Jackass Number Two (2006)

And here it is, the crowning achievement of that whole Jackass enterprise. The craziest, funniest, most inventive, most jaw-dropping example of that je ne sais quoi that made these bunch of fringe weirdos world-famous mainstream entertainers. This movie is like hanging out with your most obnoxious middle school friends except you’re also drunk and have access to dangerous wildlife. What puts this entry so far ahead of the other two, besides a general higher quality of stunts and gags, is the editing. Like the similarly transcendent Mondo Cane, the way this film goes from gross to hilarious to jaw-dropping to weird at a breathless clip is truly remarkable. I often wonder what Buster Keaton would think of this movie, if he were able to stop gagging long enough to consider the innovation on display. This is a masterpiece, absolutely one of the best comedies of all time. A

Jackass 3D (2010)

Not seeing this in theaters is still one of my biggest regrets. I honestly feel unqualified to give my opinion having only seen this in two dimensions at home, instead of in 3D with a wild crowd. All I can really say is that I’m glad this took the bigger approach of the second film, and that while I’m happy that Steve-O is now drug free, his sober lack of enthusiasm is a real bummer at points. B

Jackass: The Movie (2002)

The move from television to film must have felt mind-blowing and freeing at the time, but compared it’s two sequels, this film seems small-minded and hobbled by it’s commitment to prank show antics. These films are so much better when they focus on camaraderie among mad men instead of tormenting innocent bystanders, and the stunts in the sequels tend to be more innovative and exciting than what can be seen here. Still pretty fun, but it’s telling that in writing the climactic closing set-piece, they only went as far as “put something up someone’s butt?” C+