| |
|
well, this is what I wrote for the little paper I'm writing for:
An eighty-minute coda to the television series with no big-screen pretensions, Jackass: The Movie is a dose of lowbrow fun with a simple point: take nothing seriously. There's no plot, no structure; nothing but grown men submitting themselves and each other to humiliation and pain. And it's funny as hell. The ringleader is still Johnny Knoxville, charisma intact. The budget is bigger, but the funniest bits are also the simplest, no surprise to fans of the show. Some of the sketches really wallow in the mud, the surprise being that Jackass features more male nudity than any other major studio release in the last ten years. The squeamish and easily offended will find a lot to complain about, but what's new? Jackass feels like something that should be looked down upon, which is complicated by the fact that so much of the film is very, very funny. When Jackass isn't abusive or mean spirited it could almost be satire: the deflating of rich, American self-importance is dead-on, even if the Jackass crew don't know they're doing it. And when Knoxville is shot with a riot gun, it's hard not to think about all those recent anti-World Bank protests as he's writhing in pain. But occasionally the fun facade cracks, with Knoxville and Steve-O displaying a few expressions that say, "I can't believe I'm still doing this." The end of the film leaves no indication that there'll be more Jackass, with an appearance by Rip Taylor implying that if the crew continue, Jackass will be their own Hollywood Squares. It would be a little sad watching these kids grow up, if it weren't so much fun.
------------------
It's really just an example of the direct influence of film and television on one another. I loved that they didn't change the formula or try to make any big-screen concessions, and am amused that so many critics are ripping it on that point.
I loved the golf scene. I loved the old man stuff, particularly the scene where Knoxville, in oldman makeup, runs his motor-wheelchair to a stop in a crosswalk, directly in front of a honkin' big white Lexus SUV. The driver sits there, making no move to help him out. Perfect Americana.
But soe of the people watching everything seemed to be in on the joke, which made it work less well than the show. Dunno.
Oh, the alligators? Love it! |
|
|
