Bad Grandpa is the latest instalment in the Jackass film series, though the first to have an overarching plot. Johnny Knoxville reprises his old man character Irving Zisman, an 86-year-old widower tasked with driving his eight-year-old grandson cross-country to his father.
Though a majority of the movie was filmed with hidden cameras and real people, there’s still acting going on. Knoxville and Jackson Nicoll (who plays the kid) never break character, and that in itself is an impressive feat. Knoxville is a hoot as a sex-crazed old man, and Nicoll more than holds his own.
This being a Jackass film, laughs are expected, and had. The pranks and stunts range from simple (a fart gone wrong) to high-concept (shipping a live human) to just plain dark (multiple pranks involving a dead body). What’s surprising here is the authenticity, watching real people react to madness brought about by a kid and an old man. Their ages give them carte blanche to do anything, and therein lies the magic and fun of the movie: seeing how far these two can go, and how much they can push till they’re pushed back.
It’s quite a lot actually, and it’s all pretty funny.
Kevin Rosario is a contributing writer for Chulo Magazine. You can keep up with him on Twitter @DoodlesGalore.
