There’s a time and place for emotionally stirring, cognitively demanding, awards-worthy movies that tug at the heart strings and provoke profound thought. And there’s a time and a place for movies that show a robot giving Steve-O a rectal exam with a claw/hand lubricated in peanut butter. Like the three seasons and four movies of Jackass that have come before it, Jackass: Best and Last is certainly not the kind of sophisticated, high-brow entertainment many moviegoers gravitate toward, but those who scoff at the idea of yet another 90 minutes of grown men inflicting increasingly daring pain onto one another overlook the unexpected warmth this fifth and final installment has to offer.
Jackass: Best and Last follows the same structure as previous films, intercutting between on-set conversations and all kinds of wild stunts, skits, and pranks. To commemorate the purported conclusion of the franchise (and likely, in part, due to the Jackass crew’s bodies aging and not being able to tolerate the pain they once could), the new film fluctuates between old bits and new ones. This isn’t quite a Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 situation (i.e., a new movie that uses footage from old movies to buff out the runtime), but there is certainly less new material on offer here than ever before.
Unlike Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, Jackass: Best and Last’s integration of pre-existing footage fits nicely with the film’s broader themes. Again, some may roll their eyes at the idea that a Jackass movie could have anything that remotely resembles a theme, but the new film has a beating heart to admire, for those willing to listen to it.
Amidst the death-defying stunts and crazy pranks, Jackass has always had something to say about male friendship and chosen family. The bonds between Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Dave England, and others refreshingly lack the toxic masculinity all too often associated with friendships among men. Their clear love one for another bleeds through every moment of the film and makes pranks that would otherwise come across as mean-spirited feel surprisingly wholesome. Yes, we just used the word ‘wholesome’ to describe a Jackass movie.
Best and Last adds to the established heart of the franchise as the characters reflect on the end of an era. There are multiple moments in the film in which the audience can deeply feel the emotions of Knoxville and company as they conclude this era of their lives. Anyone who has gone through major life transitions across the lifespan will connect with the crew’s mixed emotions as Jackass comes to an end. There’s great sadness to sit with, while also immense happiness for the good times that were had. Never did we expect that Jackass: Best and Last would have such stark thematic parallels to Toy Story 5, but it certainly does. Both films emphasize the importance of holding onto the meaningfulness of the connections we share with others, rather than lament when these connections evolve or come to an end.
Anyone worried that Jackass: Best and Last is all heart and no harm should not be worried, however. Between the old bits and new stunts, the film overwhelmingly delivers all the mayhem and twisted creativity one would expect from a Jackass movie. The aforementioned robot rectal exam and an ‘escape room from hell’ are some of the highlights of the new stunts.
The mileage viewers get out of the old bits will likely depend on one’s familiarity with and exposure to them. Fans who have regularly revisited the Jackass movies or watched clips on YouTube over the years will likely not experience the shock and awe that those who have not seen these stunts for years and years will experience.
VERDICT: 7/10
If you’ve not connected with or enjoyed the previous Jackass movies, Jackass: Best and Last will almost certainly not change your mind. But those who have been in the grocery cart rolling off a steep hill with these guys for all these years will find that director Jeff Tremaine and company have made a fitting finale for a franchise that couches unexpected warmth in some of the wildest stunts you’ll ever see.
