by Rhian Hibner
Daily Lobo
I think my IQ just dropped a few points.
"Jackass Number Two" is a bit like a train wreck. No one wants to see it, but sometimes it's impossible to look away. Much like its predecessor, the film is exceptional only for its inexplicable ability to fill movie seats.
There is no plot. There is no script except for a rather annoying musical routine at the end of the film, which features even more abuse to the various cast members. The entire film is a long string of disconnected episodes, all of which feature one of the cast members being injured, disgusting or, quite frequently, both at the same time.
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Bam Margera takes a disproportionately large amount of abuse throughout this film. One might almost feel sorry for him, except for the fact that it is completely voluntary.
Normally, when reviewing a movie, it's customary to remark on a particular actor's abilities. In this case, it is easy. They don't have any ability. "Jackass Number Two" is the functional equivalent of a second-grade play on nutrition, only here, instead of dressing up like vegetables, Johnny Knoxville and company dress up like naked elderly people. Instead of short little skits on the importance of healthy eating, they highlight how drunk one can get from a beer bong if you don't use your mouth to imbibe with. Think lower down and dirtier. Come to think of it, a second-grade play at least requires the actors to behave like children, rather than animals. Comparing the two isn't really fair to the second-graders.
Out of this entire misanthropic mess, there were a couple slightly redeeming moments. These moments did not make up for the rest of the movie - not by a long shot - but they were just enough to keep the average viewer from gouging his eyes out. For instance, toward the end of the film, Johnny Knoxville, straddling a large rocket, shoots himself about 70 feet in the air and into a lake. In another skit, Margera runs to the top of a small skate ramp, turns around, sighs resignedly, and proceeds to skate down at high speed, slamming face first into a Plexiglas barrier directly in front of the camera.
It is unfortunate the cast of "Jackass" feels it necessary to resort to toilet humor to try to make people laugh. It really is quite skilled at slapstick. The most amusing moments in the entire film appear when the various cast members are beating on each other or launching at high speed into solid objects.
Rockets are often involved.
If "Jackass Number Two" had comprised purely physical humor, it still would have been stupid. But it also would have been funny rather than incredibly disgusting.
Out of the entire film, there are roughly 10 minutes of good material. Sitting through the other 85 minutes really wasn't worth it. Those who don't appreciate scatological humor should probably avoid this one.
Pardon me while I go scrub my eyes with bleach.
Grade: D
