I was discussing “Jackass” with a co-worker of mine recently and she said they must be stupid to do the things they do. If they are stupid, they are stupid like a fox. The first “Jackass” movie was a box-office hit that did even better on DVD. “Jackass Number Two” made $27 million last weekend and will do even better on DVD.

From what I’ve heard, many members of the cast get a percentage of the film’s overall take, meaning that a person can get very rich just by getting hit by a bull, bitten by a snake or hitting a wall.

I saw the film last weekend in a packed theater. There were a few solo seats left open, but people were forced to sit in those crummy seats in the very front if they wanted to sit with their friends. People laughed, gasped, hooted and hollered the whole way through the movie and someone even threw up. Depending on the way you look at things, that is either a ringing endorsement of the movie or even more of a deterrent.

For those of you not in the know, “Jackass” follows the zany exploits of a group of guys. They do outrageous stunts that either involve dangerous animals, skateboards, bikes, rockets or weapons.

They also perform pranks on their friends, parents or an unsuspecting public - many of which are designed to make people uncomfortable. For instance, “Bad Grandpa” puts ringleader Johnny Knoxville in old man make-up and has him take an actor playing his grandson out to lunch. At the lunch counter, Grandpa drinks from a bottle in a brown paper bag, smokes and swears and then lets his grandson do the same. The other customers are obviously outraged and arguments ensue.

I’m afraid that the humor in the film doesn’t translate to the page very well, but let me assure you that there are a lot of laughs in the film. Depending on your sensibilities though, there may not be enough to warrant you going to see this in the theater. I was thoroughly entertained however and amazed at the things that occurred on screen. For example, several cast members attempted to extract anacondas from a ball-pit at a children’s restaurant, one guy used himself as human bait while fishing for sharks and several guys withstood an assault from a land-mine that expels rubber ball bearing type things - the land-mines are typically used to protect embassies around the world from dangerous mobs and riots.

In a world that just lost a man like Steve Irwin, seeing people get so close to dangerous animals is a little uncomfortable and the world will certainly not grieve for a “Jackass” they way they did for “The Crocodile Hunter,” should something terrible happen to one of them. That being said, “Jackass” has a different objective than Irwin did, though I’m sure they respect the animals as much and do not seek to harm them or come to any serious harm themselves.

That’s too much thinking for this movie though. “Jackass Number Two” is pure entertainment for people who like to see the absurd, bizarre, dangerous, disgusting and hilarious. It is a freak show on film and one that I think is well worth the price of admission.

***1/2

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