There may have never been a more aptly-named television show in history than Jackass. For those who don’t know, this show is comprised of a collection of short clips of “stunts” that push the limits of common sense and decency. While the majority of these stunts amount to little more than idiots with a camcorder, and some are just downright disgusting (do I really need to see some guy throw up a goldfish?), some of the segments honestly are quite funny. Giving your buddy a Billy Ray Cyrus haircut will always b… funny. Having two broken arms and asking total strangers to “help you out” by unzipping your fly is the stuff of classic set-up shows like Candid Camera. However, for the overwhelming majority of this disc, the clips on this disc can best be described at a lame brained attempt at humor.
Audio
While most shows would record the audio track separate from the video, the small and quick nature of this show dictates that the audio is all recorded in camera. As a result, the audio is a little harder to hear, a little less clear, and a it on the muddled side. However, I will admit that it actually does sound much better than I was expecting. That’s not to say that the quality of the audio is good by any means, but it is slightly better than your average family camcorder.
Video
The segments on this show are all recorded “live” with a small handheld camera. While this provides the performers with the flexibility and mobility necessary to shoot a show of this style, it doesn’t exactly do wonders for the quality of the video. Lighting is also a problem, as the locations have very little to no light outside of the ambient light of the location. While this is not a big problem with the exterior segments, some of the interiors are quite hard to see, especially when viewed on the small screen provided by the PSP.
Special Features
Nothing. Zip. Of course, this is not really the kind of disc that needs extras. What, do I need in depth behind the scenes footage of how Johnny Knoxville came up with the idea to have his friends eat hard boiled eggs and vomit on national television? I wasn’t expecting any extras. I don’t need any extras. Of course, it still gets a zero rating, however.
Conclusion
It is what it is. There are certainly no surprises hidden in this UMD, which features a guy who purposely places himself in a portable toilet as it is dumped over. Some segments are funny, most are stupid, and others are just plain disgusting. The audio and video quality are on par with a good home video camera, and extras are non-existent. Some may really get a kick out of this collection of viral videos, but it’s just not my kind of thing.
