104 - Jackass Number 2 review

I can understand sadism. Whether waiting in line at the DMV, catching snippets of Saved by the Bell reruns, or hearing someone say that communism is a swell idea, the desire to inflict pain is one that I am familiar with, if one I never act on. Masochism, on the other hand, escapes me entirely. Life already contains enough crushing disappointments and a never ending stream of crippling setbacks to offer enough pain for any man, but apparently not enough for Johnny Knoxville and his crew of professional masochists.

Jackass Number 2 continues the carefully planned adventures of these pain-loving stuntmen, who prove beyond the shadow of a doubt their dedication to destroying their bodies. Throughout the 95 minute running time, no more than a few minutes focus on any one segment; those with ADD will be satisfied as the stunts and pranks unfold almost as quickly as their medical bills. There is no deeper moral or message to worry about (For a moment I thought I picked up something about latent homosexuality, but then I lost it).

It essentially amounts to porn for those who like seeing others suffer and inflict suffering. The extremity of the film proves the utter worthlessness of the MPAA ratings system (though rated R, the film easily deserves an NC-17 within the first 15 minutes). As hideous and wince inducing as it may be to watch the crew take so many vicious injuries, their jovial, goofy demeanors make much of it look like a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

How many of us have the nerve to get in a rocket propelled shopping cart and blast out to sea? Very few, and despite the macabre nature and results of the stunts, they look like fun, which lets us off the hook and allows us to enjoy the grisly show.

If one could sit through this film without some form of wincing, then you might be a war refugee or possibly psychotic. For every uproarious stunt or prank, there exists one that wouldn’t be far out of place in a snuff film. Sure, maybe these guys are up to the punishment and degradation, but the sheer unpleasantness of watching one man shove a fish hook through his cheek, or watching another drink something I’m too embarrassed to describe here make it difficult to avoid the queasy realization that you’re witnessing something that no one should.

Jackass 2 does score some seriously huge laughs. Observe the segment where Adaptation director Spike Jonze dons a convincing old lady disguise and gets into a lewd situation, or the prank where one of the crew, disguised as a Islamic terrorist, has the tables turned on him by his comrades. At its best, these parts may be as, if not more memorable than the gross out moments.

Despite this, I find the film impossible to recommend to a wide audience. I can recommend it in the same way I advise my friends to have one more drink; it’s a great time, especially in the theater atmosphere, but something that will likely earn no small regret. I’ve never been so conflicted about what score to give, as both a 4.5 and a 0.5 would be equally valid. I’ll meet my impulses halfway and award a 2.5, though when the shock of watching a man drink fresh horse semen wears off, one of the other two ratings will stick. This truly exists for those willing to brave it.

Earlier I said that the film has no moral, but I may be wrong. After one of the crew has a lewd image branded onto his body (yes, branded with a hot iron), he shows his mother. Horrified, she asks the man who did the branding "Why did you do that?" to which the man simply responds "Because it was funny." It was, but it really wasn’t.

2.5 out of 5