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Jackass Forever introduces a host of new performers to their team. But how do they compare to the veterans of the franchise?
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Jackass Forever, currently playing in theaters
Jackass Forever is the fourth film in a franchise that started on MTV in 2000. A continuation of smaller concepts pioneered by the groups known as Big Brother and CKY, it’s been over two decades since Johnny Knoxville and his friends’ goofy antics were recognized by the mainstream. But now, with Jackass Forever embracing a new roster of performers alongside the veterans of the franchise, it’s worth asking how these new faces stack up. And while there are some clear stand-outs, the Jackass rookies actually handle themselves pretty well.
Jackass Forever splits its run-time between the old guard of the franchise and a host of fresh faces. While the majority of the pranks and stunts involve Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Dave England and Ehren McGhehey to some degree, they don’t necessarily brush aside the new faces either. Jasper Dolphin, Zach Holmes, Rachel Wolfson, “Poopies” McInerne, Eric Manaka and “Dankshark” Wilson are the most prominent of the new recruits, each quickly filling a role within the classic Jackass mold. Holmes is the hefty slapstick tool, taking on the kind of responsibilities formerly utilized by Lacy. Poopies has the same kind of easily ripped apart confidence that McGhehey’s stunts usually entail, but with both original performers also in the film, they don’t get as bright of a spotlight.
Dankshark is used sparingly in Wildboyz style animal bits involving a vulture and a spider, and Manaka throws himself into his stunts with a welcome gusto. The two stand-outs are honestly Dolphin and Wolfson, both of whom quickly establish an on-screen personality. One of the secret weapons to the Jackass franchise as a whole is that the performers quickly established themselves with distinct and goofy characters that stood out amongst the rest. It’s a big part of what makes the performers so endearing on an emotional level, giving their on-screen antics memorable personalities. While the new performers are all fun, Dolphin and Wolfson are the quickest to establish themselves with specific energies in the film.
Dolphin — a veteran of Odd Future — imbues his sketches with a goofy “younger brother” vibe alongside the more seasoned Jackass performers, quick with a joke and a wide-smiled willingness to jump into anything. More than anyone, he’s like Chris Pontius, with an infectious laugh (but a quicker habit of throwing himself into stunts as opposed to Pontius, whose go-to jokes remain centered on various stages of nudity). Wolfson brings along an eagerness for stunts and a good level of silly restraint — keeping up the joke ever after being tasered, blasted with paint or stung on the lip by a scorpion. Honestly, Wolfson is the underplayed in the film, with an ability to keep a straight face that potentially could rival the typically unflappable Knoxville.
If Jackass continues on with these castmates moving more into the spotlight, then throwing Wolfson into more public pranks might be a good direction to go. All in all, though, the new castmates are all solid. They blend into the general vibe of the proceedings well and are quick to throw themselves into the nonsense head-first. Their youth allows them to be flung into the more physically demanding spots with ease, and they each have at least a few moments of spontaneous hilarity throughout the film. If Jackass as a franchise were to continue onwards with these performers taking more of the spotlight, then they could continue to take it forward in a fitting and fun way.
To see how the new members stack up, Jackass Forever is in theaters now.
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