Jackass 3
Paramount Home Video
Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O
Extras: Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Featurette
Rating:
'The Godfather'. 'Lord of The Rings'. 'Toy Story'. These are just a few examples of trilogies that have provided a memorable arc of storytelling and defined how great a trio of films can be. On October 15, 2010, 'Jackass' attempted to add itself to the list of great trilogies… minus the storytelling, drama, character development, cinematography and special effects. These guys prefer to keep it simple with creative stunts, brass balls (at least they think their balls are brass by the way they are treated), and a whole lot of poo. The film exploded into theaters with the added gimmick of 3D technology, but hits Blu-ray in glorious 2D (and a less advanced 3D option). Johnny Knoxville and crew may be four years older since their last film, but you would never know it by the way they act.
There isn't any type of plot. If you aren't aware of the concept behind 'Jackass' by now, there are far deeper issues you need to deal with rather than read this review and see if you'll like the film. After a brief introduction by Beavis and Butthead, the crew is on display for the opening credits. The introductory scene obviously took full advantage of the 3D effects theatrically with a colorful display of confetti, water, and other various items exploding and drifting into the audience. Fortunately, the 2D version is just as effective. There may not be items shooting off of the screen, but the colors on display look great in 1080p. During the intro, the usual characters (Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Bam Margera, Wee-Man, Preston Lacy, and more) are hit and punched as a slow-mo camera captures every ripple of skin absorbing the impact. This all sets the film up for the fun one would expect. With stunts like 'Beehive Tetherball', 'Lamborghini Tooth Pull', and Steve-O's update to the 'Poo Cocktail', the guys almost guarantee to get a laugh, squirm, cringe, or gag out of anyone who sits down to watch what they put their bodies through. I honestly didn't notice much difference between the Theatrical and Unrated cuts, so either option will entertain those who give this disc a spin.
'Jackass' used to be my wind down show. I would watch it on MTV late Sunday evenings as a fun farewell to the weekend. The stunts and gags always helped distract me from the work week that was looming in my near future. Having seen all of the features in the theater, I was certainly intrigued by the addition of 3D to the Jackass repertoire. The downside to the gimmick is that it isn't utilized in every stunt. While this is great for the 2D translation on Blu-ray it is a bit disappointing since the extra dimension was a selling point. There are certain times where they are obviously catering to the 3D, while a lot of the movie comes across as a good ol' 2D stunt. Given that the 3D scenes are limited; this may be why there isn't a 3D Blu-Ray version of the film available. Either way, the movie is a fun trip down memory lane for those who have spent more than a decade with the 'Jackass' and 'CKY' crew.
Typically when multiple sources for a film is used, the quality is very up and down. With 'Jackass 3', the 1080p transfer looks good for the most part. Obviously, it is important to see the stunts, but there isn't going to be much post-production on this to get things just right. The colors really look good on 'set' scenes. The intro and closing both look amazing with color highlights scattered throughout as well. There is never a question what is happening onscreen, some scenes just don't look as sharp due to the different styles of camera.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound may surprise a few people. Given all that happens onscreen, it is easy to forget how much music is used in this series. When the music is rocking, your sound field will too. The results aren't reference quality, but do a great job balancing the dialogue, gagging, slaps and taunting. Paintballs whiz around, as do bees, but it is when the jet engine enters the picture that things really step up a notch. Of all of the things on this release, the sound is certainly the most pleasant surprise.
When i saw 'Making Of' (28:39) was with MTV, I thought it would be a fairly weak featurette, but it was surprisingly open. It is an uncensored footage with various members of the cast and crew explaining how much prep work goes into stunts and how the 3D process made its way into the feature. 'Deleted Scenes' (16:05) combine stunts that weren't performed in the final cut and some of the featured stunts with different participants involved. When alternate/early takes are shown, we realize how much pain these guys go through before everything finally goes as planned. There are 11 deleted scenes that give you the option to play them all together or individually. The 'Outtakes' (27:37) are basically a combination of the previous two features. While it does show a lot of new footage, it also gives a fresh look at some of the stunts seen in the 'Making Of' and 'Deleted Scenes'. The film's 'Theatrical Trailer' (1:31) is also included along with D-Box Motion code technology for those who have the home theater and desire to watch this film with a little something extra. All features are presented in 1080p and are identical to the feature film in terms of quality.
This release is a combo pack. The DVD comes with a 3D version of the Theatrical Cut of the movie and four pairs of 'Jackass' inspired anaglyph 3D glasses. As with most versions of 3D that are released this way, the colors are washed out and the extra dimension does little to impress at home. With the lack of a 3D Blu-Ray release, this is all fans have to look forward to for now. I would recommend sticking with the high definition 2D version.
'Jackass 3' is exactly what I expected – a bunch of fun. It amazes me that these guys (some of whom are now in their late 30's) have not only been able to hold up after all of these years, but continue to amaze people with insane stunts. I was glad to see that they didn't hang their hat on the 3D technology, rather use it to expand what was already planned. There are great extra features which extended the experience for fans and the overall presentation is very nice. This review comes with a warning though. Be careful with what you eat and drink during this movie. Knowing that there are a bunch of men gagging, puking and drinking 'Sweatsuit Cocktails' may have you think twice about snacks while this feature is on.
