In a tradition that hearkens back to the oft-romanticized gladiators of Ancient Rome, mankind has found simple, sadistic pleasure in watching men confront treacherous obstacles. Now, centuries after these armored slaves struggled for their lives against skilled swordsmen, ravenous lions and other exotic beasts to entertain a bloodthirsty crowd, the boys of "Jackass 3D" are making human pain capitalistic once more. But don't worry, folks: The fact that the "Jackass" crew members actually survive their "professional stunts and activities" gives audience members the right to raucous laughter in our warped society.
To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of "Jackass," the television series that ran on MTV from 2000 to 2002 and started a pop culture phenomenon, the "Jackass" crew is back with their third feature film to hit theaters. This time, sparked by the fad that followed the success of James Cameron's "Avatar" (2009), the screwball squad is in 3-D, meaning audience members will get an even better look into the tattooed troop's demented antics.
Truthfully, the fact that the film is in three dimensions barely adds any character to the film itself.
The one real advantage of the high quality footage is the focus of the slow motion scenes. In the previous installments of the "Jackass" trilogy, there have always been recurring sketches.
Oftentimes, a cast member dons a sock puppet and, to John Williams' ominous theme from "Jaws" (1975), proceeds to viciously smack a napping crew member in the face with the puppet. Next, the "Jackass" guys took their pranks to the next level, sneaking up to an unknowing victim with an electric razor in hand and scalping a large patch of the witless prey's hair as the "Psycho" soundtrack buzzed eerily in the background.
"Jackass 3D" conjures a new brutal gag and couples it with cinematic expertise. In slow motion, skateboarder and stuntman Bam Margera sidles up behind people with a glass of water in one hand and a boxing glove on the other. He proceeds to splash the oblivious party in the side of the face, causing his head to swivel in a reactionary spasm.
The target ends up leaning into impending doom: In a manner that would make Muhammad Ali cringe, Margera ruthlessly smashes his mark in the face. In these repeated instances, the multidimensionality of the film is truly experienced, as the ripples that reverberate throughout the victims' faces are seen in near-perfect clarity.
Yet "Jackass" is not solely about a couple of pugilistic hooligans beating the piss out of each other; director Jeff Tremaine and his crew of daredevils seek out more dangerous beasts. Between Preston Lacy lying vulnerably as a gargantuan hog snacks on an apple out of the crevice of his glutes, and Ryan Dunn and Steve-O playing brass instruments intent on aggravating a pugnacious adult ram, the guys definitely have their fun with farm animals.
Many critics write off the film as a prime example of the deteriorating state of American youth. For many, "Jackass 3D" represents stupid people doing insanely stupid things for the purpose of making stupid people laugh. Admittedly, there is an overabundance of moronic stunts in the film.
In one such instance, three grown men with metal buckets on their heads drive a solid golf ball off the wall of a squash court in order to inflict each other with welts the size of kiwis. But some of the stunts are the result of the stunt coordinators' pure ingenuity, like when Steve-O and Dave England play tetherball with a beehive swarming with upwards of 50,000 killer bees, clad only in bear hats and skimpy underwear.
Additionally, Dunn becomes a flying human target in the "Duck Hunt" segment, in which participants are rocketed over 20 feet in the air off an inflatable lake toy, each dressed in a duck costume. A boatful of Dunn's compatriots fire stinging paintballs at his open flesh as his hang-time accumulates. Clearly, creativity and idiocy are two standards for which the "Jackass" guys strive.
The most off-putting and uncomfortable aspect of the film, however, lies in its grotesqueness. Frequently appearing in the film are phallic images, excrement (human and other), farting and vomit — which, in turn, induces more vomit. Many scenes are difficult to bear, but once the repulsive clips end, audience members uncoil and return to laughing uncontrollably.
At the end of the day, "Jackass 3D" has grossed over $50 million in its first weekend for a reason. Americans love to laugh at people whom they deem stupid, and "Jackass 3D" provides an outlet for this that delivers hysterics.
