MOVIE REVIEW - "Jackass 2"

"Jackass" was a television show on Mtv that involved a group of young men doing a bunch of really stupid stunts that frequently resulted in pain, humiliation, or plain ol' gross-outs.

One day, they decided to make a movie. They called it “Jackass: The Movie.”
One day, they decided to make another one. This one they called “Number Two,” which is disgustingly appropriate. I just call it “Jackass 2.”


Story.
There is no damned story.
This is just a bunch of guys, many of them professional skaters, who have gotten pretty good at taking and dishing out pain and pranks.

These pranks and stunts range from the funny (little person and obese person dressed in Sumo-gear, chasing each other) to the inane (putting leeches on their soft tissue) to the uber-disgusting (dude takes a dump in public).

Those examples are from the first movie.


Acting.
This movie is a mixture of acting and reality. Call it reacting.

That’s rather appropriate, too, actually. Not all the stunts are well thought-out and not all participants are perfectly willing. Sometimes they’re taken by surprise – like with a kick in the nuts.

Johnny Knoxville, Bam, Steve-O and others ham it up, sometimes, which qualifies as acting, but there are some honest reactions – like the frequent moments of regurgitation by cast and crew members.

They’re sometimes afraid to do certain stunts, which obviously and honestly result in blood, bruises, and other bodily injury.


Storytelling.
These guys ham it up, like I said. They do a pretty good job, though, of laying out the stunts, building a bit of anticipation, and then following through with what usually turns out to be high-level, low-brow entertainment.

Bam Margera, for instance, often plays pranks on his parents, whom he refers to by their first names – April and Phil. After a while, you get to know these people (or at least the 2/3rds of them that are ham-free).

Some of the pranks and stunts are highly elaborate. As their income has increased, so has their budget and the complexity of some of the skits.

I wouldn’t have believe it possible, but this has also lead to bigger laughs and bigger gross-out moments. I laughed until and beyond the point of abdominal pain. I nearly threw up on several occasions. The retch reflex was so much more intense in this movie than in the previous one.


Recommended?
Yes… IF your brow is low enough, then this nasty-ass movie is for you.
Not… if you are quick to go “ew,” then you’ll either waste your time, embarrass yourself, or both, by going to see this movie.

I hope you go, anyway, though. You’ll either be one of the folks I’ve seen who have to get up and leave… or those who lose their lunch in the theater.