After downing a gallon of milk, Steve-O and his companions were strapped onto a carousel that reached ever-increasing speeds under paintball fire. Wave after wave of vomit flew through the air; after all, in “Jackass Forever” the group had decided to push the boundaries of good taste one last time. Accompanied by a noisy pyrotechnic finale, the whole thing finally led to a nostalgic ending.
“Jackass Forever” should mark the end of a franchise in 2022 whose pop culture significance has grown rather than faded over the years. Maybe also because even the Internet and the countless YouTube copycat channels could never really do anything to counter the troupe. It is obvious that “Jackass 5: One More Goes” does not come across as the REAL final reference and is not entirely free of commercial calculations. But after just a few minutes you remember why you still enjoy spending time with these guys so amazingly, even after all these years.
The legendary shopping cart stunt from the first “Jackass” film is getting a new edition!
Before the crew gets kicked in the face in the intro in a vernissage equipped with rolling band floors to Bonnie Tyler’s “I Need A Hero” in every way (or, alternatively, is transported into cacti in the most unpleasant way imaginable), “Jackass 5” opens with a scene that MTV quite rightly refused to broadcast at the end of the 1990s: Johnny Knoxville stands in a clearing and shoots himself in the chest with a revolver. He is wearing a protective vest and has stuffed some magazines under his T-shirt as an additional buffer. Nevertheless, after the stunt there is one thing above all: shaking your head in disbelief – and the relief that this hair-raising and stupid idea did not end in death.
There is more such unpublished material that was never broadcast at the time, either because it seemed simply unreasonable or because it posed too high a risk of being copied (such as Knoxville’s stair cushion stunt, in which he was transported down a flight of stairs in a cardboard box and suffered two herniated discs in the process). In addition, the follow-up film is made up of the greatest moments from previous cinema appearances and the TV series as well as specially newly filmed stunt scenes. Anyone who assumes that the group would now take things a little easier would be very wrong: Even in their advanced years, the “Jackass” boys are remarkably resistant to reason – fortunately!
The most brutal handjob in film history?
In fact, “Jackass 5” manages to seamlessly continue the insanity and disgust factor of its predecessors. Steve-O’s prostate examination in particular should secure a permanent place in the canon of the series’ most memorable moments in the long term. The basic idea is by no means new: the fact that a member of the crew brings in all kinds of objects has always been part of the core brand of “Jackass”. Consequently, the film is also reminiscent of the legendary “ass X-ray” of Ryan Dunn, who shoved a toy car up his ass in the first “Jackass” film – thereby provoking some of the most stunned facial expressions ever seen in an X-ray room.
This time Steve-O lets the magnificently coddled humanoid robot Larry shove his finger up his ass. A condom is put on the Tin Man to make it easier to slip, but Larry is then allowed to drag his finger through a jar of peanut butter – nice and crunchy, of course! And as if Steve-O hadn’t already screamed his lungs out enough, he also has to endure a handjob from Larry, which is as far from erotic as you can imagine. Unless, of course, you like having your penis crushed during lovemaking without any consideration for loss.
Steve-O is still laughing – but when Robot Larry starts his prostate examination, things change very quickly!
In any case, you can clearly tell from the newly shot scenes that “Jackass 5” is intended as the end of the series. The disarming enthusiasm with which the crew throws themselves into pain, humiliation and chaos one last time commands absolute respect. Poopies can have hyaluronic acid injected into their lips without anesthesia and then look like a failed Z-celebrity from a trash TV format. Zach, in turn, has to have his extremely sensitive nipple tattooed by Steve-O, who has been electrocuted. And it is absolutely understandable that Ehren would pull the ripcord after the “Escape Room from Hell” and literally take flight.
If you watch “Jackass 5” in the cinema, you should hope that the hall is filled to capacity, after all, the anarchic hit-and-miss humor develops best among like-minded people. You can look forward to the fresh material as well as the previously unreleased recordings. However, a little advice is allowed: It is better not to watch the previous films again immediately before going to the cinema. This seems obvious at first as preparation, but since “Jackass 5” devotes a considerable part of its running time to the highlights of its predecessors, certain signs of fatigue could set in. However, if the last encounter with Knoxville and Co. was a while ago, the nostalgic indulgence is definitely more enjoyable.
A farewell with crying and laughing eyes
If you left the cinema with wet eyes after “Jackass Forever”, “Jackass 5” finally seals the certainty: there will almost certainly not be a sixth part. Johnny Knoxville is asked twice in the film that this chapter marks the end of a journey that has shaped generations for decades. Both times he fights back tears with a big lump in his throat because he is aware that he too has to say goodbye to a central part of his life.
Experiencing Knoxville in this unusually vulnerable state gives the film an emotional grandeur. The realization that his time as a fearless stuntman is coming to an end is all the more urgent. At least since his momentous encounter with a furious bull in “Jackass Forever,” after which there can be no further head injuries, the physical limits have become obvious. If “Jackass 5” makes anything clear, it’s how much this collection of lovable goofballs has grown on you over the years – and how difficult it actually is to say goodbye.
Conclusion: With “Jackass 5: One More Goes” the franchise finds its worthy conclusion. The previously unreleased material sometimes causes disbelief, while the newly filmed stunts once again celebrate full-throttle folly with relish. The extended review may occasionally slow down the pace, but it is essential to the emotional impact. And when the end credits of “Shine A Light” by the Rolling Stones once again touch on the history of “Jackass,” every die-hard fan will probably be fighting back tears.