For as dumb and insipid as they can be, the Jackass crew always seems to put a smile on my face. Yes, some of their skits are beyond juvenile and the stunts they perform are beyond idiotic, but there is a distasteful glee about them that is hard to resist. Perhaps it was because they were doing something obscenely taboo, but I’d like to chalk this up to the undeniable camaraderie that can be found within their stunts. Even if they were assaulting one another with pranks, the Johnny Knoxville lead crew always seemed to enjoy the lunacy they concocted together. This can be clearly seen in the television show and subsequently the two films based around the gang’s dangerous exploits. Obviously the body of work that Knoxville, Steve-O, and company have assembled shows an extreme amount of pain threshold, but their behavior can be simply described as stupid shit you do with your friends. Granted, the things they do involve human destruction and copious amounts of the male genitalia, but nonetheless,it's idiotic behavior you’d only do with your friends without feeling an ounce of shame.
This is a perspective that took me many years to acquire. After all, I usually just tuned in to Jackass to see a cavalcade of idiots act stupid because for the shows run, I was a teen behaving stupidly. Obviously I could relate to their antics. Now, a year after graduating from college, I finally see the ridiculousness of Jackass is merely a stage for an undeniable social bond. With all of the absurdity that pops up into Jackass 3D, this is the most important thing that I took away from a film that is quite unimportant on the surface level. Per usual, Jackass 3D replicates the format found in the television show and the two previous films. It’s broken up into short vignettes that has each stunt introduced by the idiot or stunt man who’s about to perform the unimaginable. The stunts themselves last for merely a few seconds, or minutes, but the buildup seems excruciatingly long for the participants, which director Jeff Tremaine plays up to keep the audience’s jaw agape. It works quite well here as we try to fathom what these men are about to do. The anticipation though also backfires on the film in some segments simply because the buildup doesn’t justify the stunt it precedes.
This is quite disappointing considering the history of the Jackass crew. When Jackass first reached the multiplexes, each of the gags seemed to be amped up to a ridiculous level. The same can be said for its sequel, but in this film, some of the gags don’t seem as extreme. More specifically, the gang just seems to be playing it safe, which is obviously something these men won’t dare to accept. Don’t get me wrong, there are some thrill and vomit inducing bits in the film that seem as fresh as the shit these guys cover themselves in, but at times some of the dangers seem to be retreads on prior stunts or ones lessened to make up for the guy’s aging bodies. It’s still funny, but the shock has warn off for some of the film’s big moments, and the use of 3D doesn’t help the retreads by any means. With 3D being the ultimate money maker, it disappoints me that the Jackass frat decided to use it. Honestly, I felt the 3D was nonexistent in the film and truly didn’t enhance any of the film’s moments. It was more or less just there, much like most films that attempt to cash in on it.
But, as alluded to earlier, there is a budding sense of camaraderie that is simply hard to resist in this film. For me, seeing these guys make poor judgments wasn’t the most impressive thing. Sure, it was funny and gave me a good chuckle, but it’s the moments that Jeff Tremaine focused on after the stunt was done that moved me. The ability for Knoxville and his troupe of psychos to laugh giddily despite their pain, and give their buddies a high five or some welcoming praise is enjoyable to watch. I felt like the relationships on screen were reminiscent of the ones I possess with my friends. It’s through these relationships that our behavior knows no bounds and are fulfilling no matter how silly our acts may be. It was this aspect of the film that left a smile on my face from beginning to end. The Jackass guys seemed to understand this as well. Jackass 3D closes with pictures from the gang's past, and a song that more or less touches upon the memories they have shared together. Even though their bodies didn’t seem game enough for their stunts, their hearts understood the significance of their debauchery.
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