Review: "JACKASS 3" in 3-D

Review of film “JACKASS 3” in 3-D”

Around a week ago, I attended an ADVANCE screening of the above film, which I’m going to report on at this time…

…  The PROMOTIONAL efforts concerning the film were exceptionally WELL-DONE:   We were allowed into the theater like 2 hours early.  As we went in, we were given a souvenir small “MY SPACE” BACKPACK & free POPCORN & SODA for everyone at the screening...  Even more interesting, they had a unusual “FILMING” setup already in place inside the theater:

…  They offered people choices from various funny COSTUME props --  tall hats, colored boas, a plastic guitar & mics, etc.  As a DJ played rock music from a “scratch” turntable setup, a young woman had people come up to “PERFORM” in the costumes in front of a white SCREEN.  She then used a continuous-shooting DIGITAL STILL CAMERA to shoot multiple frames of the guys & girls “JUMPING” (dancing) around in front of the screen… 

…  The audience could see the sort of “STOP-motion” effects as a “VIDEO” on a TV screen.  Then, the people handling the computer-based photography setup immediately produced colored-image “FLIP BOOKS” of the “groups” of performers which they gave as GIFTS to the guys & gals who’d entertained.  So, when you flipped (flicked) the pages, as with cartoons, it gave you the effect of “MOVING” images of your “performance”!...  It was very CLEVER & worked very EFFECTIVELY!... 

 …  People (including various friends of mine) quite ENJOYED the unusual and on the ball setup, & a number went back & performed a SECOND time (to get another “flip book”)…

…  But, while the “PRE-movie” show was unusually PLEASANT, I can’t honestly say the same about the FILM that followed it.  Altho many will undoubtedly disagree with me, I’m sorry to say you have to sort of BE a “Jackass” to really “APPRECIATE” the film of the same name:

…  Outside of a few SOMEWHAT funny “Candid camera” type of moments where people in the film were SURPRISED by what was to transpire next, & while a very SMALL amount of it had some quasi-“clever” actions (like using a jet engine to “shoot” some things), I felt around 90% of the movie consisted of amazingly MEAN-SPIRITED, VIOLENT, STUPID & DANGEROUS “stunts”…

…  The nine or so main guy “stars” are so juvenile that they seem to think you’re somehow more of a “man” because you can do foolish things to “accept” PAIN (like being hit in the head, being stung by bees & stun guns, jumping over water & hurting yourself, taunting big animals like bulls, etc.)…

...  It’s often the “SAME old thing” over & over again, in slightly different “configurations” of IDIOCY (with 3-D added more to increase the film gross than to do anything really “effective” with the format)…

…  In the interest of “fairness” (& with a hefty dose of disbelief), I must report that a number of the people there (black, white, Hispanic. etc.) LAUGHED a lot at the usually dim-witted actions of guys being regularly hit in the GROIN & NUTS, PISSING on other people, GLUEING their body to another person’s body hair, etc…

…  But, I’m sorry--  I just found it an almost frightening collection of SAD & BRAINLESS actions (usually revolving around going thru things that deeply increase the risk for FUTURE physical or mental DAMAGE, such as an increased risk of CONCUSSIONS as many football players have been suffering with in games recently, etc)…   

…  The film grossed around $ 50 million in its opening week…  I’m reminded of a quote from cartoonist Scott Adams:  “You can never underestimate the STUPIDITY of the general public.”…

…  I’m aware people at times need to get “AWAY” from the stresses of everyday life (& possibly to feel “SUPERIOR” to some of the people "around" them in the world), which might be a “reason” to see a 3-star (out of 10) movie like this… 

…  But, with so many really GOOD, WELL-done film-making efforts out there (such as “CONVICTION” & "SECRETARIAT" & “THE SOCIAL NETWORK”, etc.), I  find films like this a WASTEFUL, DEPRESSING & DISTRESSING way to see money spent (both in MAKING films & in the way audiences ATTEND them)…