Jackass was lightning in a bottle when it aired originally on MTV. It capitalised on the burgeoning alternate scene of the ninteties and the early two-thousands.

(c) MTV Entertainment Studios, Dickhouse Entertainment, Paramount Pictures

Callum Berry.

Jackass: Best and Last is the final entry in the franchise, which is understandable as the cast is getting older, and performing the kinds of stunts that the franchise requires takes a heavy toll on a person, physically and emotionally.

Like most guys of my generation I have fond memories of Jackass, though if I’m honest I wasn’t (and still aren’t) a fan of the violence the group inflict on each other (with the exception of the giant hand attacks).

The new effort combines the usual stunt fare with sections that are more documentarian in nature, with the key figures talking about what Jackass has meant to them as well as reflecting on their favourite moments. The movie combines new footage prepared for the film with older footage, prompted by the cast. The mixture felt odd to me, as if Tremaine wanted to make a new Jackass entry, a documentary, and a celebration event-film all at the same time. I’m not going to say that it doesn’t work, because I can see the vision, but it really feels awkward at times.

The movie works as an act of nostalgia-bait, bringing millennials and gen-x viewers back to innocent times. It’s easy to fall into the nostalgia as the movie shows classic clips, and even the newer footage lulls viewers into a comfortable space. The newer footage is good, being hilarious at times, there were scenes were I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

The only issue I have, is that the newer footage will stop, we’ll hear a word from someone and then we’ll back into older footage. The flow of the film didn’t feel great, and I think Tremaine should have leaned into either newer footage, with newer stunts making up the bulk eighty-percent of the movie or make a documentary/retrospective instead of trying to do everything at once.

The cast and crew still know what they’re doing, with Knoxville being as charismatic as he ever was. They’re all in good shape considering how many years its been since the franchise started.

Clocking in at around an hour and a half, I was engaged the whole way through and the movie does barrel along, and I was a little disappointed when it was over.

6.5/10.