In “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”, star Johnny Knoxville doesn’t attempt daredevil stunts with his buds as he did on the TV show and in previous film installments (including 2010’s highly-successful “Jackass 3D”). Instead, Knoxville is “Bad Grandpa” – 86 year-old Irving Zisman. There’s a ridiculous and irrelevant plot, involving Irving having to take his 8-year-old grandson, Billy (played by Jackson Niccol, who co-starred with Knoxville in last year’s Halloween disaster “Fun Size”), to live with his dead-beat father in North Carolina while his drug-addict mother goes off to jail.
But this simply serves as the framework for a series of pranks and stunts pulled-on real people, who have no idea that they’re being punk’d and that there are hidden cameras everywhere. Many of the scenes are funny all by themselves, but it’s the priceless reactions of the unsuspecting bystanders that make for “Bad Grandpa”‘s most hilarious moments. I shook my head and laughed-out-loud a lot throughout this 90-minute road trip. And Knoxville and Nicoll do make a good team.
The end credits reveal more hijinks and some “making of” secrets, including a cameo from Catherine Keener, who’s in EVERYTHING right now! You can tell that the filmmakers (including returning “Jackass” director Jeff Tremaine) put a lot of work into the production. Knoxville’s make-up and hair certainly did the trick and the audio and video quality is quite good, considering all the equipment had to be hidden. But why am I getting this specific – it’s a “Jackass” movie for crying out loud!
“Bad Grandpa” is at times very outrageous and inappropriate, which is what I fully expected going in. Many of the gags are purely meant to shock both the victims of the pranks and the audience. And they do. For me these aren’t the movie’s strongest moments, but they’re exactly what the diehard “Jackass” fans are hoping for. And you have to appreciate the fact that Knoxville and company (including Spike Jonze, who helped with the story, screenplay as well as a co-producer) delivered what was promised: a ridiculous, raunchy comedy.
No surprise here: “Bad Grandpa” is rated R for harsh, offensive language, adult content, fake nudity and drug use. Anyone under 15, or older than 65, should stay far, far away. Everyone else – as long as they know what they’re in for, will not be disappointed.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” gets a B-.