Johnny Knoxville’s Bad Grandpa character has been a popular addition to the Jackass franchise films over the years, but it was still a bit of a surprise to hear the character would be getting his own movie. Despite the quick turnaround between the film's announcement and its theatrical release, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa ended up premiering to swell numbers and reviews when it hit theaters, and if you are a fan of the prankster character you can catch the flick when Paramount Home Media Distribution brings it onto Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on January 28.
The box art calls the flick "the funniest movie of the year," although I’d rank it somewhere between We’re The Millers and This is the End in terms of amusement. The more important factor to note is that Johnny Knoxville’s Bad Grandpa character can capably carry a movie, a fact I was skeptical about before the film hit theaters. Jumping from five minute-long sketches to a 91 minute-long film is a huge stretch, but Knoxville and director Jeff Tremaine pull it off, thanks to creating a road trip plot to keep the hijinks interesting.
I’m not saying that Bad Grandpa is one of the most creative films of 2013. The plot revolves around 86-year-old Irving Zisman (Knoxville), a man who takes custody of an 8-year-old boy named Billy (Jackson Nicoll) soon after his wife dies. He eventually decides to go on a road trip to bury his wife down south and to hand Billy off to his actual father. This allows grandpa and grandson to traverse across the country and get into various comical situations and shenanigans. It’s a serviceable plot with plenty of funny moments and hidden camera reactions from bystanders.
If you do opt to purchase Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa on Blu-ray, you’ll get a little more than the theatrical release. While DVD copies come with no extras and just the theatrical release, Blu-ray copies will come with the theatrical edition but also an unrated edition that promises plenty of extra footage. Additionally, Blu-ray copies will come with all of the bonus features, which include behind the scenes footage from scenes like "Wedding Crashers" and "Beauty Pageant." Since the movie was a hidden camera affair and many people involved with the film had no idea they were going to be a part of the flick, some of the extras will be alternate reactions to onscreen antics that did not make the final cut of the film. Plenty of deleted scenes will also round out the bonus features. You can check out the full list of bonus features, below, or pre-order Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa over at Amazon.
Bad Grandpa Blu-ray Bonus Features
- Unrated Cut of the film
- Behind-the-Scenes
- Alternate Reactions from Real People
- Deleted Scenes
