Let's get one thing straight.  Jackass The Movie isn't a 'movie'.  Plotless and unrehearsed, it's 90 minutes of hair-raising and hazardous pranks and stunts that unashamedly ventures beyond taste and decency. 

Considering some of it involves the Jackass crew risking permanent damage to their most intimate body parts, it's no surprise this kind of stuff could not be shown on television.

Ringleader Johnny Knoxville leads the pack for the encore to the Jackass series, which promises a dangerous dose of stunts, pranks and parental abuse.  Favourites return for the final showdown - Party Boy larging it in his trademark thong, Phil Margera fearing for his life from son Bam and Steve-O dicing with death...as usual.

90 minutes isn't a lot of time to fit all this mayhem in and it's highly likely a heck of a lot of footage ended up on the cutting room floor.  While the television series has been a mixture of hit-and-miss stunts, the producers have wisely selected the sharpest tools in the box for a movie that accelerates from the start.

Bearing in mind that A) only this sort of thing happens in America and B) it's a bunch of guys getting their kicks from cheap thrills for your entertainment, there are the few occasions where you will wince so much, your eyes will water.  Even if you're familiar with the show, you cannot imagine just what lays ahead of the proverbial "Hi, my name is Johnny Knoxville!  Welcome to Jackass!".

One major difference is no censorship.  There's a lot of naked flesh (namely Chris 'Party Boy' Pontius), genitalia gags, excrement and as reliable as ever, a lot of vomiting.  Yes, the sketches are grotesque, juvenile, sick and outrageous (do you need any more adjectives?), yet these factors make this a dumbass of a funny movie.

There's simply too much to mention but amongst the most memorable highlights are the 'fireworks wake-up call', 'bungee wedgie', 'clipper cam', 'roller disco truck' and what is certainly saving the best till last, Ryan Dunn with a toy car and some lubricant.

Providing you're not afraid of watching unfortunate victims enduring paper-cuts in the most sensitive areas of their bodies and having their private parts electrocuted, you're in for an invigorating ride on this rollercoaster.  If your sense of humour and open mind doesn't stretch this far, move along nicely.

Most would believe there's only so much distance you can run with a concept like Jackass, but so very few have the imagination - if not, the balls - of Johnny Knoxville and his insane clown posse to go over the edge.  This movie is the mother of all Jackasses.  It's disgusting, painful and moronic - and all without a Hollywood budget.  Surely that qualifies for a few laughs?
(4/5)

Release Date: 11 August 2003