Ever since 2000, the Jackass gang have been putting themselves in harm’s way for our entertainment. Led by the charismatic Johnny Knoxville, they’ve had a very successful television show and now have five hilarious films released over the years. What really works well for the films is the variety of stunts they’re willing to carry out, whether it be inflicting pain on one another, nature bringing the pain, or just downright idiocy involving various bodily fluids.
They range from quite basic to incredibly elaborate, and my challenge was to narrow it down to the 10 best stunts across the four films released so far, before the fifth one releases this week. Others indeed have different favourites, but that’s the great thing about Jackass; there are so many performers, each with their own strengths, who deliver the goods.
Here are some honourable mentions before I get stuck into the main list:
– Wee Man was tricked on the electric stool in Jackass Number Two
– The fart mask in Jackass Number Two
– Sweat suit cocktail in Jackass 3D
– Musical chairs with Wee Man sent flying in Jackass Forever
– Danger Ehren taking the cup test in Jackass Forever; punch from a UFC fighter, softball pitch, hockey puck and pogo stick!!
Now for the main list. These are ranked on a combination of how funny they are, the danger involved, and how outright gross they are.
10) Pin the tail on the donkey – Jackass 3D
Not the only encounter to feature Danger Ehren against an animal on this list, it’s one of the simplest, but it always raises a laugh as Ehren shakily moves towards the donkey, wearing nothing but a protective cup. The donkey cracking him right on the sweet spot is the icing on the cake.
9) Riot control blast – Jackass Number Two
Safe to say the trio of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn might just be the most insane of the whole gang, and this one might prove it. With barely any protection, they stand and take a blast from a riot control device, sending them writhing on the floor and developing ridiculous bruises that must have made moving the hardest thing possible.
8) Closing dance – Jackass Number Two
The second film closes with a major dance sequence with all the gang involved. Not only does it feature a catchy tune, but there are also various ways they get picked off throughout, from Bam and Dunn being dragged by a horse to Knoxville taking a hit from a wrecking ball. It signalled just how big they were willing to go and closes the film out magnificently.
7) Steve-O attaches a leech to his eyeball – Jackass Number Two
The gang are no stranger to messing with nature, Steve-O in particular. The fish hook stunt from the same film nearly made the cut, kicking a shark in the head, meaning he didn’t get his foot bitten off, but watching him attach a leech to his eyeball is next level. The screams that ensue make you feel the pain yourself and provide the franchise with a true lookaway moment.
6) Knoxville’s last rodeo with a bull – Jackass Forever
There’s something quite beautiful about watching the leader take a major hit from a bull. It’s heavily featured throughout the franchise, but this one is the absolute best. Not only does he take such a big hit that he spins a few times in the air before being knocked out on the floor, but it’s also led to Knoxville being told he can’t take hits for his own safety anymore. Watching the man get emotional about it all in an interview was a testament to his dedication to the cause.
5) Golf course airhorn – Jackass: The Movie
Probably the most childish choice on this list, watching some of the gang blow airhorns from the bushes as golfers are trying to tee off raises a big laugh from me. It’s the reaction from the golfers themselves that makes this, the moment they start firing balls into the bush, utterly hilarious.
4) Ehren’s bear encounter – Jackass Forever
This might be the most genuine I’ve seen any of these guys fear for their lives. Danger Ehren being strapped to a chair drenched in honey with lumps of salmon dropped on him should have raised concerns from the man, but I don’t think even he expected a bear to walk through the door. As the bear approaches, you see him freeze, with ultimate panic then setting in when the bear makes a move for his hand before burying its head into his crotch area for the salmon. In classic Jackass fashion, the rest of them are next door watching and laughing their heads off at a man on the verge of tears.
3) Poo cocktail supreme – Jackass 3D
An ode to one of the earliest stunts in Jackass lore, Steve-O finds himself locked inside a portable toilet and catapulted into the sky. Obviously, the toilet is full of poo, and he’s quickly covered from head to toe, spewing up repeatedly until released from the box. It’s easily one of the grossest stunts they’ve ever done, which is saying something!
2) High Five – Jackass 3D
Sometimes the simplest thing can be the funniest, and that is very much the case with the high-five stunt. A giant open palm released to smash into unaware oncoming members of the gang offers some of the funniest moments. Ehren getting covered in soup is funny enough, but Bam disappearing out of shot after getting clattered by the hand is gold. Knoxville’s laugh absolutely makes it.
1) Terror Taxi – Jackass Number Two
This has to be the most elaborate setup for any of the stunts in Jackass history. Ehren thinks he’s going to prank a taxi driver by wearing a fake bomb strapped to himself; however, the tables are turned when, without Ehren knowing, actor Jay Chandrasekhar is the driver and pulls a gun on Ehren, demanding he get in the trunk. You can sense the fear in Ehren’s voice as he genuinely thinks he’s being kidnapped and potentially worse. To make matters worse, once he’s freed from the trunk and realises it’s a prank on him, it’s revealed that the fake beard he’s wearing is made from a collection of the cast and crew’s pubic hair – one of whom has crabs. It’s the crowning glory of these films and one they probably won’t ever top.
jackass: best and last is in cinemas from June 26th.
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