Written by Kevin Kokoszka
Back in 2000, MTV released a silly show where brilliant idiots would do dangerous stunts and insane pranks that most people in their right mind would be scared to do. Jackass quickly became a cultural phenomenon, spawning multiple movies and spin-off series. And on June 26th, the fifth and final movie came to theaters, Jackass: Best and Last. Will this be Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew’s last hurrah?
Let’s hope not, but if it was, this movie was an amazing final stamp on the franchise.
Jackass: Best and Last features almost all of the original stars—Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee-Man, Preston Lacy, Dave England, and Danger Ehren. It also features the newer cast members from the last movie: Zach Holmes, Poopies, Jasper, Rachel Wolfson, and Dark Shark. Although there were clips of Bam Margera used in the film, he was not part of any new stunts in the movie.
The film is a mix of archival footage, legendary stunts from past movies, never-before-seen moments, and new stunts. While some fans might not like this, and want all original content, this was a great way to tell the whole story of Jackass in one final film. For long-time fans it’s great seeing classic Jackass moments like the golf airhorn prank and kidnapping Brad Pitt.
In terms of the new stunts, admittedly, they weren’t as extreme as some of the stuff we’ve seen in the other movies. However, you can’t expect a cast now in their late 40s and 50s to punish their bodies the way they did 20 years ago. However, a lot of the new stunts focused on bathroom humor, nudity, and shock collars (including a great stunt involving Chris Pontius doing a naked high jump). Many fans will find these stunts hilarious but if you’re not a fan of this type of humor a lot of the new footage may not work.
The archival footage ended up being one of the best parts of the film. We get to see stunts from early Jackass days that were either too dangerous or not appropriate for TV. This was a perfect touch and it was really cool to see how their stunts have evolved over the years. They also showed classic Jackass moments from the first four movies and had the cast members give a little commentary on the moments as well.
The final takeaway from the movie is that we truly see how much Jackass means to Johnny Knoxville. For the last 26 years he has put his blood, sweat, and tears into making these films. We’ve watched him risk his health and safety simply to entertain audiences. One of the first scenes in the film shows Knoxville starting to get emotional and tear up after saying how this is their first day of filming their final movie. You can tell he’s heartbroken that he can no longer do the crazy stunts with bulls or getting hit in the head.
Overall, Jackass: Best and Last really does a great job at closing the Jackass franchise. For many people who grew up in the 2000s, the Jackass movies and TV shows hold a special place in their hearts and it will be rightfully missed. However, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if we see new movies in the future. If the franchise continues, it’s likely we’ll see less of the original crew and more of a new generation carrying the Jackass name forward.
