Jackass 4.5 (2022)
★★ — Jackass 4.5 (2022)
There's a guy named Poopies now. That's where we are. That's the state of Jackass in 2022.
Look, I'll be fair: the stunt commitment is still there. Slow-motion footage of grown men getting booted in the groin, glued to walls, or flung off trampolines like flesh-covered missiles still has a certain deranged appeal. The camaraderie between the old guard feels genuine, and a handful of gags land with that genuine "I cannot believe they actually did that" jolt that made this franchise so addictive in the first place. Steve-O, Wee Man, Chris Pontius, they're still willing to absorb serious punishment for your entertainment, and you've got to respect the dedication even as you wince.
But here's the thing: the magic is fading, and no amount of slow-motion ball-shots can disguise it.
The new cast members are the clearest symptom of the problem. They don't carry the same energy as the originals, the ones who built this whole ridiculous empire out of pure anarchic stupidity and genuine friendship. Watching them try to slot into the chaos feels like watching a support band headline a show they weren't quite ready for. And Poopies. I mean. Poopies. I'm not a snob about juvenile humour, I'm literally watching a Jackass film, but even by this franchise's standards, that nickname feels like a flag planted firmly in the wrong territory.
Then there's Jasper's dad. Bless him. And bless Johnny Knoxville for still wanting to bring people he loves into the madness. It's sweet, in a way. But sweet isn't what Jackass is supposed to be. When you watch a bit and your primary emotion is "ah, isn't that nice," something has gone badly wrong. It plays less like a stunt film and more like a family barbecue that someone happened to film on a GoPro. Nobody's getting hurt badly enough to make you feel guilty for laughing, and that tension, the sense that things could genuinely go sideways at any moment, was always half the point.
What you're left with is something that feels padded, nostalgic in the wrong way, and a little desperate. This is a companion piece to Jackass Forever, full of offcuts and extended sequences that didn't make the theatrical cut, and honestly you can see why some of them didn't. There's a reason editors exist. The balance has shifted from reckless, dangerous chaos to something closer to a clip show with added meandering. I've written about the franchise's various spin-offs and half-steps before, including Jackass 3.5 and Jackass 2.5, and those had their moments, but even by the standards of supplementary Jackass content, this one feels thin.
The raw, genuinely dangerous edge that made the original films so thrilling, the sense that these idiots had no regard whatsoever for their own bodies or anyone's good opinion of them, has been sanded down. What remains is a group of blokes who've become slightly too aware of their own legend, chasing a high they already peaked on twenty years ago. It's not unwatchable. If you're already deep in the Jackass rabbit hole, you'll get a few laughs out of it. But you'll also feel the tiredness underneath those laughs.
Two stars. Worth a chuckle for the faithful. Everyone else, go back to the originals.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2022 | Watched: 2025-09-07
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Jeff Tremaine: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) · Jackass: Gumball Rally 3000 Special (2002) · Jackass 3.5 (2011) · Jackass 2.5 (2007)
More with Johnny Knoxville: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) · Skiptrace (2016) · The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) · The Ringer (2005)
More from the 2020s: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · The Long Walk (2025) · Americana (2023)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
