Bad Grandpa Review
rating: 3
After Jackass 3D (and its pseudo-sequel Jackass 3.5 compiled of unused material) and the tragically unfortunate death of celebrated Jackass stunt performer Ryan Dunn, it went up in the air regarding what was next for the crew of professional pranksters. Would Jackass 3 live on as their swan song? Would they ever reunite one last time for 90 minutes of juvenile yet irresistible humor? With Bad Grandpa we sort of have an answer, as it takes a popular sketch character from the Jackass heritage and creates a hidden camera film around a very basic story. Hey, it worked for Sacha Baron Cohen with Borat (and to a lesser extent with Bruno) so I see no harm in the Jackass crew taking a stab at it. If anything the results are the most inspired and refreshing series of gags in years from the group and a step in a direction ripe with further potential. This initial endeavor stars Johnny Knoxville in some extremely heavy make-up and prosthetics to reprise his role as the fan favorite Irving Zisman character; a crude and deeply perverted 86 year old elderly man. Its a role hes clearly familiar with and seemingly always has a blast embracing the vulgar antics with, but it did feel like his raspy old man accent dropped in and out occasionally which was distracting. For the most part however, 90 minutes of Irving actually works.
Now obviously, you cant base an entire movie around one character and joke so heres where things get interesting for the crew and writers. Irvings wife has just died naturally of old age but instead of feeling grief stricken, hes actually joyous and relieved, thanking the heavens for he is once more free from the binding shackles of marriage. Or so he thought anyway; his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) is sweet and innocent but his parents arent exactly role models. Billy lives with his mother whom is going to jail (again apparently) for drug abuse and addiction, which leaves no one to take care of the rascal as his father lives across the country. In typical comedy genre fashion, after some humorous set up and character introductions, Irving and little Billy become united against their own free will for a road trip to get him to his father; an upstanding gentleman who agrees to take care of the child because $600 a month in child support sounds awesome. Bad Grandpa is an incredibly formulaic comedy thats plot will most definitely play out as you would expect it too but thats ok because this is clearly a movie about the journey, which involves screwing with the minds of as many innocent citizens as possible, from pageant contestants to restaurant owners to African American themed gay dance bars. There is truly nothing off limits or no sense of fear in crossing a line. If anything the line is crossed and never looked back towards around 5 minutes in, when Irving gets his dangling grotesque rubber prosthetic penis stuck in a cola dispenser. I will tell you right up front that this is a movie purely for either Jackass fans or those that enjoy gross out humor. As someone who is a fan of Jackass and Johnny Knoxville its not something that really bothered me but I do feel that sometimes it goes way too far with the toilet and scatological humor. For example, I really didnt need to see a giant humanoid penis attached to a large fish, appropriately named Moby Dick. Also, seeing an elderly prosthetic penis is something Ill let slide and chuckle to once, but after the third time it just becomes a desperate cry for laughs based around shock value. 
There is a hell of a lot that does work in Bad Grandpa however, most notably the notion that Irving cant stand to be around his grandson so much that he tries shipping a living human in a box. To drive the prank home, his response to the distraught workers after being found out, is to write Fragile on it. Moments like that are genius and creative pranks that arent only more humorous than seeing penises and farts, they are just funnier and more memorable. Furthermore, while their chemistry doesnt quite live up to a similar actor pairing in Bad Santa, theres still some engaging chemistry between Johnny Knoxville and young Jackson Nicoll. Bad Grandpa is an interesting diversion from what were used to seeing from these pranksters, and while its not a nonstop laugh riot its got some great gags spread throughout the film. When it comes down to it though, it is mostly one dimensional repeating the same jokes every 15 minutes but in different ways. Regardless, its easily a must see for either Jackass supporters or fans of films like Borat. 
Bad Grandpa opens today in the UK and on Friday in the US