In a franchise first for MTV and Paramount’s Jackass film franchise, the latest entry, Jackass Forever, is officially “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 90% approval rating as of this writing. Since the first Jackass: The Movie was released twenty years ago the critical landscape has not only changed but the acceptance of the Jackass crews as pure-uncut Americana and comedy icons has been readily cemented. The first film in the series sits at 49% on the review aggregator, the only one with a “Rotten” rating. Jackass: Number Two from 2006 leaped to a 64% Fresh rating with Jackass 3 moving the needle only a little more to 66%.
Jackass Forever‘s 90% rating and “Certified Fresh” distinction puts it in a league of its own for the franchise, marking the series’ gross-out antics and feats of human strength/stupidity as pioneers in filmmaking. Be honest, when was the last time that you saw 1,000 frames-per-second cameras capturing the material presented in Jackass 3D and Jackass Forever? Things like a Dildo Bazooka launching a sex toy through glasses of milk and into the face of a cast member? Things like a bull propelling a man 15 feet into the air? Nowhere. You’ve never seen it anywhere else and you never will. It’s high time that Jackass was finally recognized for the trailblazing efforts in idiocy that it has made its gold standard.
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Awarding the film a 4 out of 5, ComicBook.com’s own Jamie Jirak said Jackass Forever “maintains the franchise’s hilarity and charm.” She writes in part: “While Jackass Forever doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s just as joyous as the films that came before. It’s full of non-stop laughs, charm, and love. If you’re able to see it in a theater, you absolutely should, because there’s nothing quite like the shared experience of laughing and cringing at the Jackass crew’s unmatched resilience and charisma.”
Jackass Forever features the return classic cast members from the series including Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Wee Man, Danger Ehren, and Preston Lacy. Newcomers to the franchise include Jasper, Rachel Wolfson, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Zach Holmes, and Eric Manaka.
Jackass Forever is now playing in theaters and is on its way to a healthy box office opening.
(Certified Fresh image via Rotten Tomatoes)