Release Date: October 25, 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll
Our Rating: C
Usually when you think of the Jackass franchise, you think of its resident host, Johnny Knoxville, or all the outrageous pranks and jokes that have been presented. However, you don’t usually think of an old man traveling across the country with his grandson and causing all sorts of mayhem in the process.
Enter 86-year-old Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville). With his wife having (finally) passed away, Irving hopes to have the time of his life. The only thing holding him back is the fact that his daughter, Kimmie (Georgina Cates), violated her parole and is consequently going to be sent to jail. Dumping Irving’s 8-year-old grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll), into his care, Kimmie tells her father that she needs Billy to be sent to his father, Chuck (Zia Harris), in Raleigh, North Carolina. Left with no choice, Irving embarks on a road trip from Nebraska to North Carolina with Billy in the front seat and his dead wife’s corpse in the trunk of the car.
Technically speaking, the strange way in which the Jackass franchise is produced marks it as a series of documentaries. However, Bad Grandpa holds the title of being the first installment in the Jackass franchise that has an actual plot. Considering that this movie comes from a series of films that are nothing more than compilations of often times dangerous stunts and practical jokes punctuated by foul language and raunchy humor, this makes Bad Grandpa considerably different from the rest. This difference, though, is both the movie’s strength as well as its weakness.
Certain dynamic elements necessary for a story are present in Bad Grandpa, such as plot and continuity. The fact that there is a story being portrayed, however, in a way tones down the flamboyance of the film’s litany of practical jokes. Not only that, but it also cuts down on the total amount of pranks performed due to the moments where the plot must continue. Of course, some of the pranks are incredibly hilarious, while other ones are just downright stupid and difficult to watch. In my opinion, it all depends on the viewer’s definition of what is funny and what is not.
Although part of the Jackass franchise, the attempted humor used in this movie will not compare to the one in an actual Jackass film. Truthfully, if you’re looking for a movie filled to the brim with potential to send you into an uproar of laughter, this movie is not for you. While it is stylistically different from the rest of the installments in its franchise, it simply doesn’t compare in content.
