Jackass 3D marks the tenth anniversary of the Jackass dynasty. From its modest beginnings as a controversial stunt show to becoming a hugely lucrative film franchise, the skater-punk goofballs willing to suffer extreme pain and embarrassment just for laughs have since surpassed 30, as well as a few tax brackets. Whether you think they’re youth-corrupting contributors to the decline of all that is decent and holy, or you find their anarchic, absurdist and amoral antics refreshingly unpretentious and cathartic, at least everyone who sees Jackass 3D will almost certainly agree: it’s disgusting.
After 10 years at it, these charming chums still have a few tricks up their sleeves. The use of super-slow-motion and, of course, 3D(!) add new depth to old tricks (POV of Bam’s junk, anyone?). It doesn’t hurt that their brand of slapstick has stood the test of time; from silent-era Three Stooges to the interminable America’s Funniest Videos to Youtube, Johnny Knoxville and his jolly band of buffoons manage to amuse with both the simplest backyard set pieces (an inflata-pool, a ramp, various implements attached to roller skates, and Melanie’s impossibly catchy “Brand New Key”) and the more elaborate pranks involving old-man costumes, heavy machinery or a scale model town with suspicious mountains. The thought and, dare I say, creativity put into such stupid skits is somewhat baffling.
In addition to the return of the original crew, the guys are joined by a slew of expected and unexpected guests. Spike Jonze, Phil and April Margera, Rip Taylor and Tony Hawk all make a welcome return. A little less foreseen (though no less welcome) are Rivers Cuomo, Seann William Scott and Will Oldham (?!) as, what else, a gorilla trainer.
As with all things Jackass, sometimes even the die-hards must avert their eyes. Some of the more scatological scenes can yield more gags than guffaws and a minor few of the stunts suffer from one-too-many-times syndrome. On the whole, however, the ridiculous stunts deliver, and the boys are as mindlessly giddy as ever. If one can believe it, the film with the port-a-bungee actually pulls off sentimental, as the swan song to the decade-long franchise closes with deceptively sweet childhood photos of each incorrigible jackass.
