Actor Johnny Knoxville once more donned his make up and silvery wig to reprise his famous prankster role as the outrageous OAP Irving Zisman. Knoxville’s special grandpa character has featured in a number other ‘Jackass’-based skits in both the original TV shows as well as the movie spin-offs. ‘Bad Grandpa’ is slightly more than just another set of hidden camera ‘Jackass’ pranks and there is actually a semi-story woven into the movie that ties together each of the main stunts.
Irving gets lumbered with his 8 year-old grandson Billy when his drug addicted daughter gets sent to prison. The two of them travel across America from Nebraska to North Carolina so that Billy can reunite with his father. Of course with a faux 86-year old like Irving in two there is bound to be plenty of fun and shocks along the way.
As most ‘Jackass’ fans know the MTV Films and Dickhouse Production would not be short of some truly mouth-opening sequences with members of the public. There were of course plenty of stunts, some of which will be familiar to those who have seen Irving’s previous efforts, but I think one of the biggest disappointments here has to be the rather more lacklustre reactions from the general public featured in the movie. Have ultra pranks like this desensitised the public from actually offering some stronger reactions? Or was it simply how the movie has been ultimately edited?
The film is littered with various unforgettable and funny sequences including a strip club scene that involves a drunken Irving cruising a bar full of ladies who are there to check out the male strippers on show. He hits the dancefloor, drops his pants and leaves his unleashed elongated ball sack to do the rest of the work. Irving manages to disgust many people on his travels including when he shocks a number of ladies at a bingo hall when he begins drinking from his bingo markers. If you’d rather enjoy some less sickening bingo action there is always of course bingo uk. The film’s highlight is of course the scene at the youngster’s beauty pageant which was heavily featured at the latter end of the trailers that were going around before the movies release.
In spite of all the fun, giggles and sometimes quite dark subject matter involved in the movie along the way ‘Bad Grandpa’ does eventually head into a more touching and sentimental area as it draws to an end.
