The Film
Thirteen years after Jackass first graced MTV, the franchise is still going strong. In fact, the group's gross-out antics have grossed over $439 million to date. Those shocking numbers include the series' latest, Bad Grandpa.
Bad Grandpa cuts almost the entire Jackass cast out the equation to focus on Johnny Knoxville's grandpa character -- and how others in the world react to him. He's sort of like Borat, if Borat were an old guy who gets his dick stuck in a gas station soda machine.
Bad Grandpa pretty much lives up to his name, in more ways than one. Instead of a series of goofs, this one plays like an actual movie with an actual plot. That finds Billy (Jackson Nicoll) in the custody of Grandpa Irving (Knoxville), after the tyke's mom goes off to jail. Since Grandpa is a "bad grandpa," he wants to dump little Billy with his seedy father in North Carolina. En route, the two get into a lot of hijinks, some of which involve Grandpa's dead wife (Catherine Keener!), who is riding in the trunk of the car.
During the course of the journey, we see Irving knock his dead wife out of her casket, fly through a store window, try to ship his grandson via UPS, make (and eat) a sandwich in a supermarket aisle, and anger a whole lot of unsuspecting people. Yeah, that's not even half of the movie. It's kind of hard to explain Bad Grandpa, without giving away too many gags. Depending on how you look at it, maybe I'd be doing you a favor.
Bad Grandpa made $145 million at the box office, so audiences obviously love to watch the antics of old people going wild. However, the film sort of plays like an SNL skit that goes on for way too long. Also, where Jackass allows its cast to break character, Knoxville stays true to his, even when he's not seeking out victims for his pranks. There are plenty of funny moments, but overall, it's just a little too much.
If you like Jackass, you'll definitely laugh (and wince) at Bad Grandpa. If not, you'll be wincing when you find out that the movie has actually been nominated for an Oscar. It's up for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The Picture
If you're familiar with any of the Jackass movies on Blu-ray, you'll know what to expect out of Bad Grandpa -- and that's not really a good thing. The 1.85:1 image is a mixed bag, since some of the cameras used are definitely better than others. Overall, nothing here is all that impressive. Well, maybe it is for a Jackass movie, but there are plenty of soft, blurry moments. If you check out the included DVD and then the Blu-ray, you'll definitely see a slight step up in the image quality. However, it's not really worth the premium.
The Sound
Like the video, Bad Grandpa's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is sort of crappy, but expected. A lot of the movie was recorded on hidden microphones, so you get what you get. Since all of the dialogue is clear, it sort of works. However, you may want to keep the remote handy, since the music in between the skits is a bit loud.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Bad Grandpa was funny when he was picking fights, trying to shoplift, or rocking out to Public Enemy. However, he's one of those characters that just doesn't work as a full-length movie (see also: The Coneheads, Mary Katherine Gallagher, The Roxbury Guys, or Pat of It's Pat). Maybe the film would have worked better in the Jackass format, without the plotline. It has good moments, but the Blu-ray probably isn't going to win the character many new fans. The extras are the best part of this release, since the hidden camera format doesn't typically make for the best AV experience. I'm a big fan of the Jackass movies and the TV show, but overall, Bad Grandpa just isn't a very good Blu-ray purchase.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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