Jackass: Best & Last Review

It may sound like a weird comparison at first, but Jackass: Best and Last is dealing with the same implicit problem that Toy Story 5 had to overcome. Both sequels, coming out decades after their original films debuted, wrestle with changing times and evolving dynamics while remaining true to the stories and personalities that have been central to the success of the series. Both movies feature emotionally stirring farewells and, oddly, confrontations with a robotic addition to the group – although the rectal exam performed by the robotic cast-mate Larry is a far cry from what Lilypad gets up to with Woody and the Gang.

Both films are also strong late additions to their respective fanchises. Best and Last is up-front about closing the book on Jackass once and for all, paying tribute to one of modern pop culture’s most enduring bands of goofball idiots with recollection, anarchy, and just a tad bit of sadness. While the film can’t match the heights (both metaphorical and literal) of previous entries in the series, it remains a fitting farewell for fans.

Jackass: Best And Last Is Great For Long-Time Fans

Jackass: Best and Last is more of a tribute album than a fully formed new entry, intermixing popular older gags and never-before-seen footage with new stunts and bits. The result is a film that feels as much like a send-off to Jackass as a property as to this specific cast.

While everyone gets some wacky beats to indulge in, the majority of the biggest stunts feature Johnny Knoxville at the center. Whether he’s the gleefully painful ringleader or being thrown headfirst into the stunts himself, Knoxville’s enthusiasm for the series is clear. The moments when he quietly tears up talking about Jackass while strapped to a lie detector electric chair hit all the harder for it.

If the film was more interested in showcasing these moments from the cast and crew, it might have picked up a more emotionally raw quality. Instead, most of the talking head sequences are teeing up older clips and showing the group all hanging out as buddies. Fitting for the tone of the film, but somewhat familiar, given how many goodbyes this series has already had over the years.

Welcome To Jackass (One Last Time)

As with any Jackass, the real focus is on the extreme lengths the group will go to for a joke. The new sketches do illicit some good laughs, especially for audiences who find nudity and poop fertile ground for comedy. The ambition of previous entries isn’t quite there, however, with much of the cast really showing their age. This actually opens the door to some emotional exploration of friendship and aging, something that Best and Last only really ever hints at.

This is a movie for super fans beyond anything else – which is why this review is coming in on a slight curve. I grew up with Jackass, staying up late with friends during sleepovers in the 5th grade to catch the original show on MTV. I remember convincing a friend’s older brother to rent the first movie from a video store for us, getting posters for the second movie as a high school student, and attending an opening night screening of Jackass 3D as a college freshman. I’m an easy mark for this film, and found myself chortling at old favorites just as hard as I did when I was a kid.

That level of nostalgia gives the retrospective moments a bit more of an emotional pull, and tees up some previously unseen footage, such as Knoxville’s infamous “prison break” scene that almost killed the series in its early days. Best and Last is a love letter to the goofiness of a bunch of friends refusing to unpack the more unsavory aspects of life in favor of embracing community in the face of physically unsavory challenges.

It’s nostalgic, funny, and even occasionally sweet. However, that same vibe was utilized in the previous films as well, and it worked somewhat better in the third and fourth installments. There’s a somberness to Best and Last that doesn’t undercut the nonsensical, degrading, and often funny antics of the group.

As a fan, I was pleased – even knowing that it was neither as funny nor as bold as previous entries, and that I could have left happier with a bit more emotional rawness to the group’s latest farewell. Jackass: Best and Last isn’t going to win over new fans, and it’s not the best of the series, but there’s enough silly stunts and a dash of emotion to make this a must-see for anyone who loves this franchise.

Jackass: Best and Last releases in theaters nationwide on Friday, June 26.

Jackass: Best and Last

7/10

Release Date

June 26, 2026

Director

Jeff Tremaine

Writers

Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, Trip Taylor, Eric Manaka, Zach Holmes, Rachel Wolfson, Jasper Dolphin, Tory Belleci, J.P. Blackmon, Sean Cliver, Dimitry Elyashkevich, Johnny Knoxville, Knate Lee, Sean McInerney, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Jeff Tremaine, Davon Wilson

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