Jackass: Best and Last – One final reunion with the idiots who defined a generation
The year 2000 was something special. We were the youth, as Silverchair famously sang. Video stores still lined our streets, the internet was only beginning to change the world, wrestling was at its absolute peak, and those words, “Don’t Try This At Home”, meant something very different to every kid growing up in the 90s.
Things started getting extreme when a group of skateboarders and troublemakers led by Bam Margera and Brandon DiCamillo burst onto the scene with CKY. Combining outrageous stunts, painful pranks and skateboarding footage, the series became the blueprint for what would eventually evolve into one of the biggest cult phenomena of the new millennium: Jackass.
Created by Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville, Jackass debuted on MTV in October 2000 and quickly became a cultural sensation. Across three short but unforgettable seasons, we were introduced to a cast of fearless idiots who were willing to risk life, limb and common sense for our entertainment.
The core crew included Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Dave England, Danger Ehren McGhehey, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Preston Lacy and Brandon DiCamillo.
What began as a television series quickly grew into a massive media franchise. Spin-offs such as Wildboyz and Viva La Bam followed, alongside multiple feature films that turned these backyard stunt performers into global superstars.
The movie that was supposed to be the end
When the television series ended in 2001, the cast reunited to create what they believed would be the final chapter: Jackass: The Movie. The crew openly described the film as their farewell to fans. Moving to the big screen also allowed them to escape television censorship, pushing the stunts, gross-out humor and chaos further than ever before.
Made on a modest budget of just $5 million, Jackass: The Movie became a box office sensation, earning more than $60 million in the United States alone and debuting at number one.
At the time, everyone involved genuinely believed Jackass was finished.
However, while filming the final seasons of Wildboyz, Johnny Knoxville reunited with Chris Pontius and Steve-O on various adventures around the world. Knoxville was throwing himself into stunts with such enthusiasm that Jeff Tremaine reportedly pulled him aside and asked, “If you’re willing to go this hard, why not get all the guys together and make another movie?”
Knoxville agreed.
With Viva La Bam and Wildboyz both wrapping up, the entire crew was available to reunite. The result was Jackass Number Two, followed by Jackass 3D and later Jackass Forever, each proving that audiences still couldn’t get enough of these lovable maniacs.
Why they kept coming back
Knoxville later admitted that he struggled to walk away from the franchise because he was addicted to performing stunts. Cinematographer Dimitry Elyashkevich even revealed that shortly after filming ended, Knoxville was so desperate to keep shooting that he would film himself running into street signs just to capture more footage.
The franchise eventually became so successful that Knoxville’s elderly alter ego earned his own feature film, Bad Grandpa.
One last ride
Which brings us to Jackass: Best and Last.
Ironically, the cast have now reached the age where they barely need prosthetics to become grandpas anymore. While I genuinely worry about the condition of their bones, joints and general wellbeing at this point, am I still going to watch it?
Absolutely.
Just turn the volume down. It’s too damn loud. . . . I’m old too...
These days, Knoxville says he can no longer participate in stunts that risk concussion. During the filming of Jackass Forever, he suffered a broken rib, broken wrist, concussion and brain haemorrhage after being launched by a bull.
Yet somehow, the insanity continues.
New stunts reportedly include Steve-O receiving a painful robot-assisted prostate examination from a machine named Larry, Poopies attaching a shock collar to one of the most sensitive parts of the human anatomy, and an “escape room from hell” designed specifically to torture its participants.
Original cast member Bam Margera, who was largely absent from Jackass Forever, will only appear through archival footage. This makes the film the first theatrical Jackass release without his direct involvement. The movie will also feature footage of Ryan Dunn, whose tragic passing in 2011 remains one of the most heartbreaking moments in the franchise’s history.
The final goodbye
Knoxville has stated that this will truly be the end.
“This is the natural place to end.”
Unlike previous films, there will also be no “.5” follow-up movie packed with unused footage.
So, is this really the end of being a Jackass?
Part of me wishes they hadn’t made this film at all. Not because I don’t want to see it, but because now it feels real. For more than two decades, these guys were part of our lives. They made us laugh, cringe, scream and occasionally question humanity itself. Watching them grow older is a reminder that we have grown older too.
It’s strangely emotional.
But perhaps that’s what makes this final chapter so important. We can look back and celebrate everything they achieved. The broken bones, the casts, the MRIs, the CAT scans, the headaches, the bruises and the pain all became part of an unforgettable legacy. Deep down, I suspect every one of them wears those scars with pride.
Jackass: Best and Last crashes into Australian cinemas on July 2.
Bring your mates, bring your nostalgia and prepare for one final reunion with the idiots who defined a generation.
I’ll be there.
Trying not to cry.
