Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
★★ — Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
By 2013, the Jackass franchise had already produced three mainline films and a spin-off (Jackass 3.5), and this entry represented something of a formal experiment: a hidden-camera prank film built around a loose narrative throughline rather than a pure sketch format. Jeff Tremaine, who had directed all three main Jackass features, shot the film largely on location across the American South, using genuine unsuspecting members of the public as unwitting participants alongside Knoxville and child actor Jackson Nicoll. Made for a relatively modest $15 million, it returned over $150 million at the worldwide box office, confirming that there was still considerable commercial appetite for the brand. The Irving Zisman character had appeared in earlier Jackass productions, but this was his first (and only) feature-length outing.
Bad Grandpa (2013) somehow convinced the world that an 84-minute feature film built around one of Jackass’s most annoying recurring bits. Irving Zisman, a grouchy old man played by Johnny Knoxville under layers of prosthetics, was a good idea. And while it’s technically impressive for its elaborate hidden-camera pranks and seamless editing, as a film, it’s a grueling, slog that mistakes shock for substance and comedy. Yes, the prank setups are clever, and you can’t deny the commitment Knoxville and the crew show in pulling off these stunts with unsuspecting bystanders. What worked(ish) in five-minute bursts on Jackass becomes a chore at feature length. The story (a fake custody battle so Irving can dump his grandson on deadbeat relatives) is paper-thin, the humour relentlessly juvenile, and the emotional moments feel manipulative, like the film suddenly remembers it needs heart after 90 minutes. It was actually nominated for an Oscar for makeup (which it deserved) but that doesn’t make it a good movie. The technical craft behind the pranks is undeniable. As a comedy movie it is a fail.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2013 | Watched: 2025-10-16
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Jeff Tremaine: Jackass: Gumball Rally 3000 Special (2002) · Jackass 3.5 (2011) · Jackass 2.5 (2007) · Jackass Forever (2022)
More with Johnny Knoxville: Skiptrace (2016) · The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) · The Ringer (2005) · Walking Tall (2004)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
