The dangerously hilarious 'Jackass Forever'

Jackass Forever is directed by Jeff Tremaine and is the 4th film in the Jackass franchise. The cast comprises of a returning Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O and alongside new members, the inclusion of whom injects some freshness into the mix.

I will be honest, I never expected this movie to be released, especially after what Jackass 3D gave us (which was, in my opinion, the pinnacle of jackassery), and yet here we are with the crew back at it. Albeit I was never a diehard fan of the franchise, I enjoyed Jackass when I was introduced to this bizarre world by my cousin. Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O were comedic as hell and the simplicity of the premise while ensuring the audience has fun struck amazing to me.

And now, returning back to that simplicity amidst all the complexities in life, I felt fresh, amused, and relaxed though there were moments I felt terrified as well (‘cause it’s Jackass, haha).

Jackass 4 is an amalgamation of simply-written, mindless comedy with an injection of newness that revamps the franchise, and I thoroughly enjoyed the film. In fact, let’s get this straight- I have never laughed this much within a span of 2 hours in a long time. The film is absolutely hilarious, mindless, and farcical but it never wants itself to be taken seriously. If you are someone who enjoys painful, nut-cracking stunt fails, then here you go, this is your film.

I have always been a fan of the Japanese Banzuke shows- I remember my family members and I would circle around the tv on weekends just to watch Unbeatable Banzuke on Nickelodeon. The absolutely hilarious stunt fails often made for humorous moments, and we’d often drag those moments in our small dinner chats. That's why Jackass Forever stood out for me. While expecting to see nothing original- because I thought nothing could top the third film- I was blown away by how clever the scriptwriters got with the stunts. They were absolutely hilarious, with moments of nervousness because some stunts seemed extremely dangerous and the last thing you’d want while making these films is a fatal, career-ending injury. But they were extremely clever with handling them too, and the comedic remarks along with other characters trying them out made for a fun, 2-hour film that took me out of my worries.

Honestly, there is nothing much to critique. There’s no story, there’s no character development, just an amalgamation of funny stunt fails. Even so, you expect things to go out of hand in films like these or even expect it to become monotonous at a point. But that’s not the case here; every stunt scene feels fresh, and even puts you on the edge of the seat for a while (yes, that Johnny Knoxville scene with a bull got me good).

I’ll be honest, some of the stunts had me wondering how much these actors were paid to carry them out. Some actions involve jumping from great heights with no safety, boxers punching someone’s genitalia, and all sorts of crazy things you cannot imagine. These scenes, though cringey to their core, were still moments of pure fun.

In the end, Jackass Forever is exactly what it had to be: fun, entertaining, ridiculous, and a jolly reunion. While this might be the last time the crew will get back together- since the actors are getting old- the reunion is worth watching.

I’m going to give Jackass Forever an A-.