Hi, my name is Cameron J. Czaja, and welcome to The Legionnaire. Believe it or not, that’s the second time I’ve done an intro like that on The Legionnaire, as the first time was during the review for Jackass Forever (2022). Now, I will be reviewing the latest and last Jackass film in the franchise, simply titled Jackass: Best and Last. Honestly, I was surprised they even made another one given the cast members’ status in life, but in a weird way, this film was something that was needed in the franchise, though I’ll explain why.

If you read my review for Jackass Forever, then I won’t go into the full background of what Jackass (2000-2001) is about, as I already covered that in my review and hopefully you already know what it’s about: dumb people doing dumb stunts for laughs. In other words, imagine America’s Funniest Home Videos (1989-present), but it’s R-rated. In this film, we have the returning Jackass crew, including Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, Jason Acuña (aka Wee Man), Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, and Rachel Wolfson. One somewhat new member in this film is Jasper Dolphin’s father, “Dark Shark,” who made a brief appearance in the previous film but has become a full member in this film. Two members who are in the film only through archival footage are Ryan Dunn, who sadly passed away in 2011 in a car accident, and Bam Margera. While the latter’s absence is not tragic like the former’s, his presence is missed, though it’s understandable. To keep it short, Bam Margera has publicly struggled with alcohol and drugs, and his problems led to his departure from the previous production. He does not participate in the new material here, though archival footage allows him to remain part of this final look back at the group.

Now, I mentioned earlier that Jackass: Best and Last is a much-needed entry for the franchise because, as stated in the title, it is the last Jackass film in this series, at least with the established crew. They could’ve called it a day with Jackass Forever, and fans would’ve been content with that film being the final entry, but Jackass: Best and Last does something quite different from the previous films. That different element might either please or disappoint fans. Fortunately, I fall into the former camp.

What’s different about this Jackass film is that it’s formatted into three different parts, though not in chronological order. One part is old, unreleased archival footage that was deemed not safe to put on MTV, the channel where the Jackass series began. For example, the first stunt shown is Johnny Knoxville testing a cheap bulletproof vest, along with dirty magazines wedged between him and the vest, with a .38-caliber gun. Throughout the clip, there are words scrolling horizontally, similar to a news ticker, about how dangerous the stunt is and warning viewers not to attempt it. That clip, along with the other archived footage, serves as a precursor to Jackass as a whole. Another part features clips from previous Jackass films that were worthy of being brought back to the silver screen, and the final part is new material from the current cast. In other words, if Jackass were a band, this film would be like an album featuring unreleased songs, greatest hits from previous albums, and new singles.

While I still haven’t seen Jackass: The Movie (2002) and Jackass Number Two (2006), though I have seen various clips from them, I have watched Jackass 3D (2010), Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013), Jackass Forever, and now Jackass: Best and Last. I can say that the latter is probably the weakest traditional Jackass film I’ve seen, with the exception of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa because it wasn’t a traditional film in the franchise. Despite my latest comment, however, I will say that I had a blast watching this film, mostly because of the theatrical experience alone. During almost every scene in the film, I found myself laughing to the point where I was coughing just to catch my breath, which I honestly can’t remember happening to me in a movie theater before. Probably the last Jackass film?

Much like the previous Jackass film, Jackass Forever, it was hard to decipher a good Catholic message in this film because, honestly, I can’t wholly recommend that a lot of Catholics watch this film based on certain scenes alone. I believe the message I saw in the previous film was about how Johnny Knoxville and his crew were like Jesus and His disciples (just go with me on this), but instead of providing the Word of God, they provided laughter. Obviously, I am not putting those two missions on the same level, but the comparison I was making was about a group of people staying together around a shared purpose, and that message still translates here. To go beyond that, the Jackass crew, when they aren’t filming, seem to be there for each other and try to better themselves in their own personal lives. Steve-O, for example, was under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the timeframe of the first two Jackass films but has since become sober and has publicly shared his story in hopes of helping others. As I mentioned earlier, Bam Margera has struggled with similar problems, and his absence from the new material is a reminder that not every person’s path through addiction and recovery looks the same.

Another way of saying what I’m trying to say is that it’s important in life to surround ourselves with people who help us grow and stay out of trouble, much like the disciples supported one another as they followed Jesus. I watched Jackass: Best and Last with a close Catholic friend of mine, the same one with whom I saw Jackass Forever. Coincidentally, it was our eleven-year friendiversary, and this is a friend who has seen me through my highs and lows in life, and vice versa. As Catholic adults, it’s hard to maintain friendships on a daily basis. Heck, there are friends I haven’t seen in years whom I used to see weekly in my twenties, not because of being neglectful, but because life just gets busy. In a way, Jackass: Best and Last reminds me that it’s important to have friends in your life and also to distance yourself from those who may be a bad influence.

As I said with Jackass Forever, Jackass: Best and Last is a film that I would recommend only to certain people, and even then, I would put an asterisk on that recommendation. If you can tolerate physical humor involving nudity, bodily fluids, slapstick, etc., along with foul language, chances are that you’ll find enjoyment in this film. As mentioned before, I did find this film less enjoyable than Jackass 3D and Jackass Forever due to how much of this film was essentially a greatest-hits collection. Still, I enjoyed the laughs and the possible last outing from this cast. I say “possible” because how often does anything stay truly finished in this era of reboots and remakes? Hardly ever.