Review of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) by Dylan D — 09 Oct 2014

The whole "pranking an unsuspecting public" thing is not really a genre I appreciate too much. It's kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. I mean, how do you expect people to react in these scenarios?

But something about the Jackass crew has always felt a bit different. Granted, I'm hardly speaking from a point of great Jackass knowledge--prior to Bad Grandpa I'd seen perhaps one and a half Jackass movies, and that was long ago. And I think a part of it is that I get the sense from Knoxville that he's presenting scenarios TO the public and not making fun OF the public.

And I think it is this distinction that allows for some truly beautiful reactions. Those moments where a human forgets to keep their mask on and allows the depth of their reaction to show on their face. It becomes so easy to relate to as a viewer since... well, an example:

The kid in the movie interacts with a guy walking by, and then tells him that he's his new daddy. And you can feel the conundrum the second it happens, the twitch as the guy just wants to turn tail and run, and yet the feeling that he can't just abandon a kid hanging out by himself. And it's not just that dilemma: it's the floundering about, wondering what he should do that any of us would feel in that same spot.

There's a sense of relief when you see someone's guard drop as they're thrust into an uncomfortable situation that they can't quite figure out how to deal with. We, as viewers, start to think that perhaps the crazy going on in our own heads isn't so abnormal after all.

I've really buried the lede here. The REAL reason Bad Grandpa is so great (although nothing I've said up to this point is at all invalid) is thanks to Jackson Nicoll, who plays eight year old Billy. He steals every scene he's in. His role creates an emotional tension that is crucial. While he's pivotal for the loose storyline running throughout Bad Grandpa, his innocence definitely takes the edge off of some of the more extreme pranks. And in several instances he carries it all by himself, such as the beauty pageant prank where he dresses as a girl and competes. Not many boys could pull that off, but he owns it.