Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Travis Pastrana, Mat Hoffman, Trigger Gumm, Jeff Schneider
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: MTV/Paramount
Release Date: May 27, 2008

I remember back in the day when MTV presented music. It was in the golden ages, back when the closest thing to a music interruption on the channel was the pop culture oriented, totally awesome game show, Remote Control. Today is a different day though. We are bombarded with bad reality television (Tila Tequila, anyone) and things that are far from music oriented…like this. Presented by the crew that brought you Jackass, this DVD pays homage, according to them, to the great stunt man, Evel Knievel.

Personally, I find Jackass to be pointless. I get that the first one was amusing. I mean, I didn’t see it that way myself, but I get that others liked it. However, there was no need for a Jackass 2.5, or anything presented by them in any capacity. It just seems like with every Jackass movie in the lineup, people like them less and less. Well hopefully this 45 minute flick will do them in and save me the trouble of having to review more drivel.

Release Information:
Mat Hoffman is a BMX star who obviously likes Evel Knievel. Most stunt guys like Evel because he was always the best back in the day. He’s a name that everyone knows whether they are into that sort of thing or not. Hoffman, on the other hand, is mostly known through Jackass and the assorted junk that the team has done. Why MTV put this out, I may never know. Perhaps they were looking to get rid of some money or they felt it important to give to charity and they chose the wrong one.

Either way MTV and Paramount are releasing Jackass Presents Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel on May 27, 2008. This is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com where it can be purchased for $21.99. However, this makes absolutely no sense, since you can buy the Jackass two pack with this tribute and the original movie for $19.99.

The Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel Plot
What better way to pay tribute to a stunt legend than to have a bunch of idiots jumping their bikes on rickety, broken down ramps and uneven, bumpy dirt roads? I am sure there is a better way, but the Jackass boys could not think of one, so we end up with 45 minutes worth of the same old thing. Mat Hoffman hosts this tribute, though it probably would have been more entertaining had he spent more time on his bike doing stunts and less time hosting.

If you like stunts and bikes then you might like Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel. You will have a chance to see some records set, some midgets on motorcycles, and some tries at some world records. The world record that is attempted is motorcycle distance jumping. The guys that are involved in the jumping know what they are doing, so the idiocy that comes in the normal films isn’t quite so prevalent here.

I mean there are moments of Knoxville failing, well more like every single time he tries to do a stunt, but the real stunts are accomplished by people that obviously know what they are doing. The Jackass team is there to mess around and attempt to be entertaining, though the real death defying stuff is performed at the hands of guys that know how to handle things professionally.

There is no doubt that these moves and moments are entertaining. I wasn’t enthralled, but like previous Jackass fare I wasn’t trying to find creative methods to end my misery. This tribute has a different feel than Jackass because of the professional element that is here.

Adrenaline junkies may find their happy place when watching this. However, if you’re not big into the guys in this gang of daredevils or into the stunt bike thing then you might have a problem. As far as the tribute factor goes it is obvious that the guys involved idolized Evel Knievel. Things work in this respect, but unless you idolize him as much, it won’t prove effective in the end.

My main beef with this DVD is that it serves a low purpose on the replayability scale. Even if you are entertained, many people will only feel that thrill of watching this DVD once. It’s not going to be the type of DVD that ends up worn out or even watched more than a handful of times (if that) by the majority of people that buy it. This means that it really has little purpose being in the average person’s collection.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
The video for Jackass Presents: Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel is not bad. The DVD offers full screen video and seems to be clear of any major compression issues. There are some moments of blur and noise, but overall things are average or slightly above. I have seen worse from the Jackass movies though so I won’t complain too much here. Just don’t expect anything remotely high definition or you might be disappointed.

Like the video, the audio here is pretty standard. You have your Dolby Digital Stereo track, which isn’t bad though there are moments of annoyance. A small amount of toggling is necessary and the sound isn’t always as strong or dynamic as I would have liked it to be. In the end, it was average, at best, but not far above that.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
There is a small selection of bonus features available on Jackass Presents: Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel. While none of them feel absolutely necessary, fans will enjoy some or all of these features as they do add something extra, even if it’s just time, to this small set. The most standard feature here is bonus footage of the film. I wasn’t overly excited by the footage, but diehard fans of the crew or of stunts might find it more interesting.

Other bonuses include some information on both Mat Hoffman and Evel Knievel, a tattoo montage, and a photo gallery. These are pretty basic in their own right and obviously just thrown in to offer some bonuses for the sake of bonuses. Things are rounded out with a music video. This is almost ironic since the DVD was produced by MTV and they no longer really play music videos. At least we know they are adding them to their DVD releases.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
This DVD has little if any redeeming qualities for the average viewer. If you’re a diehard fan of the Jackass team or Evel Knievel then you might find a purpose to Jackass Presents: Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel. However, if you’re someone with mild interest in idiots falling off of bikes or stunts in general this will be something you watch once or twice. With a price tag of over $20 for 45 minutes with weak bonuses, I hardly think this is worth it. Save your money. If you want to see this that bad just rent it.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Movie, Johnny Knoxville, Stunts, Motorbikes, BMX, Jackass Presents, Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel, DVD Review, Evel Knievel, Tribute

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