Review of Jackass Number Two (2006) by Brett H — 25 Jan 2012

(from The Watermark, 10/19/06).

If you're in the mood for hyper-hetero fare, then the Jackass movies offer more than their fair share. Both the original Jackass: The Movie and the recent sequel Jackass: Number Two are fascinating studies in the reckless stupidity of the straight male mind.

On the surface, it's a just a bunch of stunt guys skateboarding into concrete, wrestling anacondas, and hurling themselves at ceiling fans -- slapstick meets reality TV. But you can't ignore that, for all of their well-displayed macho bravado, these boys are basically hanging around mostly naked, attaching electrodes to their private parts, shooting bottle rockets out of their butts, drinking horse semen, and shoving toy cars up their asses. I'm not saying they're closet cases or anything, but there's more than just a little homoerotic subtext in their frequent use and abuse of genitalia and the communal glee that is derived from it.

The sequel isn't as fresh as the first, though it is certainly grosser and more disturbing. Watch for cameos from camp kings Jon Waters and Rip Taylor, and a particularly interesting finale -- a big production number of Jerry Herman's The Best Of Times from La Cage Aux Folles. Hmmm... makes you think.

I laughed at parts of the Jackass series, but I wasn't proud of myself. And I felt like I had been robbed of a few IQ points afterwards.