Jackass: Number Two

As I walked into the theatre with my two friends (one male, one female) and sat down, I began observing the crowd. The numbers quickly grew with around 80% being teenage guys (Jr./Sr. High ages), 10% girls (ages ranging from Jr. High up), to a drunk 30-something-year-old mother and friends with their two very young girls (I couldn’t believe it); and the last 10% being twenty-something guys who spoke as if they never matured past their high school days. I was almost embarrassed to be there in the crowd, but I am surprisingly amused with male stupidity on screen. I entered the theatre with very low expectations (morally) and, at times, they were unfortunately met.

For some reason, many of the male gender find the dangerous, stupid, and gross things in life entertaining. Many would disagree with that statement because our culture has, over the last several years, tried to make boys/men nice, calm, and proper—when in reality, many of us like to fart, burp, and spit. Does this justify Johnny Knoxville’s repulsive antics through MTV’s “Jackass”? Not entirely.

In “Jackass: The Movie,” Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, and the rest of the gang tested the uncensored waters, where they could say and do almost anything they wanted. In producing “Number Two,” they knew exactly what they were going to do, and they believed the content had to go far beyond what they accomplished in the first movie—and that they did.

There were plenty of sucker-punches to the private parts, plenty of people throwing-up, plenty of cussing and very vulgar language (including well over a hundred f-words), plenty of guys running around half (or fully) naked (full frontal and rear), plenty of things exploding in their faces, plenty of welts, and plenty of other things that make some viewers fall over laughing, yelling “NOOO!”—with me being one of them. But there comes a point where a line is drawn for me, personally, and that’s the sexuality/nudity. Being a 20 year old guy, seeing another naked guy doesn’t faze me as much as some of the other other “skits/pranks” they pulled off…

*** WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION FOLLOWS ***
(skip this unless you or someone you know is seriously considering viewing this film)

Once again, the guys got “decrepit old people” makeovers, but this time, they made a guy look like an old woman. Along with the facial features of an old woman were breasts, and he “accidentally” undressed and exposed “himself” in public.

Another scene was a “magic trick” where “Wee Man” disappears. A very obese, very unclothed woman jumps on top of him. That, too, was absolutely disgusting and degrading. I had to close my eyes.

Another sequence that was way over-the-top was getting a stallion to ejaculate semen into a “container” with two of the guys taking a drink of it. They actually had to put up a black censoring bar over one of the guy’s mouth as they showed him drinking it. So over-the-top.

Editor’s note: Other very disturbing content includes (but is not limited to): beer being forced up a guy’s rectum with a tube, people eating horse feces, graphic detail of a guy piercing his cheek with a large fish hook and swimming with sharks, snakes tempted to bite penises, guys excreting their feces, a dildo is used in a vulgar stunt. There are vulgar song lyrics, and the Lord’s name is used in vain several times. Also, be warned that young people may be tempted to imitate some of the very dangerous stunts and practical jokes in this film.

******** END OF GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION **********

There is a line to be drawn with material like this. Teenage guys will want to see this because the “Jackass” gang does stupid things to each other, and, I’ll agree, some of it is laugh-out-loud hilarious. But we need to take into consideration what the Bible says.

“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8b NLT).

I think many Christians fail to take this seriously enough—including myself.

I can laugh at a guy after he careens down a hill in a tire or find a “fart-mask” to be funny, but when it gets to the point where it’s sexually degrading and downright immoral, I think we should choose to either not look at it, not laugh at it, and/or altogether walk out the door.

At the very least, I do not recommend letting your child see this without talking to them about it first. Don’t just say, “No, you’re not going because it’s gross. And that’s that.” That will only make some want to see it even more. Take the information given here and explain to them what it means to use discretion and to put integrity into action. Tell them how you feel about it, ask them how they feel about it. You always have the right to veto, but give them a choice to go or not. If the warnings in this review fail to dissuade you, and, for some reason, you both agree that your child may go see it, dads with teens under 17, maybe go see it with them instead of sending the 18 year-old brother along! Laugh about the funny parts afterward. Talk about it. Relate to them a bit. Get down to their level, and talk like a couple of adults who just went and saw a bunch of adults hurt each other!

I’m making it clear: This film is not recommended. It’s very vulgar, gross and disturbing. It’s sometimes funny. Unfortunately, some of it is way over-the-top.

Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Extreme

Every time you buy a movie ticket or rent a video, you are casting a vote telling Hollywood “That’s what I want.” Why does Hollywood continue to promote vulgar and immoral programming? Are YOU part of the problem? [Read our answer]

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.