Exam’, for their aging initial audience, to a gross game of twister that gets not just the body moving, but the bowels too.
Looking through a lens of nostalgia and reminiscence, the film reminds us of why the boy-men shot into stardom in the first place. Overall, the film allows us to say goodbye to a pivotal point of childhood, the reason many of us were jumping out of trees, terrorising each other and skateboarding into walls. Most importantly, Knoxville and the gang taught us, “If you gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough”, a message that has now become generational. Farewell Jackass!
Jackass: Best and Last is in cinemas now.
