Jackass: Der Film

I can still remember enjoying this one in the theater, surrounded by a crowd who knew what they were in for and delighted in every minute of it. That's still probably the best environment for this movie, though it also serves decently enough as a solo adventure. Wonderfully self-aware, it doesn't change a thing about what made the Jackass TV show so wildly successful, apart from upping the ante and lowering itself to a sick new standard of profanity. This crew is like a squad of old friends, gross and fun to be around, but also heavily influential in how you see yourself. I'd shake my head and click away if I stumbled across half of these stunts on YouTube today, but because it feels like I know these guys, and they're so clearly having the time of their lives cashing those fifteen minutes, it's absurdly easy to buy in and let the belly laughs sail. Repeat viewings are probably best staggered at seven-to-ten year intervals.