Jackass 3D

Jackass has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Viewing people hurting themselves over and over again may not seem like quality entertainment to some, but Jackass I have a special soft spot for. From the successful TV show - which sadly only aired for two years - to the feature-length movies - which were essentially just 90-minute long extensions of the madcap episodes - I've always loved watching the controversial antics of the death-defying daredevils.

After making two fun-filled theatrical releases, the gang of stunt-loving misfits decided it was time to take advantage of the new technology available -- namely, three-dimensional cameras. Hence, their new flick is entitled Jackass 3D, as introduced in a regrettably weak opening by the famous, sniggering cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-Head of MTV fame.

What follows is the far better, brightly coloured opening titles sequence, featuring the regular team of mega-dauntless nutters dressed up in silly outfits and being beaten up by various props - from giant fishies to a friggin' cannonball - all filmed in super-awesome slow-mo. As usual, Johnny Knoxville is running the show, with the rest of the crew equally taking part; Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña, Preston Lacy, Dave England and Ehren McGhehey.

Just like its two preceding movies, Jackass 3D has no discernible plot. Instead, it is filled with mischievous practical jokes played on bewildered members of the public - as well as the Jackass crew themselves -, crazily inventive stunts, and some grotesque, overall unsettling, vomit-inspiring moments. I swear I'll never step foot near a porta-potty ever again.

We have set-ups with creative uses for household items - a wheelbarrow and bottle of super glue come in handy -, several stunts involving dangerous animals - donkeys, rams, bulls and the such -, and the never-growing-tired running gag of uber-slow-motion shots of members of the gang unexpectedly getting splashed with water and then bashed in the face by a boxing glove. And it's all absolutely side-splitting.

What should be monotonous at a length of over an hour and a half is surprisingly not so; the film is edited in such a way that the repetitiveness of segment after segment never becomes tedious. Short, briefer stunts are mixed in with much longer and more elaborate pranks, each as hilariously preposterous as the last and next.

Johnny Knoxville's infamously naughty-behaved grandpa character is back, this time taking part in some public French kissing with the pensioner's own granddaughter. Steve-O does some truly sickening stuff with bodily fluids that your stomach will hate you forever for if you watch without turning your head from the screen. Bam Margera's phobia of snakes is toyed with once again, reducing him to screaming like a little girl once encountering the slithering serpents. And small dude Wee-Man has a bit of a brawl with some equally sized ruffians and public servicemen in an out-of-hand bar fight.

Director Jeff Tremaine returns from the previous outings to film the gang's third adventure into extreme vulgarity, his filming techniques only adding to the comical aspect of the 3D flick. He has a knack for brilliantly capturing the uproarious clowning around of the hyperactive thrill-seekers, this time using slow-motion to show every tiny movement of their crude frivolities. A personal favourite of mine is a moment when a dildo is fired through the air, through two miniature landscapes to smash through a glass of milk and smack Rick Kosick in the cheek. As the icing on the cake of this fabulously random segment, Rick has an apple placed upon his head. Genius.

Our troupe of adrenaline junkies are every bit as mad as they were before, bravely risking life and limb for the sake of our amusement. You really have to admire this group of men for what they do; they are a very likable bunch of guys who are fully aware of the stupidity of their actions. They may taunt and torture each other on a constant basis, but one can tell that they are great friends, aiding in the natural charm the Jackass franchise holds. I love 'em.

From drinking sweat, pulling a tooth out with a Lamborghini to getting the crap beaten out of them by rams and bulls while playing musical instruments, the Jackass team never seem to run out of ludicrous ideas. Jackass 3D is an absurdly riotous and self-indulgent piece of no-holds-barred entertainment that will have you both howling and puking in the theatre. Not even the cameraman could control his nausea.

9/10