It's chic to say, but I have to: 3-D movies are stupid. 3-D was cool the first time you went to Epcot. When you were six.
Generations of audiences, all the way back to 1922 when the first 3-D feature was shown, have seemed to realize it's just a gimmick (or trick) fabricated in a Hollywood studio so they can charge more money for an inferior product - lets face it. Ours hasn't quite caught on, yet, and might never.
But what's more stupid than 3-D movies (other than those goofy glasses you have to wear to see them)? A Jackass movie in 3-D.
And that's why it works.
Jackass is gleefully brainless, its cast of characters equally perverted, and channeling your inner immaturity is crucial to enjoying the film. Some would call it a classic guilty pleasure, but I'm unashamed - seeing a guy willfully get hit in the nether regions by a baseball is entertaining.
I don't want to spoil anything, so the plot rundown will be short, mainly because there really is no plot. Plus, I think people know what they're getting when they sign up for a Jackass movie - plenty of puke, peril, profanity and more full-frontal than a Brett Favre text.
What I will say is, taken as a whole, the quality of the stunts is a little better this time around. There's nothing quite as gross as Johnny Knoxville drinking horse semen, easily the highlight (or lowlight) of Number Two, but the final stunt, which involves bungee cords, Steve-O and a port-o-potty, comes pretty close.
The 3-D is pretty much unnecessary, not surprisingly adding little more to the stunts than the effect that gross excrements are flying at your face. At the same time, unlike most other 3-D movies, it doesn't deter from the experience at all.
Jackass 3D made $50 million its opening weekend on a measly $20 million budget (although it's hard to see how this movie cost anywhere near that much to make), without a doubt helped by the 3-D ticket surcharge. To put that into perspective, it's the highest debut weekend for a movie opening in October. Ever.
So like it or not, a group of guys running around being jerks is a very profitable business venture, and Jackass movies are here to stay as long as Knoxville and Co. are willing to keep being our favorite masochists.
I'd recommend not to fight it, but just to enjoy. It's not much different than looking up silly videos on Youtube; you just get to pay $8 to do it.
- Cameron Dunbar is a sophomore studying journalism. He wrote 'Jackass' six times in this review. Call him one at cd211209@ohiou.edu
3 Culture
Cameron Dunbar
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PROVIDED
REVIEW
Movie: Jackass 3D
Directed by:Jeff Tremaine
Rated:R for male nudity, extreme crude and dangerous stunts throughout and for language
Where:Playing at Movies 10, Athena Grand
Three out of four stars
