I've heard many people expressing concerns regarding the gimmick that is 3D and it's application in Jackass 3D. I can assure you, such apprehension is unwarranted. Jackass 3D incorporates 3D effects brilliantly, and when combined with exceptional slow motion shooting, scenes can be both mesmerizing and vomit inducing at the same time.
Everyone is back. Steve-O looks disturbingly skinny, and I hope he's not back on his air duster/pcp binge. Johnny Knoxville looks quite a bit older as well, sporting a few grey hairs. It's clear hes lost a good deal of weight as well. Fan favorite Ryan Dunn is sporting one of the most epic beards I've ever seen. Unfortunately that too is never safe in the hands of the Jackass crew. Wee-Man has some of the most hilarious scenes in the film, usually sans Preston Lacy this time around in favor of supporting actors his own size.
Highlights include a skit involving a giant spring loaded hand that Knoxville and Wee-Man use to punish the other cast members. Wee-Man coaxes them by feigning a friendly high five, which no man can deny. Knoxville later tries his best to avoid the business end of a raging bull by blending into a cardboard cutout. Obviously he fails at the task, hilariously. Scenes like this put me on the edge of my seat. Ryan Dunn goes toe to toe with a pissed off ram, and is constantly being knocked over. Wearing no protection, he could have easily been killed if the ram chose to go literally head to head with Ryan after he had fallen to his hands and knees.
For those not in the mood to see a significant amount of male genitalia, Jackass 3D is probably not the film to see. Chris Pontius is not ashamed to spend the majority of Jackass 3D in the buff, using his manhood to engage in several recreational activites. These include such things as flying remote control helicopters, or playing a friendly game of baseball. At one point Jackass 3D chooses to censor Pontius' flailing member, only to remove the censor bar randomly during the slow motion, 3D enhanced scene.
Jackass 3D makes me feel sorry for theater employees. I know for a fact that a number of movie-goers were unable to hold down their lunches during several scenes. Steve-O takes a bungie ride in a porta potty filled to the brim with chocolate delight, and he clearly takes an unfortunate amount to the mouth and facial regions. The worst comes when Preston Lacy dons a 'Sweat Suit', aka saran wrap, with a funnel leading from his butt, to a glass meant for Steve-O's consumption. I've never puked while watching a movie, and didn't think this scene would phase me, but when Steve-O put the glass to his lips I almost lost it.
The only real complaint I have about Jackass 3D is that the boys didn't do enough takes of some of the better scenes. There were several gags that were great, but only had a few seconds of screen time. Previous films have shown several members of the cast taking turns punishing themselves under the same circumstances, but this is missing from much of Jackass 3D. This does allow for more stunts to be included overall, but I would have liked to see more of the really good gag setups. The final scene is amazing, and really showcases the 3D slow motion cameras used. This is probably where the cast spent the majority of the film's budget as well, but every second is worth it.
Sure some scenes are over the top, but I'll be damned if I wasn't left with some interesting subject matter to discuss with co-workers. Jackass fans have no reason to skip on this entry, and judging by the condition of the cast by the end of Jackass 3D, we may not see another.
