Jackass Number Two

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Tony Hawk, Spike Jonze, Jay Chandrasekhar, Luke Wilson, Mike Judge, Rip Taylor
Directed by: Jeff Tremaine
Rating: R
Comedy, Documentary
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Johnny Knoxville and his friends return to the big screen to perform a series of dangerous stunts and disgusting gags.

Review:

Tim: While I didn't really like the original Jackass, I found myself far more entertained than I had any reason to be. Since that was true, I was actually not all that disappointed that a sequel was made. I was interested to see what crazy stunts these guys would perform for this film. What I wasn't prepared for is that I actually liked this movie even MORE than the original. While it's still not a good movie, this is a rare sequel that improved its quality.

One of the big things I hated about the original film was any time a gag or stunt was performed that was meant to humiliate or upset some random person. I don't like meanspirited gags. However, if the Jackass guys want to prank and humiliate each other, I'm more open to that. I felt like this film did less of the humiliation pranks (at least toward non-Jackass-people) than the previous film, so I liked it more.

I also thought the guys did a good job of creating some new and interesting stunts. Whereas it could have felt like the well had run dry, this film presented some fascinating unique and disgusting stunts. The varied quality of them kept me interested throughout the film.

I was also even more impressed with Johnny Knoxville in this film. I'm not sure if it is drugs or addiction to pain or what, but he appeared fearless in this film. He is clearly the "leader" of the group, and I love how he treats that position with responsibility. He's always willing to put himself in harm's way for one of these stunts. That worries me, but I also respect him for it. He seemed fearless in this film, which was fascinating to watch.

Like they did in the previous film, the cast performs a whole host of different gags and stunts, most of which are in horrible taste and should not be viewed by anyone of impressionable age. This movie is just as stupid and awful as you would expect. It's also surprisingly funny and entertaining as well.

There are some very good scenes. The opening bull stampede was pretty well executed. Speaking of bulls, I am amazed Knoxville was willing to be speared by a charging bull- with a blindfold on. Knoxville also impressed me with his rocket scene at the end- that was legitimately dangerous. The terrorist/limo scene might not have been great, but it was certainly memorable. Unfortunately, the film also featured more abyssmal scenes of guys dressing as elderly people and doing absurd things. I absolutely hate those scenes. They are never funny and are awful to watch.

As you might expect, this is a film of people making horrible decisions and suffering greatly for our entertainment. This is not a good movie, and many people would be horribly offended by the contents of it. However, if you're willing to embrace the disgusting nastiness of the film, the Jackass guys do manage to entertain once again. While still not where it should be, I am impressed that Jackass Number Two actually improved upon the original. This may need to turn into a trilogy.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Jackass: The Movie, Jackass 3D