Michael Fairbanks
Jackass: Best and Last is not a traditional finale to a raucous stunt franchise. To invoke Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, “everything they are and everything they’ve done, has not come to this.” Early on, we catch up with Johnny Knoxville and Chris Pontius as they walk into their studio space to get things rolling. Knoxville, who cannot perform any major feats anymore after his body-crushing encounter with a bull in Jackass Forever, remarks upon how emotional making this final film is for him. Pontius follows that up by quipping that he’s not in touch with his emotions, and everybody cackles.
That moment comes to define this film. Best and Last intends to mix one final round of transgressive (not too dangerous) acts with a retrospective on this iconic franchise as a whole. The latter aspect might’ve shaped this into the series’s most emotionally moving installment had these guys decided to give us some insight into how the replayed bits occurred. Perhaps they could’ve even told the story of how this stunt troupe came together in the first place. Nah. Instead, the old clips are just peppered into a lukewarm group of pranks that still entertain, but feel like an underwhelming send-off. Perhaps that’s the point.
The film opens with a very early sketch in which young Knoxville shoots himself directly in the chest to see if his bulletproof vest will catch it. Everyone is petrified, including the editor who puts a “this is extra stupid” disclaimer throughout the entire clip. He miraculously survives, and Jackass, a cathartic use of suicidal free will, is born. Unveiling this very early sketch feels reflective in an exciting way, and we quickly go back to business as usual.
Most of the antics in Jackass: Best and Last are more gross than dangerous. These guys have probably all received frantic medical advice to do as little damage to their bodies as possible and are no longer at the age to ignore it. So, we’re treated to sketches involving laxatives, swallowed ping pong balls, and suspended ass-smelling. A whole lot of butt stuff, really. Some of them seem sad that this is all coming to an end. Steve-O in particular seems hellbent on being the standout star, which he remarkably claims has never happened in the franchise’s history (going to have to disagree with him there). Others, particularly Ehren McGhehey, seem more than ready to run out of the circus tent. He repeatedly says, “This job sucks,” and after going through the film’s worst ordeal, literally sprints out of the studio in revolt. Since these bits are shown to us out of order, I have to wonder if that was his final moment in the fold with these guys.
I will remark that the series of previous bits shown throughout Jackass: Best and Last will likely hit harder for those who haven’t seen them in a while. I recently attended a theatrical American Cinematheque marathon of Jackass 1-4, so to me, it was just another opportunity to watch an audience react to them. However, that lack of nostalgia for these clips made the laziness of the whole endeavor a bit more apparent. Even if they don’t have more behind-the-scenes footage, I don’t understand why they didn’t conduct interviews with the guys about each of these stunts that have made them legends. I would’ve loved some insight into what was going through their minds as they barely held onto makeshift rockets or launched themselves in the air inside a poop-filled porta-potty. It would’ve lent a sense of finality to the film that it is only half interested in exploring.
Perhaps Johnny Knoxville was the only one of the troupe who was interested in approaching Jackass: Best and Last from an emotional perspective. Even he only gets a couple of moments to do so, yet they are easily the most moving parts of the film. Everybody else seems to be trying to escape the fact that they’ll never do this again. Perhaps if they just keep hurting themselves and laughing, their bodies will build up callouses that could allow Jackass: Just Kidding to come out in a couple of years. That’s just not possible. It’s annoying to watch them lampshade Knoxville’s outpourings when they do happen. I know that most Jackass viewers might’ve been bummed out by injecting a sense of melancholy and consequence into this. Without it, it lacks resonance as an ending.
Nevertheless, it is enjoyable enough to watch these guys take their ailing bodies for one last spin. While it may not be as shocking as previous outings, the camaraderie does still shine through and give us some laughs. It all leads to an ending gag that re-creates a classic moment, but instead of bodies being put on the line, the big moment involves dummies and a large explosion that the cast stands at a safe distance away from. That encapsulates Jackass: Best and Last. This is a fraught and existential scenario for all of these guys. They’re only willing to get so close to what that means to them. Perhaps someday we will get a proper documentary about Jackass (it would technically give you one more film, guys, just saying), and it’s a testament to the amazing work these guys have done that I’m even still interested in hearing what they’d have to say once they have the words. In the meantime, we’ll have to be content with butt stuff.
