Publication Date: 07-26-2026

Jackass: The Movie (2002) review

Dir. Jeff Tremaine

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★½

The movie that gave MTV’s Jackass a theatrical life remains both the artistic apex of the series, and a flashpoint for when TV counterculture became mainstream.

Jackass: The Movie served as my introduction to the series. I’ve written in the past how my mother was very loose with what she allowed me to watch from a very young age, and at a family party, when I was around eight-years-old, someone put on Jackass: The Movie and she could see my face illuminate. She told me if I could act like an adult and not repeat anything I heard in the movie, I could watch it. That I did. And as a reward, she took me to Family Video that week and rented the VHS tape for me, much to the chagrin of my father. “Him and his friends are gonna hit each other in the nuts anyway, what’s the big deal?,” my mother told him while I watched the movie on our living room TV.

I have seen the OG Jackass movie at least 15 times, and it remains my favorite of the series. Coming off of the short-lived MTV series, and fitting for the time, it’s also the film with the smallest budget in the series, which gives it a look similar to that of the TV show. Furthermore, there’s an organic quality to the stunts that truly feels like a group of friends making use of whatever means they have. For instance, the dreaded “paper cuts” stunt has the visual qualities of a home movie. Surely the cost of the poles used for Steve-O’s “tropical pole vaulting” bit didn’t make a dent in the $5 million budget. And I could probably scrounge up a toy car like Ryan Dunn did in fewer than five minutes. With each passing Jackass sequel, the budgets got bigger and so did the stunts, which required actual construction, engineering, and even at times some visual trickery. It absolutely made the series better, but there’s a guerilla quality to this film that makes it feel the closest to the spirit of the MTV series. And it’s the one I always crave to watch first when I’m in one of my Jackass moods.

The impact this left on me as a kid was immense. I became fascinated yet fearful of airbags in cars after seeing Johnny Knoxville take part in the “rent-a-car crash up derby.” I still think of Steve-O’s ass whenever I see a bottle rocket, and am morbidly tempted to snort the wasabi I receive at a sushi or a hibachi restaurant. In high school, when I went joyriding with my friend in his manual Mustang, I sometimes threw “Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight” by the Rezillos when handed the precious aux cord.

Speaking of music, more attention needs to be paid to the downright exceptional soundtrack in Jackass: The Movie. There’s a wonderful mix of country, rap, rock, and metal that beautifully fits the content and tone of specific stunts. It all starts with “O Fortuna” in that glorious opening scene featuring the oversized shopping cart. Being that a decent chunk of this movie has the Jackass gang wreaking havoc in Japan, Buck Owens’ lovely “Made in Japan” and The Vapors’ “Turning Japanese” do their part to add energy and prompt a humorous cultural connection. The Ramones’ “California Sun,” the Misfits “Hybrid Moments,” and CKY’s “Flesh into Gear” all pop up at the appropriate time. Little Steve was always so giddy to hear “Baby Got Back” play during the “sweaty fat fucks” stunt, which features Bam Margera, Mat Hoffman, and Tony Hawk skateboarding in fat-suits. Adult Steve gets a kick out of it too.

Whether it’s Chris Pontius dancing in a speedo, Bam Margera cackling when pain is inflicted on someone else only to bristle immediately when he’s the brunt of the joke, Preston Lacy chasing Wee Man in a scantily clad outfit, or Johnny Knoxville risking life and limb for the perfect stunt, Jackass: The Movie puts an unimpeachable smile on my face from start to finish, each and every time.

My review of Jackass Number Two
My review of Jackass 2.5
My review of Jackass 3D
My review of Jackass 3.5
My review of Jackass Forever
My review of Jackass 4.5
My review of Jackass: Best and Last

My review of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
My review of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Dave England, and Ehren McGhehey. Directed by: Jeff Tremaine.