Jackass 3D (2010) Review.

Jackass 3D is a lot of things, it’s disgusting, it’s offensive, it’s ridiculous, it’s also hilarious, entertaining and most of all 90 minutes of pure fun. But it’s also something else, something rather remarkable. It’s by far the best use of the 3D technology in a film to date. And when you think about it, it makes logical sense that a movie that is essentially throwing shit at the screen for 90 minutes would be the ideal candidate for a technology that benefits from ‘shit being thrown at the screen’.

I won’t spoil anything, because half the fun is the shock value. But if you’ve seen the previous two Jackass films you should know what you’re in for. All the boys from the second film are back and even though they’re getting on a bit they still have just as much energy to subject themselves to humiliation and torture. Their enthusiasm is infectious. I am a fan of the Jackass series and just about every other spin off they’ve been involved in so I admit to bias. The simple fact is if you didn’t like them before this movie isn’t going to change anything.

If there is a problem it’s that the film is so polished, the 3D so well implemented and so gorgeously presented that it almost feels unreal. This isn’t a slam against the stunts in the film though but a testament to this technology. And rather amusingly this film works better as a selling point, even a benchmark (even more so than Avatar) for the brilliance of this technology. But it’s not just the 3D either, the slow motion footage is breathtaking (for so many reasons), with several scenes in the movie being shot with ‘Phantom High-Speed Cameras’ which shoot at 1000 frames per second!

I was an avid opponent of 3D going into Jackass 3D, seeing it as nothing but a gimmick. My opinion hasn’t changed in relation to its gimmicky nature, but the sheer quality of the 3D here is unrivaled. If you are a 3D skeptic and enjoy the antics of the Jackass boys then this is a must see movie as it will open your eyes in more ways than one.

Rating: 4 out of 5.