Erik Jimenez/Staff Writer
When Johnny Knoxville and the rest of the “Jackass” crew hit television screens back in 2000, rebellious youngsters saw before them a style of comedy that would redefine comedy of the early 21st century. The style was undoubtedly titled after its own, and involved seemingly ordinary situations that turned into crude and self-injuring stunts. Yet, with the advent of social media, videos of pranks and stunts, both successful and unsuccessful, Knoxville and Co. had to retire.
“Action Point” is Johnny’s first real attempt at comedy not associated with “Jackass” since then While the film shoots for the same manic energy from its previous films, it just doesn’t work with a thin story to tie around the set pieces.
The film is inspired by the true story of Action Park, a theme park in New Jersey which was notorious for its poorly designed, unsafe rides, in addition to its underaged, undertrained and often under-the-influence staff. The park, “Action Point,” is a low-rent, out-of-control amusement park where the rides are designed with minimum safety for maximum fun. Knoxville plays D.C., the park’s crackpot owner.
Taking place in the summer of 1979, the film—when it’s not focusing on the slapstick stunts and jokes—is about D.C.’s relationship with his estranged teenage daughter Boogie (Eleanor Worthington Cox) as she comes to visit him over the summer. But, because a corporate mega-park named “7 Parks,” an obvious end up to Six Flags, which did in fact open near the real-life “Action Park,” opens nearby and jeopardizes the future of Action Point.
And so, to save his beloved theme park and his relationship with his daughter, D.C. and his loony crew of misfit employees risk everything and pull out all the stops by making the park more insane and dangerous than it was before. All of which makes for one 90-minute bore fest, with by-the-numbers plotting, and stunts that should feel dangerous and groan-inducing but actually feel too deflated and safe in the end.
The acting is really nothing to praise. Knoxville is somewhat charismatic when talking with his employees, as he comes off as someone taking the idea of making everything more unsafe seriously. This means that it’s infamy will grow and the money will start coming in, but besides that everyone else is just bland and forgettable. They are not characters, they are stereotypes. Maybe if he brought in some other members of the “Jackass” crew the comedy would’ve been riled up and the stunts could have felt more impactful.
I can see someone getting some laughs watching this film on Netflix, but like the other “Jackass” movies, you could wait for the best parts to be posted on Youtube.
Johnny Knoxville is a nice guy and I’m sure he and the rest of the cast had a blast making this movie, but I can’t help but feel like time is catching up with him and this type of humor on the big screen. There is a reason why no one talks about America’s Funniest Home Videos anymore except in retrospect.
1 ½ stars out of 5
Featured photo was taken from the Action Point Facebook.
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