BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
I did not expect much going into this movie. I’ve seen some of the Jackass movies and thought they were okay. I saw the first one in the theatre and laughed my ass off. I saw the second one on DVD and didn’t laugh much at all. I skipped the third one, but I’m not sure if I saw it or pieced of it or not. For some reason (MONEY!) they put out “alternate versions” with extra footage or “the stuff we couldn’t show you in the REAL movie”. I don’t know if I saw 2.5, 3, 3.5, 1.5, or what… I just know I saw too much. Rich kids dressing like poor rock kids doing stupid shit for laughs on camera got old. There was nothing inventive or “punk rock” about it. The early Jackass stuff felt “punk”, the later stuff felt forced and douchey. But it’s been years. I’ve not sat down with Jackass in a while. So I said “fuck it” and just went with this movie. I’m glad I did. It’s not what I expected… at all. It’s not just random clips. There is actually a narrative here! It’s a lot like Borat or a Bruno. Johnny Knoxville plays a grandpa character who is stuck looking after and transporting his grandson on a trip. There is a theme and narrative to this as they have an end objective. The scenes themselves are more in tuned with the old Jackass style. In character, grandpa and grandson go out into the world and just screw with real people. That’s how it’s like Borat or Bruno, but that’s where it ends. Those movies are just like big middle fingers to the world and people’s ignorance. That’s all good with me and I’m supportive of that, but Bad Grandpa isn’t trying to prove anything. It’s not trying to point out how dumb people are or how society isn’t accepting everyone as much as they should. It’s just about a grandpa and a grandson, who mayo r may not love each other, going out there and causing a scene where ever they go. It sounds substance-less, but that’s where it gets me. Even in this strange experimental format of a movie, they find a lot of heart and sentiment in the mix. They really pulled it off. This kind of movie could have easily been a big lame bore or an obnoxious Jackass cash-in. It’s not. It’s something different and something better. I’d love to see Johnny Knoxville do more of this kind of stuff. I’d not be against seeing more of “Irving” and I’d be totally open to him trying other characters. If they can pull off finding the heart in the madness then I’m all in. A-
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