There was a moment in "Jackass: Number Two" (a.k.a. "Jackass 2") involving perennially grinning daredevil Steve-O and a leech attached to his eyeball that made me think of something in the realm of dadaism. Maybe these "Jackass" movies are the grandsons of cinematic Surrealists Luis Bunuel and Salvadore Dali. Their 1929 collaboration, the short film "Un Chien Andalou," began with the image of someone's eye being cut open with a razor (fans of The Pixies will be quick to point to their song "Debaser" for further reference). At the Paris premiere, Bunuel even brought stones in his pocket to throw at the audience in case of an uproar. But there wasn't too much controversy, and the film went on to become a cult darling. It wasn't exactly the end of the world, but neither are the "Jackass" films.
2002's "Jackass: The Movie," wherein Johnny Knoxville and his merry men pushed the limits of bad taste like it was the 1970s all over again, either convinced you that Western civilization would drown in its own depravity or had you keeled over in your seat, laughing away 500 calories worth of guilty guffaws. No matter which of the two reactions apply to you, understand this: "Jackass 2" lives up to the cinematic adage of the bigger, better sequel. So prepare to have a heart attack either out of shock or awe, because there's no way you will be getting out of the theatre without some risk to your health.
"Jackass 2" outdoes the original in virtually every aspect despite the recurring lack of a plot or narrative thread that many say is what holds movies together, damn it! Well, you try not to laugh at the film's hysterical opening sequence, which buries the shopping cart carnage from the previous flick. Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, etc. are running for their lives as a stampede of bulls charges behind them, with a sample of Ennio Morricone's dramatic score from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" playing loud (one kid in the crowd heard the flamenco guitar and cried "It's Metallica!"). Some manage to evade being gored, while others, particularly poor little Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, have no such luck. Already two minutes into the movie, and the stakes are raised. By the time Knoxville welcomes you to the movie, a bunch of bulls charge him right out of a window. And that is not the half of it, bud.
Picture the most squeamish moments from the first film and turn them up to 11, and it's still not apt enough a description for what Knoxville and co. pull. You might recall how Knoxville and producer Spike Jonze were made-up like old men in 2002. This time, they go through a similar transformation, with Knoxville playing a vulgar grandparent who encourages a minor to drink in public and Jonze topping even that by playing an elderly woman who sports the most disturbing fake breasts since Lin Shaye's in "There's Something About Mary."
Bam still likes to laugh at the expense of his put-open mother (particularly when he switches her portly husband Phil for the equally corpulent Preston Lacy), but even he is not safe from trouble. Early on, Bam is branded like a cow and the resulting wound is perhaps the first vomit-inducing pay-off delivered. And his fear of snakes is exploited when one of his stunts unwittingly puts him face-to-face with a King Cobra. Even an anaconda turns up during one segment to give Knoxville not one, but three gory bites that damn near bleed him dry. Forget about that "Snakes on a Plane" bulls---, this is where the real fun is.
Nothing in Knoxville's admittedly short resume as actor, which includes the remake of "Walking Tall" as well as "The Dukes of Hazzard," seems to prepare him for the abuse he takes in this movie, primarily whenever there's a bull in his vicinity. If anyone doubted how far he will go in the name of physical comedy, they should wait and see the torment he puts himself through here, doing thinks likely to make many think the 35-year-old performer won't even live to see middle-age.
You could say the same about the rest of the group. Steve-O uses himself as shark bait by jamming a fishhook in his cheek, and later he's chugging beer rectally. Ehren McGhehey takes a blow to the head in a doorbell gag that may as well cause premature brain damage. I wouldn't be surprised if Chris Pontius starts feeling some serious crotch pain in the future given how he's introduced teasing yet another snake to strike out at his sock-clad penis. In fact, let's just say that if these guys try to up the ante for a third movie, they better have the best life insurance in the world.
What's further interesting is to learn that there is somewhat of a method to their madness. Aside from the Bunuel reference, there is also a segment that baldly rips off Divine's feces-eating shocker from John Waters' "Pink Flamingos." The next thing you know, Waters himself, who previously directed Knoxville in "A Dirty Shame," has a cameo dressed like a magician (also look out for another of Knoxville's director buddies, Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar, during one of the movie's most clever and repulsive extended pranks). Could the original Prince of Puke be passing the torch? Does Dave England crap in anything but a flushable toilet?
"Jackass: Number Two" suffers from the same moments of dead space that plagued the original (bits like "Medicine Ball Dodgeball" kind of stall the momentum). Lucky is it, however, to know that the sequel manages to find its true punk attitude. A running joke involves the ambiguously gay camaraderie between these men, which manifests itself in some of the gags. It also culminates in a left-of-center song-and-dance finale modeled after Buster Keaton, Busby Burkeley and "La Cage Aux Folles." The hetero-than-thou males in the crowd will likely scoff at the fairly broad homoerotic elements, but chances are that by the time Rip Taylor makes an encore appearance (and come on, alpha males, how can you not miss THAT), the true jackasses are not the stars, but everyone from the preening young man all the way to the most prudish moviegoer.
So, yes, it's true. "Jackass: Number Two" is even worse than "Jackass: The Movie." And more power to it. Three-and-a-half pitchforks out of four.
WRITER'S NOTE: Aside from perhaps being the year's funniest movie, Jackass: Number Two has an awesome soundtrack. The placement of song selections alone are some of the most inspired I've seen in some time, and I'm not just talking about the use of Morricone at the beginning. Geeks like me will smile extra wide when Johnny Knoxville's anaconda-wrestling bit is accompanied by Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer? (remember the movie "Valley Girl"?). Those who'll warm up to the movie's playful yet bold taboo-pushing ought to appreciate the uses of songs by techno-sleaze temptress Peaches (real name Merrill Nisker), which includes a collaboration with Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The last musical cue heard is that of alt-rock heroes The Replacements and their low-fi 1983 brat anthem "Treatment Bound," in which Paul Westerberg defiantly yells "Label wants a hit/And we don't give a s---!" "Jackass" forever!
John Bishop is an undergraduate studying media analysis and criticism. He can be reached at: john.l.bishop@asu.edu.
