Jackass 3D

First of all, if you don't know about Jackass, you need to be prepared for a movie with no point at all. Jackass is the third movie installment based on the popular MTV series with the same name that ran from 2000 to 2002. The cast includes Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña, Preston Lacy, Dave England, and Ehren McGhehey. Therefore, even though the show was only on TV for three seasons summing to 25 episodes, the antics did not end there. In 2002, Jackass: The Movie was released, followed by Jackass: Number Two in 2006 along with numerous TV shows created by different cast members including Viva La Bam, Dr. Steve-O, Wildboyz, and Homewrecker. Four years after their last meeting in their second film these crazy men are back together in the latest Jackass movie in 3D! The film follows these characters as they beat the living hell out of each other while performing a series of hilarious, disgusting, disturbing and dangerous pranks.

This is the first film that has used 3D in a way that makes the film worth seeing in 3D. The implementation of 3D adds to the party and along with another dimension to the film. It allows all of the pranks to be bigger, better, funnier and more entertaining by immersing the audience into the world of Jackass. The opening and closing scenes of the film abuse the use of 3D especially well through slow motion effects and exceptional cinematography (yes I did just say that). The stunts in the film are at a whole new level that the TV series or the previous films have not been able to capture. The stunts are so crazy and ridiculous in the film that they will leave the entire audience wondering; How are they all still alive? While no sane human being would be attempting these stunts in the first place leading to the fact that all of the actors mentioned earlier and especially Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Wee-man and Steve-O are all one of a kind maniacs that prove that they are four of the craziest and most entertaining men in the world (or are they just stupid?).

There is no plot at all to this film and contains a specific type of humor that isn't for everyone. There are a lot of sexually oriented pranks in some shape or form. The film targets a very small audience that includes males ages 18 to 35 and even in this demographic the movie isn't for everyone. The film is extremely disgusting to the point where multiple scenes are unwatchable to the extent of gagging. Nothing is off limits in the film and therefore there is no limit to how gross the film gets and no limit on how long the scenes last. The disgusting aspect of the film ranges from scenes with male nudity to other scenes with different forms of bodily waste. Jackass has always been this way and when it comes to male nudity there is significantly less nudity in this film than in Jackass: Number Two, which was more of a male nudity fest. Just be prepared for what you are getting yourself into before seeing this film.

The Jackass TV series and Jackass 3D in general takes an acquired taste and the right mood to enjoy. I cannot recommend this film because you already know if you want to see it or not. Therefore, I recommend that if you want to see it on the big screen in 3D see it now, otherwise, don't see it if you think its going

How does one review "Jackass 3D"? The tertiary installment in MTV's prank and stunt franchise is basically immune to criticism because you get exactly what you pay for. Love it or hate it, "Jackass 3D" accomplishes just about everything it sets out to; in effect, Johnny Knoxville scores a goal on an empty net.

I am the anomaly, but I'd wager next to no one is 'on the fence' about whether or not they should see this film. They either contributed to the massive $50 million opening weekend box office cume, or they immediately dismissed it. In my case, however, having never seen the "Jackass" films wasn't a conscious snub. Believe it or not, there just always seemed to be something better to watch.

But mine's not a high horse. I sought out and watched "Jackass" and "Jackass: Number Two" the week prior to my first theater experience with the series, and I'm glad I did. After all, I grew up on "America's Funniest Home Videos" and throughout high school religiously followed the English hidden camera show "Trigger Happy TV." "Jackass" is not as clever as the latter, but by measure of unbridled chutzpah, Knoxville and Co. are the reigning kings.

Like a Victorian freak show or museum of oddities, the often self-destructive experiments of the "Jackass" crew are the guilty pleasures of our generation. There's something almost gladiatorial about watching the elaborate dangers these brave idiots subject themselves to. Man vs. bull, man vs. mule, man vs. man—our fascination with competition, spectacle, and injury is nothing new.

"Jackass 3D" being my first chance to observe others' response to these shenanigans, I was most amazed by the two-pronged reaction the audience had to the physical trauma the performers sustained. A given stunt would be executed, typically resulting in its participant doubling over in pain. The crowd laughed, as they'd been cued to. The film would then play back the moment in slow motion and suddenly everyone would groan or sharply inhale. Though we paid to laugh at people injuring themselves, what's more interesting is our ability to empathize with the depiction of human pain. That the "Jackass" films achieve both is not an insignificant feat.

This isn't the definitive "Jackass" experience, however. Having watched all three films in the span of a single week, I did discern a distinct arc that left me somewhat letdown with Knoxville's most recent effort. "Jackass: Number Two" improved upon the original with a more polished, professional look, and more elaborate and inventive stunts. It gave the genuine impression that the crew was pushing its boundaries and trumping itself wherever possible. That same sense of pioneering is largely missing from "Jackass 3D." The glasses- gimmick seems to supplant genuine innovation in their routine, and on the whole it feels slapdash in comparison to the conceptual genius of its prequel.

But what survives in "Jackass 3D," and what ultimately endeared me to the franchise is its creativity. Where it won me over was not in the painful payoff of each trick, but rather in the setup. The use of the camera to disorient, spotlight, and surprise is what really makes the series sing, and the trilogy is full of epiphanic moments of hilarity. "Jackass" has and always will be a potpourri of comedic elements, not all of which directly appeal to my specific sensibilities, but the variety is essential and the whole is somehow more than the sum of its parts.

I only wish "Jackass 3D" had more of the entrepreneurial spirit that so distinguished the second film. It may not be ambitious, but hey, a goal made on an empty net still counts.

In 1928, Charlie Chaplin wowed audiences by appearing on screen with a real, live lion for his celebrated film The Circus. A lion! Real! On screen! Audiences were mesmerized by this fascinating new art of cinema, an art made all the more engaging for the fact that the plastics of its image had roots in reality; that somewhere else in space and time, Chaplin had actually stood next to this lion and the reality of this image was now available to them for their own viewing pleasure.

For a contemporary equivalent, I give you Steve-O launched through the stratosphere in a PortaPotty full of dog poop. In 3D.

Jackass 3D appeals to cinema's time-honored capacity for ontological testament, and makes an equally compelling case for the camera's potency as an empathy machine: We see the setup of a stunt, we endure its execution, and we then either clutch our balls or puke in our mouths, depending on what the stunt entails. Cinema is reality, and their pain is ours.

Jackass isn't simply effective in the art of its performers, however, as there is a genius to the framing and editing of each segment as well. Many of the film's laughs are built in to its premises, and the crew smartly eschews over-explanation. We see a tee ball, we see the path this ball is on track to take, and we see Steve-O's nuts--as an intelligent and discerning audience, it is left to us to piece together the narrative before it unfolds, resulting in our increased engagement and a far greater potential for humor upon realization. And we then hang in that moment of anticipation, until the situation's potential energy is quickly and cathartically rendered kinetic.

Jackass 3D is notable as well for its use of stereoscopic 3D cinematography. In one scene, Johnny Knoxville fires a projectile toward the screen in slow motion to great effect: shallow depth of field slowly reveals this item to be a dildo, and 3D reveals the dildo to be humorously close to your face. Elsewhere, stereoscopy is employed in the service of some truly excellent model work; the scene's genuine beauty makes its ultimate subversion all the more effective.

Needless to say, Jackass 3D will not appeal to everyone. But as the film so effectively marries the ontology of outrageous stupidity to so many facets of cinematic expression, it's definitely worth seeing if you think you can stomach it. TK 10/17/10

Jackass 3D is the latest from the group and as the title suggests, it's in 3D. Stunning 3D if I dare say so. No matter how old I get I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching these brave men launch various objects at their genitalia and ignite a wide variety of explosives while standing far too close for comfort.

I'm sure most of you have seen the trailer so I don't have to go into the stunts and pranks performed in the film, but what I will talk about is how amazing the film looks. 3D has been reserved for large scale action films and animated features. Here is essentially a documentary being shot in 3D, the first of its kind (though Werner Herzog's upcoming documentary Caves utilizes 3D technology as well).

The compositions on screen are so bizarre yet so simple. They make the most immature acts a work of art. Rather than finding out the harmful effects of being stunned by a stun gun or cattle prod, they turn it into an event whereby several members of the group run through a hallways with various types of these devices hanging in the air.

These daredevils or "trained professionals," as they disclaim in opening credits, have gone from punk rebels to cultural icons. Their outlandish pranks and inconceivable stunts are a testament to our society's consumption of the obscene and the absurd. We watch these hooligans abuse themselves for our enjoyment. We laugh at their pain. The only reason we laugh is because we aren't the ones feeling their pain.

What really makes this film funny is the groups approach to their work. I can imagine how many takes of each segment introduction their must be. The men are either dying from laughter at what is about to unfold, or they can hardly keep their composure for fear that this next stunt will be their last. Regardless, we get a sense that what we are seeing on camera is what these people are really like. They laugh, scream, and gasp for air like we would, though perhaps with a little more courage.

This carefree approach comes through in the production as well. The melding of the crew with the cast is like watching a dysfunctional family's home videos. The cameras capture the action both with the cast and behind the scenes with the crew. It's a fun, slightly off atmosphere. To help create this atmosphere, we are fortunate enough to listen to a great selection of songs, my favorite being Roger Miller's "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd," played over Johnny Knoxville being chased after by a herd of buffalo. Oh yeah, he's also wearing roller skates. How fitting.

I don't think I need to tell you all this, but this film isn't for everyone. I can think of several scenes which some will find offensive, others will find revolting, and maybe a few of you will deem as unfit for human eyes. Still, those who are fans of the show or if you're looking for something new, look no further. This film is a raunchy, laugh riot.

I really liked the last Jackass movie, because there was an intelligence at work there, beyond just a desire to be shocking and gross (though "shocking" and "gross" is being too mild). And this was just a lot more of the same.

The film is not for the squeamish, especially due to the delight taken in excrement. Excrement here is treated like confetti on New Years Eve. I don't want to get into details, because much of my enjoyment of this film is due to the shock factor. There were a few scenes that I was just too scared to watch.

I won't get into trying to describe or give a list of what's shown here. Let me just say that if Thomas Edison had ever thought his invention would show something like THIS, he'd have destroyed his camera and killed himself. But for about 80% of this film, I was howling with laughter, though terribly embarrassed I was carrying on like that.

The only thing I can say specific to a scene in this movie is that the Midget Bar Fight has got to be, no doubt about it, the most hilarious "Candid" scene I've ever watched.

I had major qualms about going to see a film so crude, gross, violent, and obviously marketed to an audience about 40 years younger. I saw it. I loved it. I'm so embarrassed. And I saw it in 2-D. Which was at least one D more than I needed. The idea of watching some of these scenes in 3-D . . .