Jackass Forever hits theaters this Friday, February 4. Ahead of that, reviews for the long-awaited and COVID-delayed film have begun to appear online, providing a snapshot of what critics think.

　　The movie was originally set to release in 2021 but it was one of the many films that got pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. The film stars much of the original Jackass cast, including Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and Chris Pontius, while celebrities guests like Eric Andre and Machine Gun Kelly also appear. It is the first Jackass film since 2010's Jackass 3D, not counting the Bad Grandpa spinoff.

　　As one might expect, the film is filled with stunts and hijinks that no one should try at home. Knoxville was knocked out cold by a bull during one stunt, and he sustained a brain hemorrhage, among other injuries.

　　Knoxville said of the injuries he sustained when making the movie, "I wanted the footage. I have to take responsibility for wanting the footage."

　　One of the reasons why Knoxville was hesitant to even make Jackass Forever was over concerns about injuries, and specifically concussions. He recalls thinking before filming, "I can't afford to have any more concussions. I can't put my family through that."

　　Steve-O, too, said he thought Jackass Forever might never get made--and he was OK with that. "Every movie that we ever made was the f**king last one. And not just the last one, but declared as the last one," he said.

　　"Filming Jackass at this age is much the same as it ever was, with two big differences--our bones break significantly easier. And it takes less to knock us completely unconscious. Plus longer to wake up," he said.

　　Here at GameSpot, our Jackass Forever review scored the movie an 8/10. "Jackass Forever may look a bit different and be a bit older, but it still scratches that same itch it's been scratching for over 20 years--and it's still just as comforting now as it ever was," Chris Hayner wrote.

　　For a wider look at the critical reaction to Jackass Forever, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

　　

Jackass Forever

Directed by: Jeff TremaineStarring: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Preston LacyRelease Date: February 4

GameSpot -- 8/10

"At the end of the day, the Jackass franchise is comfort food for a generation that grew up with the signature guitar riff of the show's theme song playing endlessly in their heads. Jackass Forever may look a bit different and be a bit older, but it still scratches that same itch it's been scratching for over 20 years--and it's still just as comforting now as it ever was." -- Chris Hayner [Full review]

　　

San Francisco Chronicle -- No Score

"In Jackass Forever, Johnny Knoxville and gang find new levels of low. So it's not my bag, but I went into Jackass Forever with the best intentions. The gag where they drank pig semen? That's where I checked out." -- G. Allen Johnson [Full review]

　　

IGN -- 8/10

"The final chapter in American comedy's most chaotic saga, Jackass Forever is a hilarious last hurrah for its original crew. An extravagant stunt show filled with more cinematic homages (and more bodily fluids) than ever before, it takes an ill-advised trip down memory lane and raises the stakes in maniacal fashion. Few recent films have been funnier or more delightfully nostalgic." -- Siddhant Adlakha [Full review]

　　

The Hollywood Reporter -- No Score

"At one point, a performer is doused in gallons of pig semen. The film begins with a prologue satirizing the Godzilla movies, with the creature played by a green-painted penis that douses its human adversaries with copious amounts of ejaculate. It only demonstrates that in these films, the more a segment is scripted, the less funny it is." -- Frank Scheck [Full review]

　　

The Wrap -- No Score

"Bullying is wrong, kids. Cruelty is no lesson for living. Violence is never the answer. But when practiced in the open air by tattooed, daredevil 'professionals'-as the pre-movie disclaimer anoints them--and lovingly captured by a cameraman frequently seen fighting the urge to puke, their merry re-deployment in Jackass Forever might just represent the unhinged release we need in a bruising world." -- Robert Abele [Full review]