Review of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) by Cameron J — 16 Feb 2014

"Bad Grandpa" is a wonder of shock humor and makeup technique, but it fails to entertain as much as it wants or needs to.

The premise of Jackass' latest film is relatively simple: Irving (Johnny Knoxville, in Oscar-nominated makeup) is an 86 year-old whose wife has just died, and who is happy to be finally free to do what, and whom, he chooses. However, the inevitable happens and his 8-year-old grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll, a brave child actor) is dumped on him by his daughter, who is to be sent to jail, so Irving can take him to his bum father, a drug addict who only agrees to look after Billy because he will get paid $600 a month for it.

The film doesn't follow the story or the relationship between the characters too closely, instead settling for a 90-minute stream of sight gags, stunts, and penis jokes. The majority of them are hilarious, with one involving a quarter-ride at a store being the funniest of all.

When the gags are the center of attention, the film shines. The film is mostly documentary, with legitimate reactions from the public forming most of the movie. The film uses this to its advantage, including some very provocative, shocking, and revealing reactions, many of them people who did illicit things without knowing they were in a movie. Interesting.

A scene in which Irving visits a bingo hall and hits on the ladies there is one of the funniest of the movie and is one of the most fleshed-out scenes, showing Knoxville at his strongest and most charismatic. Another at a strip club during ladies' night is also quite hilarious, with one of the most obvious sight gags in recent history.

The in-betweens of the film tend to be not as hilarious. Unfortunately, most jokes involving Billy's character are less funny than disturbing, and one of them plain rips off "Little Miss Sunshine". Most jokes, however, are less questionable but more boring. The film doesn't seem to sustain itself throughout its whole run time.

Perhaps "Bad Grandpa" would have worked better if the writers had spent more time planning things out, or if it had included more unexpected stunts. Most jokes are overdone, or at least are predictable.

When the film surprises, however, it surprises on epic levels. I can't really recommend it, however, unless it's your type of movie. You know who you are.